There are many types of bondage. Many times bondage is simply having the wrong idea about where the boundaries are. Have you every been driving 55 and realized that the speed limit was 65. You have been in bondage to false knowledge. Have you ever wondered the definition of slow when you see a sign saying “slow traffic keep right”?
I am struggling with bondage in my growth as a cook. In my chili it is freeing to realize that it doesn’t matter if the tablespoons of chili are level, rounded or heaping. Just keep putting it in until it feels good. Cayenne, on the other hand, demands respect. Even freedom has its limits. They are called taste buds.
On weekends when I don’t have an appointment with an employer I will work with hot cereal for breakfast. I am currently playing with some Irish oatmeal my kids gave me. It has a recipe for four servings. I cut it down to one. The directions say a portion of oats takes a cup of water. It tells me to simmer the mix for 30 minutes. The problem is that with that amount of water and thirty minutes on even low heat you end up with plaster on the bottom of the pan. What is a chef to do?
It took the plunge. I added more water. I know it wasn’t in the directions but I was feeling bold and the oatmeal was starting to bond with the steel. It works. It is freeing to be able to make the decision to ignore the directions provided by the oatmeal gods and add water.
Adding more water. They won’t revoke my man card, will they?
homo unius libri
My view of cooking directions is that they are really just suggestions.
ReplyDeleteBut I am a recovering legalist and have an inner conviction that those directions are there for a purpose.
DeleteGrace and peace.