Developing a method

Have you ever wondered how a recipe developer goes about creating a recipe from scratch?  Like any creative process, each person has a different approach. One element of the new Casa Rosada Cookery Workshop is writing a recipe or taking an existing  recipe to a new level.You just have to find what works for you.Over the last few years I have been putting this to the test by practicing writing my own versions of some not only traditional Portuguese recipes, but also some more international classics.

When I set out to create a recipe, I hit the kitchen with an inspiration, maybe a tear sheet from a magazine or newspaper, a blank sheet of scrap paper, a pen or pencil, a copy of Culinary Artistry and The Flavour Thesaurus, my ingredients, and a general idea of how I'm going to cook the dish, and not forgetting my reading glasses ( "where are they". "have you seen my glasses".That reminds me I must get a neck cord.Some neck cords apparently have the added benefit of "slipping" over the temple arms to provided a cushioning effect, helping to eliminate "hot spots" behind the ears.How marvellous,I had always thought it was getting hot around the collar that was the problem.
I guess I start feeling like I might limit my options if I put anything on paper too soon.so looking like Hinge or Bracket with my glasses supended below me and resting neatly on the bib of my apron I start cooking by instinct, and I scribble down what I'm doing as I go. 

Once I've essentially bushwhacked my way through the recipe for the first time, I type it up in an orderly fashion, using proper recipe style. If I'm being really good, I'll cook the recipe from this version to make sure I remembered everything, but sometimes I'm in a hurry and the recipe goes straight to my file. And that leads me to an important point: No matter how good you are, you can't test your own recipes. Someone else has to be able to successfully recreate your dish from your recipe before you can consider it done. Lots of times, the testing reveals mistakes, omissions, or ways to improve the recipe. And if that happens, you just keep testing until you have confidence in your dish.The Casa Rosada Cookery Workshop can be the perfect time to put this into practice.

When writing your own recipe:
(God forbid I am starting to sound like Mary Portas,I feel like people will start calling me Mary queen of scones) or even worse Gok Scone -  anyway...

O cozinheiro says                                             Mary Portas says

Keep it simple                                                   Do keep it low maintenance

Don’t get swayed by trends                               Don’t get swayed by trends
                               

Work carefully with your proportions                 Do work with your proportions

Don’t buy second rate produce                          Don’t buy crap

Plan in advance

Don´t try something you´ve never tried before
until you are confident with it

Always try something within your comfort zone

Don’t dress to impress                                      Don’t dress like a teenager