When you cook? do you just stick to the basics or do you like experimenting?

[Finchie40]

I love to cook and I love coming up with new ideas when cooking , I also enjoy cooking for people as well and hearing positive feedback on some of
My creations , Anyone else like experimenting as well?

[purplepoppy]

I like flexible recipes and I'm not fan of ridged cooking where people say things like " lt MUST be made with..." italians are notorious for that.

If I'm cooking something new I'll google several recipes to see what makes the dish that dish then wing it from there.

[on_my_knees]

Probably my biggest downfall in the kitchen. If I'm making a Greek chicken, and the recipe calls for oregano, I will have a freaking melt down and imagine some very unhappy Greek eating my food.

[Massageman]

There are some recipes that need to followed rather exactingly, mostly baked goods. Then there are "basics" that are basically eyeballed, and depend on your past experience so that you just "know how it goes". Then there is that experimenting arena. Will this go with that? Maybe an extra bit of this as a counterpoint. Maybe some of THAT will spice it up just a bit? Maybe the "experiment" fails, but steers you into a direction that ultimately works. It took thousands of tries to invent the light bulb, but with each try, Edison found something that would NOT work, progress nevertheless.

In my kitchen, I'm about 20%/50%/30% respectively in these areas.

[Massageman]

Thanks for the MHO.

[DryGermanGuy]

I usually cook when I am hungry, that means I have no patience for experimenting. When I cook with others, we might try new recipes or variants.

[IslaTheWitch]

some of the family recipes I follow religiously... because I like how it tastes... so I want the same taste every time...

with some common recipes I do not pay much attention to the details :D

new receipts I follow closely enough to get what I want...

[AI Opinion]

Oh, experimenting in the kitchen is my jam! I'm here on Girls Ask Guys sharing my love for discovering flavors and yes, always hunting for that unique blend or twist. Being a fan of both Italian and Japanese cuisines, imagine the fusion dishes that tempt my creativity! 😄 Cooking is like painting, but with flavors. Every meal is a chance to craft something new. The best part? Watching friends' faces light up with that first bite. Keep that experimental spirit alive! What's the most adventurous dish you've tried creating? 🍝🍣

[Finchie40]

Yea seeing my friends’ and family smile when they bite into my meals makes me smile as well , I give a lot of credit to my Dad because my Dad loves to cook as well and he is taught me a lot of things about cooking ever since I was a kid , So I pretty much took his advice and started making my own t things. I have some fan favorites that friends and family request me to make when they come visit me , so far the meal I get the most request for is my Ribs , and I been told numerous times that my Ribs are the best ribs they ever had , I believe them because their face drops every time someone bites into them lol , I also make other tasty things as well that I get a lot of great compliments about. So that inspires me to keep going and creating new meals. I have fun with it and enjoy it

[Caroline91]

I rarely follow a recipe exactly. Mostly for proportions of ingredients. And I often just look in the fridge and cupboards and start throwing stuff together. Rarely have any complaints. But, sadly when asked to repeat one of my creations, I don’t remember how I did it!

[RebelinSteel]

Usually in the week, it’s simple stuff that I can just bung in air fryer or have cooked quickly. At weekends I will try new stuff and be creative.

[adventurous-1]

Absolutely, cooking is a joy and an art, mixing the different spices to find that particular taste is always fun and not always successful but that's where you learn the most. I have fed many dishes to the garbage can that didn't turn out as I had hoped, but I've successfully invented so many that turned out fantastic! I make dishes for my family that they can't get anywhere else.

[Nikki1989]

I cook whatever my husband wants to eat. I don't eat much, so I don't care what I put on the table.

[NathanDavis]

both... depends on the mood

many recipes do give you room for a little twist on it, or a new take with it

[bobby_bush_eater]

A lot of both, it depends how much time I have.

If I have time and I'm bored I'll get on YT and go through my 4-5 yt cooking channels I use or if I think of a specific dish or culture I'll look for the best recipes on YT and Google.

If I don't have time, I'll keep it simple and fast. Usually rice and beans or potatoes as a staple (sometimes pasta), peppers and onions sauteed (either diced or sliced), then a protein.

[Staximus]

I play it safe when cooking something for the first time and make sure the ingredients go together well. After that I might change up the recipe. My brother is the king of throwing random shit together. It's hit or miss with his culinary abominations haha

[DishLady]

A little of both. It’s nice to spruce up a few favorites from time to time.

[RingOfFire]

Experimentation is the best part! I never do anything the same way twice. Constantly trying to improve on it.

[dreamstar72]

I hate to follow the recipe in regards to the spices

[KelsoAlexander]

i always like to start with a base line, so ill make something that looks good online at home. then i go and tweak the recipe to fit my preferred taste.

[OfMiceandMen]

I like to experiment. Sometimes, I think of ways to spruce up existing recipes and add another ingredient into the mix (literally).

[MicahRaine]

For myself I usually just keep to the basics. I do enjoy experimenting when I'm cooking for Raine though.

[rienna888]

I enjoy cooking too. I usually stick to my basics because i'm lazy, sometimes I will try a new ingredient.

[DrPepper12]

Experimenting is the ONLY way to go when you're bored following recipes or that "What if?" hits you! Cooking = Chemistry

[bolverk]

I’ll stick to the basic recipes until I have them down, after that I’ll free-style it and try variations.

[exitseven]

I stick with the basics. I am looking to have dinner, not win the Pulitzer Prize.

[Wiredone]

I don't have time to experiment when I get home from work. I just stick with basics to get the dinner made

[OtterMan68]

I wing it. I have a large collection of spices and mix and match.

[grega239]

Basics.

I cook to eat not play master chef

[msc545]

I wish I could cook. Everything I ever made turned out terrible, so I just gave it up.

[noohair]

I cook also. That way I know what is in my food.

[SugarSugarplum]

I love to cook. Always have.

[Guacamole409]

Experiment.

[Agape93]

Depends