The most important thing I have learned about cooking came from a carpentry class. It’s an old adage: “Measure Twice, Cut Once.” Here‘s how the adage applies:
In my sixth grade class, the teacher gave a pop quiz. The first thing written was, “Read the whole thing through before you begin.” There was list of twenty silly tasks to do, like clapping your hands or circling your desk. It was fun watching kids do these things, but oddly, some were just sitting there quietly. Many thought they were too shy or stubborn to do the things on the list.
The last thing on the list said, “ignore all the other things above, just sit quietly at your desk.” The students who sat out of all the tasks had read the instructions all the way through. They were doing the exercise correctly.
This is a lesson I have never forgotten:
Read the recipe all the way through before you do anything.
Make sure you understand exactly what the entire process is supposed to be, and the techniques that are needed.
Then, when you’re sure you’ve got it right, check yourself at every step.—in fact, check it twice before you do it once.
The most important skill I learned about cooking was how to read and how to think. That is what every recipe wants you to do. The rest is commentary.
