Guidelines, not rules, because it’s kinda loose. Not everything I made was purposeful but there are some things to note about my cooking:
- I am gluten free and have been following a GF diet before it became popular; my spouse is not. For that reason, if I want to eat it I make it GF but I make plenty of non-GF stuff to give away or because the dude can’t do without it. I am not celiac so I am not super strict about everything.
- I very rarely follow recipes to a tee, even in baking. There are times I cannot actually taste what I am making so I rely on sight and smell and feel (and sometimes even sound) to determine whether it will taste good. So many years of cooking and baking this way, I have stopped tasting food in the process of cooking.
- Nothing I make comes out the same every time. I don’t think I will ever be able to make a living making food for other people.
- There are only two adults in the house but I purchase ingredients and cook like I have the whole extended family living with us.
- To this end, most things I make must survive the fridge/freezer or have a good counter life. Otherwise, it gets given away ASAP.
- I like to share my food. The old adage “You never bite the hand that feeds you” has been true for me and I made many friends sharing food. One of my dad’s life lessons is “You should always share your food with others. A bowl of rice, or even one boiled chestnut, can always be split. There is nothing pettier than not sharing your food.” The Korean expression is “치사하다”. I think “petty” comes closest as a translation but it’s a loaded word. No one should be hungry.
A photograph of my pantry about half way through the pandemic.
What will Dr. Gwak say? 