Appreciation post: A customer in Portland said my risotto was 'too perfect' and lacked soul

They told me it felt like eating a textbook recipe, not a meal made by a person. I stopped using a timer for the stock additions and started tasting every 30 seconds instead of watching the clock. How do you balance technical precision with that gut feeling in your cooking?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_martinez211mo agoTop Commenter

Man, that "too perfect" comment would sting but it's honestly great advice. I once followed a chili recipe so exactly that my friend said it tasted like the can from the grocery store. Now I measure nothing and just throw spices in until my ancestors whisper "stop." When do you know you've added enough of something, just when it feels right?

emmasmith1mo ago

Oh man, "until my ancestors whisper stop" is the realest cooking method there is, @seth_martinez21. I totally get that. For me, it's less about a feeling and more about smell. If I'm adding cumin to something like chili, I keep adding a little bit until I can just barely smell it over everything else in the pot. Then I know it's enough. After that, you just have to trust the process and let it cook.

jakef6618d ago

Honestly, "until my ancestors whisper stop" is the best cooking advice I've ever heard and I'm stealing it. For me, it's all about the color and the smell. If you're browning meat or onions, you can see when it's right. Same with spices, you just sniff it until it smells like something you'd want to eat. Recipes are just suggestions, man. Your taste buds know better than some cookbook ever will.