are you to the point where you can make your own recipes?

[TabulaRasa]

I wing it a lot, which is why I rarely enjoy baking.

[DontH8Me]

I've created plenty of dishes on my own. Many times I will come across a desired recipe on someone's blog or a recipe site, and I will read the reviews as well. Based on all the info I gather, I will adjust quantities or substitute other ingredients to suit the tastes of our family. Sometimes when I come across a recipe I will know right off the bat that something is way off (we are all human).

One of my go-to self designed dishes is my breakfast frittata. I found the inspiration in a newspaper recipe pull-out but it had things in it that I didn't like or couldn't eat. The cooked linguine I replaced with cooked spaghetti squash, the chopped basil I replaced with chopped fresh chive. Mostly I'll use diced zucchini but sometimes I'll use diced chayote squash instead. The cheese I put on top is usually shredded sharp cheddar but I've also done it with sliced Munster and even Asiago.

As many have mentioned, when cooking savory dishes, there's a lot more wiggle room for improvisation.

[Dirt Grinder]

Heck, I eat insects and internal organs. Are you kidding me?

[Bayarea4]

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

Heck, I eat insects and internal organs. Are you kidding me?

I don't think you need recipes for that, Dirt Grinder!

I haven't invented my own original recipes but like some others here, I often tweak existing recipes to suit my taste or make substitutions because I don't have the exact ingredients.

The one thing I can always make from scratch without a recipe is Bolognese sauce, because my stepmother taught me. It's a handful of this, a pinch of that - plus what burdell calls the TLAR method ("That looks about right"). Soups and stews are also very forgiving when it comes to alterations and substitutions, and once you have prepared a few using recipes, it's not too difficult to concoct one from whatever you have on hand.

[bg7]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

I've created plenty of dishes on my own. Many times I will come across a desired recipe on someone's blog or a recipe site, and I will read the reviews as well. Based on all the info I gather, I will adjust quantities or substitute other ingredients to suit the tastes of our family. Sometimes when I come across a recipe I will know right off the bat that something is way off (we are all human).

One of my go-to self designed dishes is my breakfast frittata. I found the inspiration in a newspaper recipe pull-out but it had things in it that I didn't like or couldn't eat. The cooked linguine I replaced with cooked spaghetti squash, the chopped basil I replaced with chopped fresh chive. Mostly I'll use diced zucchini but sometimes I'll use diced chayote squash instead. The cheese I put on top is usually shredded sharp cheddar but I've also done it with sliced Munster and even Asiago.

As many have mentioned, when cooking savory dishes, there's a lot more wiggle room for improvisation.

If the newspaper recipe for a Frittata contained "cooked linguini" I'm not surprised you changed it.


I like the idea of chayote substitute - I've only had it in a Filipino dish called tinola.

[TabulaRasa]

We slice chayote, season it, and grill it.

[Dirt Grinder]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

We slice chayote, season it, and grill it.

Wow, really??? We boil them, fill them with shrimp stuffing, then bake them - stuffed mirliton.
Post the details of your method, I'm interested.

[DontH8Me]

Originally Posted by TabulaRasa

We slice chayote, season it, and grill it.

We do this too - great addition when we are grilling steaks. I'll slice season and pan sauté as well.

Originally Posted by Dirt Grinder

Wow, really??? We boil them, fill them with shrimp stuffing, then bake them - stuffed mirliton.
Post the details of your method, I'm interested.

I've done the chayote diced about 3/4 in, sautéed in butter and seasoned simply (salt and pepper).

For the grill (or sautéed indoors) we slice the chayote about 1/2 in. I usually leave the skin on unless it seems especially tough. I remove the seed from the slices after I've already sliced through (a lot easier than excavating). Will season simply with salt and pepper and grill until done. Sometimes I will marinate the slices in a balsamic vinegar based marinade in a ziploc bag (add olive oil, cracked black pepper, Italian herbs, etc.) and grill alongside the eggplant and portabellos.

No one ever taught me how to prepare chayote, I didn't buy one until about ten years ago. I was curious, what can I say. I really like the taste and texture. All the methods we use to prepare chayote have been improvised; it's also great used in casserole type dishes baked in the oven. Their texture really holds up well.

[Beretta]

This discussion isn't for recipes it is about are you to the point where you can make your own recipes. Please stick to the original topic. Thank you.