Jersey Fresh Tip #3

MAKE IT YOUR OWN!
I read cookbooks as though they were regular books. I read through every single recipe (often multiple times) all the way through the ingredients, down to the last step of the directions. Why? Doing that helps me to do a few things:
1.) I learn the steps of the recipe
2.) I learn the ingredients, and what I could possibly use as alternate ingredients
3.) I learn how to make the recipe unique to my cooking style

Making a recipe your own is so important, because it helps you become a better cook. My mother and I always say that a recipe is just a guide. It is not an owner's manual that has to be followed to the letter in order to be successful. One of the reasons I love cooking over baking is because you don't have to follow the recipe or measurements exactly.
So, before you start cooking, read the WHOLE recipe. Think about the ingedients and the flavors in that recipe. Consider if you or the people you are feeding have any allergies or dislikes of anything included in the recipe, and what you can do to accomodate that. Think of anything you might be able to add that would make the recipe special.

Bottom line? MAKE IT YOUR OWN. Play with your food! Put your creative side to work. Have fun in the kitchen!