Precision vs. Taste cooking

I recently had a discussion with one of my cooks about precision cooking and using grams to measure and cook with. His argument was valid- that a chef is still a creator and alchemist (I agree with all my heart) I think that cooking for me now has changed a bit though. I enjoy making the best dish I can, and if measuring everything in grams allows me to do that, then I will gladly do that. Precision allows me to come as close to perfection as I possibly can. If you can change the stigma that “no recipe is ever perfect” and “a chef always tweaks this and that recipe” then for once your end result would come out just as planned. Would that be a letdown? Or a big relief? I used to feel that I always had to add more of this or that and just a pinch more of salt, but now I would love to follow a recipe that is as close to perfection and have the end result come out to just what I wanted in the first place, no matter who made the recipe. As of now, I am a mixture of both, but I know that as I grow older I want to get as close to perfection as I am able to get, and if it is the way of the gram than I will be happy to convert all my recipes and teach my staff how important consistent cooking is.

Creativity

Many times I wonder if I would enjoy all that I cook if I didn’t have a creative drive. Would I still enjoy “recipe” cooking? I use recipes every day at work, some I have created and some I read from old chefs of mine. Every time I think about food or about creating a new dish, I thank God that I am able to see the ingredients I want to use. It helps me tremendously for creating the perfect dish in that very moment and I feel even more blessed when I am able to serve it. Creativity to me is my drive! It spurs me to use different cooking techniques, ingredients, spices, herbs and so on. I love cooking for so many reasons but I know when I answer the question that I am so frequently asked “why did you start cooking?” My answer is always because it helps me be creative and I can’t draw!