Cooks vs. Bakers

I am a cook.  I can take anything and turn it into a meal.  My Grannie Lester could do the same thing.  Cooks, like me, consider a recipe just a list of suggested ingredients.  I never exactly follow the recipe.  I just grab whatever is handy and dump and taste and dump and stir and add a bit of this or that.  Nothing ever turns out the same, but I never get complaints.

 

There are staples that pretty much can make anything amazing.  Onions, mushrooms, fajita seasoning, and bacon grease are my go to  seasonings.  You can add just about any one or combination of these items to any dish and it will turn out delicious.  My Mother would add a fifth item..............Cream of Mushroom Soup.  There are probably 10 or more cans at any given time in her cabinet.

 

But then you get to bakers.  Now I am not a baker.  I have a couple of go to desserts that I can make that always get great compliments but they are not hard.  I really do follow the recipes but that is just because I have to look them up every time I bake them.  I have friends who are great bakers.  In fact, my friend, Kim, is just amazing.  But she tells me that baking is like a science and you have to follow the directions, understand how humidity can affect the outcome, and determine what temperature to use to make something perfect. 

 

I wish I had that type of patience or temperament.  I just don't.  Fortunately, when we get together to create a meal, the desserts and breads are out of this world.  Which one are you...............a baker or a cook?