A Recipe Is a Guide, Not a Strict Law

Beginner cooks follow recipes to the letter, terrified of deviating. Experienced cooks treat recipes as suggestions. Once you understand the basic structure of a dish — what provides the fat, the acid, the aromatics, the body — you can adapt freely. No thyme? Use rosemary or oregano. No cream? Try yogurt or coconut milk. No shallots? Onions work fine.

This does not mean ignoring recipes entirely. Baking, in particular, requires precision. But in everyday cooking, substitutions are not just acceptable — they are how you develop intuition. The goal is to understand why a recipe works, so you can make it work with whatever you have on hand.