I primarily cook from tastes that linger on the memory of my tongue. I can then look through my enormous spice cupboard for the right ingredients and there may be ‘mistakes’ once or twice, but I usually get it right.

I am also a cook by approximation – no measuring spoons or cups work for me.

More than what I use for help is what I do not use for help. For Indian cooking, I avoid both Madhur Jaffrey and Atul Kochhar like the plague. She puts her entire spice cupboard into everything and he is too much into experimentation.

But Vatch Bhumichitr’s Thai cooking book is fabulous. As well as being a travelogue it is a cultural journey to understand Thai food. Ace!

For French cooking, Raymond Blanc is my reliable source. Simple, illustrated steps although one digression from the measurements and a disaster results.

I do not refer to books whilst I cook but a bit like an exam, finish my cramming and prep beforehand.

Your food posts really get my interest :-) That is not to say other things you write don’t..

On the subject of starting the previous night – yes! There’s something about some sauces that have been allowed to go cold then reheated. Leftover chili or (peasant’s) bolognese is always better the next day.

But presentation also matters, as long as we keep the ratios right. For example I once had a leek and potato soup that was served in two colours, amazing to look at; the leek soup and the potato soup were prepared separately, reduced to the same relative density and then carefully poured into the dish at the same time, to create a wonderful effect.

In cooking as in everything else, time is money. So we should spend proportionately more time on the engine, the food, rather than the waiting room, the presentation.

To get wine that is 10% better you have to pay twice the price. To get chips that are 10% better you have to dry them and freeze them three times during the many cooking steps (according to dear Heston).

In some ways this produces a chip that is less enjoyable since it becomes an object of veneration and awe rather than tasty food. I wouldn’t want my host to have gone to such lengths on my behalf.

1. Practice. Seems obvious but we often expect to be good at something before we’ve had the necessary practice or even if we haven’t practiced recently.

2. Reading. Two favourites for me are Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles cookbook and Heat by Bill Buford. Both teach about food in ways that I was able to incorporate into my cooking and own approach to food. And both are a joy to read.

3. Some science. In particular, understanding that all food is composed in some portion of water and in almost all cooking processes water is a major influencer of outcome. Things are too wet or too dry.

In particular, with lamb glazing and caramelization, understanding the Maillard Reaction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction – especially the ‘Factors’ section) and how it’s influenced by water was key for me to understanding why some attempts worked while others didn’t and how to tweak recipes to get the outcome I wanted.

More science? Here’s a good intro to the chemistry approach to cooking: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.06/cooking.html

What is the simplest thing that could possibly work?