It’s late 2020 and lockdown No. 2 of the covid19 pandemic, winter in Scotland, not the beautiful summer of lockdown No. 1. You’re missing your meals out, eating takeout. So what do you do? Why not just learn to cook. A little daunting perhaps, but what could possibly go wrong? Following recipes isn’t as easy as it’s made out to be. Lots of jargon and assumed knowledge, often little rationale, inconsistent, and sometimes not factual.
Impasses at critical junctures abound. A particular favourite is like the old bomb defusing gag: “Cut the red wire”, which you go ahead and do, only to then read, “but only after cutting the blue wire first”. So you have to read the entire recipe before you start cooking. First lesson I learnt the hard way.
This isn’t a cookbook for dummies, but a journey of learning how to cook through the synthesis of multiple recipes to arrive at something that works well in the hands of a novice. Over time, as I experienced, you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve, and how rewarding and inexpensive (compared to eating out) it can be. So watch this Spaice, and join me as I stumble my way along.
Spaice attempts to define the principles of what you are aiming to achieve. It’s not a book for geeks, although at times it is a little geeky, explaining the science of cooking, why certain techniques are used, where they evolved from, how to do it, and find a path to your own cooking style. After all, restaurants have to cater for a broad audience, so have to be more neutral and “inoffensive”. You only need to cater for yourself, your family and friends, so you can do as you wish. Who cares if it’s a little too “garlicky” for some. I love garlic, so I put more in – deal with it!
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