Perfect Cooking

March 7, 2008

I can’t remember where I read this, but it struck me as quite accurate: perfection and cooking do not mix. I’m a bit of a perfectionist in my life, and this definitely translates to my cooking. When I am just making food for myself, I’m usually not too worried. If I burn garlic or overcook a chicken, breast, it’s not a big deal. But when cooking with or for someone else (my parents, girlfriend, etc.), I want the food to be perfect. I find myself following recipes meticulously - often to the detriment of my food.

I was making stir fry one night with my mom and using a large saute pan which I had never cooked with. She warned me that the pan gets very hot and suggested I turn down the temperature on the stove. Did I listen? Of course not. I left the heat on medium-high like the recipe commanded. I pour a little bit of oil into the pan and dump in my marinated beef, and the kitchen is suddenly filled with smoke and I have small oil burns on my arm. Clearly, I was wrong and far from perfect that evening. Listening and adapting would have saved me both embarrassment and pain.

Wanting food to be perfect is not inherently bad, but it has negative side effects when cooking, especially for new cooks.

• It discourages experimentation: I often find myself trying to follow the recipes as closely as possible. Variations and on the spot experimentation can lead to interesting new dishes or flavors that you may enjoy more than the food the recipe’s dictates. You know your tastes better than the book.
• It takes the fun out of cooking: Cooking is a fun activity, especially when done with or for someone else. If you are too stressed out or upset if the bacon is burnt to enjoy the process and the food at the end, then cooking loses much of its appeal.
• It is the enemy of good: If all of your food has to be perfect, you’ll be much less willing to try. There is always the risk of failure in cooking, and if you’re afraid to fail, it may lead to not trying.

Especially for new cooks, you need to be happy with good. You can’t expect perfection, especially when trying new recipes or techniques. The beauty is that even if your dish is flawed, it’s usually still good. Rarely do things turn out so bad that they are inedible. Even when I overcook a chicken breast, when mixed with the vegetables and a sauce, it still tastes good. Be happy with good when learning to cook.

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