> I think interpretation is what makes cooking an art, and many times, those little individual choices we make to interpret a recipe or system of cooking is wha

> I think interpretation is what makes cooking an art, and many times, those little individual choices we make to interpret a recipe or system of cooking is what makes us proud of our dish. Interpretation is also why many people are really bad at it (and art). If you are reading a recipe you're doing it for a reason. If you're improvising you don't need one to begin with. But other than that point regarding the main topic, I don't disagree. I usually make most food I'm tangentially familiar with without a recipe. But when I'm encountering a new one from a region I'm less familiar with, I need to go through a few recipes before I get the framework for it.