I cook almost exclusively without recipes. I rely on balancing salt, sweet, fat, bitter, sour and umami and then always add crunch and a bit of spice (heat).
For example, if I am roasting carrots I’ll add one of the following
Salt — Maldon, Soy, Fish Sauce or Parmesan etc.
Sweet — Honey, Maple Syrup, Date Syrup, Fresh Fruit Like Halved Grapes, Smoked Sugar etc.
Fat — Butter, Ghee, Olive Oil, Hazelnut Oil, Coconut Oil etc.
Umami — Anchovies, Tomato, Parmesan, Miso etc.
Sour — Citrus Juice, Vinegar, Pickled Something etc.
Bitter — Fenugreek, turmeric, mustard, cocoa, coffee, tonic syrup
Crunch — Granola, Nuts, Toasted Panko, Fried Shallots etc.
Spice — chili, sriracha, horseradish, black pepper, ginger
It’s basically a formula so maybe a dish would be:
Roast Carrots with Coconut Oil, Chili, Fish Sauce, Lime Juice, Peanuts and Palm Sugar
or
Roast Carrots with Spicy Honey, Apple Vinegar, Mustard, Walnuts, Parmesan & Fried Shallots
or
Roast Carrots with Miso, Ghee, Black Pepper, Toasted Granola and Turmeric Pickled Red Onion
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Question! Is there another “element” that is a variable you use to add to a dish when you are creating your own dish?
For example temperature (hot or cold or room temp), textures (jelly, crispy, chewy, creamy, flaky)
