There is really no definitive place to start. But if you wanted step 1, so to speak, then it is simply to know who you are! Creative cooking is different for everyone; every artist has different strokes. Cooks do as well. We bring in our past, beliefs, thoughts, experiences and personality. There is never one size fits all approach. A basic understanding of food does help, but it is not a requirement. Think of a dish as a canvas begging to be painted upon. So get in there and start flinging ingredients into it. Have fun and, most importantly, be yourself.
One piece of knowledge which is a great foundation is flavor pairing and understanding what each ingredient brings to a dish. So lemon brings bitterness, honey brings sweetness, chilli brings heat, soy sauce brings saltiness and fish sauce packs a lot of umami. Knowing what an ingredient translates to in a finished dish will help you create and start altering the elements you prefer. In the above example, note that some components can bring more than one element. So Soy sauce brings saltiness but also umami.
Too often, we get bogged down by the do’s and don’ts of cooking. You are adding an ingredient that is not traditionally from that region! You cannot braise that cut of meat! You cannot add that to that dish; it won’t work! These are all negative roadblocks. These preconceived ideas are the ones that keep us locked into an old way of thinking. I implore you to challenge these ideals. If you want to add sambal oleck to your butter chicken, go for it!
We all have different styles, and that makes us unique. So do not put a filter on because it is socially acceptable. Challenge the perception of others around you, and go against the current because that is where greatness is created. We do not have all the modern life luxuries because everyone follows the norm. We have these because people decided to step outside the box and create. It is the same as food. So be you! Create what you want to and cook the way you want to! Don’t cook how a bystander wants you to, or follow a recipe blindly. Have fun; what flavours do you like, and how can you add them to your dish? Give it a shot, and never be afraid to fail. Failure is where we grow most and is crucial for development. I have failed countless times on new dishes, techniques, flavour balancing and execution. But the most important thing is to try again; I do not let failure be a deterrent. I get up and try it again and again and again. Until I reach something that works and expresses who I am. Take recipes with a grain of salt, don’t be afraid to swap and change things to suit you! For example, I use a wonderful na’an recipe from Nagi at RecipeTinEats . This works! It is wonderful! But how do I change this to suit my style? First, I swapped all the water in the recipe for milk. Then I added a tablespoon of our homemade Greek yoghurt (Which we have been culturing for 5 years!), and I altered the method.
This is an example of how you can take a recipe and re-style it. So if you don’t know where to start, grab a recipe and give it a spin. Weave it with the fabric of your individuality.
Our food should be a showcase of who we are! We are all unique and should share that with the world! Potluck parties are one of our favourites; these give us the perfect opportunity to share our food with others. The joy you get when someone takes a bite, and their face lights up. It is priceless. Then later, ask you, what is your recipe? We pass it on gleefully. Hoping that they will take it away and further change it. This is fulfilment!
The reason we love cooking! A form of self-expression so overlooked and a chore to some.
Here at Camscokery, we aim to help educate you on food basics you can take away and start building your own recipes. Innovating and pushing forward. We share lovely base recipes. We would love to feature your recipes on our site as well. So if you have a fantastic recipe you want to pass on and have it featured, email us camscookery2022@gmail.com or PM us on our Facebook community https://www.facebook.com/camscookery.
So, in conclusion, don’t be afraid to push boundaries and challenge the norm, the rules and all preconceived ideas. This way, you can truly innovate and move forward. Otherwise, life stays stagnant, and progress comes to a standstill. There will be no perpetual motion moving us forward. So, go out there, have fun, cook and share.