Feeling a surge of power

  Now you're starting to feel a bit more confident about messing about, let's give you a bit of a challenge. Don't worry, by, 'feeling more confident', I only mean, happy to make a recipe which isn't quite to your liking and either leave things out, replace them or add something completely different, so I'm not going to suggest you apply to go on masterchef.

  What I suggest is that you start to make a habit of adjusting everything you make including cups of tea, slices of toast, beans on toast, absolutely everything. It could be that you just reach into your spice/herb cupboard and add a bit of something different or that you put a dollop of jam in your cornflakes just to see. Don't just grab stuff at random and tip it in, open it, have a sniff and add a sprinkle. There's one more thing to remember and that's to add it gradually and taste a lot.

Weapon of choice

  As I recommended previously, before you commit yourself you may want to put a little of the main dish in a separate bowl and test the waters with a little sample taster. This way you'll only be making a small amount inedible or you'll be able to test a few options before you decide which way to go.

  The tasting process will help you learn and give you a lot more control. Start by tasting whatever you're cooking so you know your starting point. Smell or taste the ingredient you're thinking of adding so you can get an idea of whether it might work and how strong it is. Add a little and mix it in then have another taste. What you're also discovering at this point is a sense of how much of each ingredient you need.

  It doesn't matter how experienced a cook you are, there's something for everyone to learn here. Push yourself to taste new things and before you know it you'll have built a huge library of knowledge to draw on. This is exactly the process that every great chef has gone through in some form or another and you're about to do the same. On second thoughts, maybe you should be applying for masterchef.

Kirk out

RevoltingFood.com