Follow the Recipe?

One of my favorite answers in the world is, “There is no right or wrong answer.”  So simple yet so liberating.  And a sense that you need to have in your kitchen. 

I just saw part of a commencement speech Jim Carrey gave at a university and his message was this: that in every decision we make we can either choose love or fear.  Choose love.  Many times people get stuck out of fear, especially in cooking.  Now don’t get me wrong, when there is a right or wrong answer I’m a stickler and believe that if you’re going to do something you should do it properly.  Rules, etiquette, and proper procedures have their time and place and I am a fan.  I am not suggesting that if you’re working in a professional kitchen to just do whatever your little heart desires.  Of course, in that situation, you should do what the chef tells you.  But in your own kitchen, where freedom reigns, I believe you should do what you like. What makes you happy.  What you enjoy eating and preparing.  Throw the rules out the window and get creative.  Make a mistake.  Learn something.  Have fun!  

There are two schools of thought on recipes.  Some people believe you should always follow the recipe exactly.  Others say to use a recipe as a guide.  If I had to choose which school I belong to it would be the Recipe is a Guide school of thought.  And I came to this conclusion while having the same experience in singing.  If you play or sing exactly what is written on the page, it’s going to be a precise but boring performance.  Interpret what you see on the page and it’s a whole other story. It could inspire people. 

Take corned beef and cabbage, for instance.  The quintessential dish of March some people love, but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Don’t force it to be yours.  Take that dish and make it into something you enjoy. Something healthy, even.  Like this deconstructed Reuben salad.  Do you prefer sauerkraut to cabbage?  Go ahead and swap it out.  This a great salad on its own or as a way to use up leftovers.  Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer in your kitchen. 

Deconstructed REUBEN salad

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Farro
  • 1 Lg. Head Green Cabbage, shredded
  • 2 T Salt
  • 1/2 pound thick-cut deli corned beef, cut into 1/4″ dice
  • 1/2 pound Jarlsburg or other Swiss cheese, cut into 1/4″ dice
  • 1/2 cup Russian or Thousand Island Dressing
  • 2 T Caraway Seeds, toasted

directions

  • Farro: Rinse and drain farro. Place in a pot and add salt and enough water or stock to cover (about 2 ¾ cups). Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Reserve.
  • In the meantime, slice cabbage into shreds. Separate and toss in a large bowl with salt. Reserve at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes. Rinse cabbage of excess salt and squeeze out any excess water.
  • In a large bowl mix together cabbage, farro, corned beef and Swiss cheese. Toss together. Add dressing and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with Caraway seeds.