My Food Philosophy

My approach to food is simple. The basic idea is that food should:

1. Taste good
I don't think this needs to be explained. Bonus if it also looks pretty.

We make pizza every Tuesday night, and I view it as an opportunity to try wild ingredient combos, because let's face it...it's all going to taste great in melty cheese on crispy dough. But why go the plain sauce and cheese route when you can pile on everything awesome?



2. Be nutritious
I'm not the type to scrutinize labels or do any sort of calculations before I eat (math is not my strong suit). Thus, I think eating foods that don't have labels is the way to go. I'd rather spend 45 minutes making my own granola bars than comparing calories of three different brands.

Salad is one of my favorite "kitchen sink" meals. (I'm also really lucky that I'm with Clark, who LOVES vegetables and salad as much as I do.) This one has all of the ingredients we consider mandatory in our house: leafy greens, salty sunflower seeds, and the ultimate salad topper, craisins. But the addition of goat cheese, strawberries, grapes, and a homemade mustard vinaigrette (and maybe some crusty bread) makes it into a meal.



3. Be fun to make
I don't do recipes. You could even say I am anti-recipe. I also don't measure unless it's completely necessary for the success of the meal (again, math is horrible). Cooking is a creative process for me, and I have a lot of fun planning out meals in my brain and working them out in the kitchen, almost like a puzzle. I feel like anyone who understands the basic tenets of cooking should be able to buy ingredients and execute a delicious meal as long as you don't get too skippy. (Admittedly, this is often my downfall.)

Thai cooking is a perfect example. There are principles and flavors that you have to incorporate to make it "Thai", but every grandmother is going to throw that curry together the way she wants to. I cook my curry by Braille. Depending on the audience, I'll use different veggies, a different proportion of coconut milk to paste, or serve it over crispy fish instead of adding shrimp or chicken. It means I do what feels right, not what a recipe tells me is right.

Jesus, I feel like I'm recruiting for a cult. How do you cook? Do you follow "the Way" or are you a stickler for recipes? Look for more posts on pretty food and Anti-Recipes...I'll convert you all yet!