Cooking without a Recipe
I grew up in the kitchen. As I mentioned before, it was (and still is) the center of my parents’ home. That being said, it shouldn’t surprise you when I say that for me, cooking is intuitive. My Mom rarely follows recipes (unless she’s trying something new, but even then she’ll often elaborate), so when I was learning to cook, I was never really taught a “recipe” per se for a dish. I was taught to cook by taste and feel. A handful of this, a sprinkle of that. Cook it until “it’s done.” This was frustrating for me at times when I was younger, because my creations wouldn’t turn out as good as Mom’s, but over the years I’ve come to understand these seemingly obtuse terms. Of course, I didn’t realize that until I started to give recipes to my friends that had the same loose measurements and straightforward directions. Now I tend to cook by feel more frequently than I use recipes. Once you get used to it, it’s just easier, and if you have any kind of basic cooking knowledge and a knowledge of what you like, then you’re even better off. And it may not be as hard to be an intuitive cook as you might think. (Don’t roll your eyes, just pay attention…)
To teach you my methodology behind being an intuitive cook, I’m going to teach you how to make a dish, the way I was taught, sans recipe.
What’s the dish? Pasta with a Quick “No-Cook” Sauce.
What are some of the basics that you’ll need? Pasta, two medium tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.
That’s it? That’s it.
To make this easy, we’ll make this so that it serves 2 people. Now, I know that a pound of pasta serves four people, so I’m going to use half of what’s in the box (or bag) as dried pasta is usually sold in one pound boxes or bags.
Put a pot of water on to boil. You need to have enough water in the pot so the pasta can float around and cook evenly without sticking to each other. While the water is coming to a boil, ready the rest of your ingredients.
Dice up your two medium sized tomatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. Pass a clove of garlic through a press and right into the tomato bowl. Use scissors to cut up three to four fresh basil leaves and add them to the tomato bowl. (You can add more or less depending on how much you like basil, or you can leave it out all together.) Season the contents of the bowl with salt and pepper to your own taste. Then drizzle lightly with olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside while the water comes to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and transfer it back into the hot pot. Add the contents of the tomato bowl to the hot pot and toss well to evenly distribute the ingredients. The hot pasta will help warm up the tomatoes a bit and help bring all the flavors together. Split the pasta between two bowls and serve. Feel free to garnish with a few basil leaves or freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and enjoy your “No recipe” meal.
