A few notes before the recipes

My approach

I tend to view cooking as an improvisational art form.   Because of this I often cook without using a recipe.   When I use recipes, I tend to tinker with them pretty freely.   I'll try to give some indications of what sort of tinkering I do along with the recipes and I'll try to give you some idea of the principles I use when cooking.

Measurements

For the most part, cooking does not require the precision of chemistry.   In many cases, being a little off on your measurements will not make that big of a difference in the final result.   There are some important exceptions to this:

• Leavenings    Too much or too little yeast, baking powder, baking soda or cream of tartar can make a big difference in the quality of a pancake, waffle or baked good.   Measure these precisely.   Generally, for these you want a level spoonful, not a heaping spoonful.

• Liquids    In some recipes the consistency of the thing is important.   A good recipe will give you some indication of what the consistency should be.   Putting the correct amount in will make a big difference.   Unfortunately, it isn't always as easy as making an accurate measurement.   Different types and brands of flour, for example, differ in how much moisture they will absorb due to differences in how much protein they contain.   This will affect how much liquid you will need to add to get the desired consistency.   Remember, if you add too little, you can always add a bit more.

• Things that absorb liquids    Rice, pasta, barley and other things that absorb liquids can be a real source of trouble, if you're not careful.   The two funniest cooking disasters I ever witnessed involved these.   In one, a friend wanted to turn a soup she was making into alphabet soup.   She dumped the whole package of noodle letters into the soup.   Despite adding 2 gallons of water, she ended up with pudding.   Similarly another friend tried to make the easiest rice recipe she could find.   It called for equal amounts of rice and water.   The rice turned out pretty crunchy!   If you are adding these things to a soup or stew, you can always cook them separately in either just enough liquid or an excess of liquid and add them near the end of cooking.

• Strong spices    Keep in mind that the amount of strong spices like cayenne pepper, nutmeg or anise that you use can make a big difference in the flavor and hotness of a dish.   I generally add a small pinch of cayenne, for example, to scrambled eggs.   I don't think that Donna has ever noticed because the amount I use is so little that it just gives a hint of sharpness.   Two pinches would make the eggs hot.   I tend to use moderate amounts of spices when I cook.   You may need to adjust the amounts in the recipes to your taste.

Cooking Temperature

Temperature, on the other hand, can sometimes require precision.   The thermostats in most ovens that are on the market are terribly inaccurate.   Given that in the lab we were able to achieve temperature control within 0.02°C using homebuilt sensing and control equipment that cost less than $25, this is criminal. Get yourself a good oven thermometer and compare what the setting on your stove says with what it says.   You may find that they differ by as much as 25 - 50°F.   This is important because it affects how quickly things get done in the oven.   Hotter than you want means faster than the recipe suggests.   In addition, some baked goods come out better at a particular temperature.   Be aware also that many ovens heat unevenly.   You may find 25 - 50°F difference between high and low racks or front and back or left and right.   If this is the case with your oven, you will want to turn pans or shift them during cooking, especially baking.

Other things can also affect cooking temperature.   For example, the material that your pots and pans are made from will affect cooking times.   Glass and ceramic dishes hold heat better than metal.   When baking, I always reduce the heat by about 25°F, if I am using a glass or ceramic dish.   The temperatures that I give will assume that you're using metal.

Know your ingredients

An improvisational approach to cooking requires that you know a bit about basic ingredients and their properties.   Unfortunately, many of the "basic cookbooks" on the market have very little information about these topics.   I have found the 1975 edition of The Joy of Cooking to be invaluable.   Though many of the recipes in it are so-so, the information in it about foodstuffs, what to look for, how to treat them, how to do certain cooking procedures, etc. is incredible.   Another good reference is a book called Cookwise which was written by a chemist who was looking into cooking procedures.