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Funny you mention that. I was ready to rant the opposite (ie, that recipes should not include exact measurements). I really, strongly believe that our obsessi

Funny you mention that. I was ready to rant the opposite (ie, that recipes should not include exact measurements). I really, strongly believe that our obsession with measurement and repeatability is a net negative that has taught a whole generation to treat cooking like a standardised test rather than a creative form of human expression. You look at the older generations from cultures that value cooking and they simply don't give a fuck about what the recipe says to do.

creata 5y ago
> that recipes should not include exact measurements Wouldn't that make cooking much less accessible?
- greggsy 5y ago
  It’s tricky - people have different tastes, and ingredients may change from region to region. Furthermore, making people measure things with a scale rather than a cup adds significant effort and time in the scheme of things.
  - kergonath 5y ago
    It takes less time to get the scale out of the drawer than figuring out which bloody cup I have to use.
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      >figuring out which bloody cup I have to use Unless you're baking, you could literally use any cup you have in your house (yes, even a drinking glass!). Unless you're baking, it really doesn't matter, and that's the beauty of it.
- AussieWog93 5y ago
  I don't think so. You'll fuck up a few times catastrophically in the beginning, but very quickly get a feel for what works and what doesn't (for example, you can go crazy on the garlic without ruining a dish, but you need to be a bit more careful with salt). If anything, the belief that you must boil the potatoes for exactly 15 minutes is more likely to make you hate cooking than teach you how to enjoy it/excel at it.
rnd420_69 5y ago
Most people never have been and never will be interested in cooking as a creative outlet, and trying to convince them to do so is a highly arbitrary goal only fueled by your own subjective interests. The vast majority of people just want to make some shit to eat everyday. And precise measurements are great for that.
- adrianN 5y ago
  Precise measurements make the problem of cooking something tasty feel much harder than it actually is.
  - kergonath 5y ago
    Nothing hard in putting stuff in a bowl over a scale until the scale says 750g. On the contrary, it’s easier than trying to guess what the author had in mind when they wrote “a pinch” or “a handful”.
    - AussieWog93 5y ago
      >On the contrary, it’s easier than trying to guess what the author had in mind when they wrote “a pinch” or “a handful”. Again, I think you're missing the fact that whatever the author had in mind isn't "right". Do whatever feels right to you and as long as your senses are calibrated (there'll be a short period of adjustment while you learn how ingredients work) it'll come out better than if you'd measured and you'll enjoy it more too.
      - teddyh 5y ago
        > Do whatever feels right to you and as long as your senses are calibrated (there'll be a short period of adjustment while you learn how ingredients work) it'll come out better than if you'd measured and you'll enjoy it more too. You’re missing that this is a lot of work, and far from everybody is even remotely interested in doing that. Most people would rather be doing useful or entertaining things, not cooking the same thing a thousand times to discover how much salt “to taste” means. Do not assume that everybody’s hobby ought to be cooking.
newaccount74 5y ago
I would say it really depends. Some times exact quantities are necessary, some times they aren't. I hate that almost no recipe specifies salt in grams. How much salt fits in half a teaspoon is pretty arbitrary since it strongly depends on the type of salt. For many dishes it doesn't matter, since you just salt according to taste. But if you are making meatloaf, getting the amount of salt right is essential, and you can't really taste it unless you like tasting raw meat, so an amount in gram would be appreciated.

creata 5y ago

> that recipes should not include exact measurements Wouldn't that make cooking much less accessible?

greggsy 5y ago
It’s tricky - people have different tastes, and ingredients may change from region to region. Furthermore, making people measure things with a scale rather than a cup adds significant effort and time in the scheme of things.
- kergonath 5y ago
  It takes less time to get the scale out of the drawer than figuring out which bloody cup I have to use.
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    >figuring out which bloody cup I have to use Unless you're baking, you could literally use any cup you have in your house (yes, even a drinking glass!). Unless you're baking, it really doesn't matter, and that's the beauty of it.
AussieWog93 5y ago
I don't think so. You'll fuck up a few times catastrophically in the beginning, but very quickly get a feel for what works and what doesn't (for example, you can go crazy on the garlic without ruining a dish, but you need to be a bit more careful with salt). If anything, the belief that you must boil the potatoes for exactly 15 minutes is more likely to make you hate cooking than teach you how to enjoy it/excel at it.

rnd420_69 5y ago

Most people never have been and never will be interested in cooking as a creative outlet, and trying to convince them to do so is a highly arbitrary goal only fueled by your own subjective interests. The vast majority of people just want to make some shit to eat everyday. And precise measurements are great for that.

adrianN 5y ago
Precise measurements make the problem of cooking something tasty feel much harder than it actually is.
- kergonath 5y ago
  Nothing hard in putting stuff in a bowl over a scale until the scale says 750g. On the contrary, it’s easier than trying to guess what the author had in mind when they wrote “a pinch” or “a handful”.
  - AussieWog93 5y ago
    >On the contrary, it’s easier than trying to guess what the author had in mind when they wrote “a pinch” or “a handful”. Again, I think you're missing the fact that whatever the author had in mind isn't "right". Do whatever feels right to you and as long as your senses are calibrated (there'll be a short period of adjustment while you learn how ingredients work) it'll come out better than if you'd measured and you'll enjoy it more too.
    - teddyh 5y ago
      > Do whatever feels right to you and as long as your senses are calibrated (there'll be a short period of adjustment while you learn how ingredients work) it'll come out better than if you'd measured and you'll enjoy it more too. You’re missing that this is a lot of work, and far from everybody is even remotely interested in doing that. Most people would rather be doing useful or entertaining things, not cooking the same thing a thousand times to discover how much salt “to taste” means. Do not assume that everybody’s hobby ought to be cooking.

newaccount74 5y ago

I would say it really depends. Some times exact quantities are necessary, some times they aren't. I hate that almost no recipe specifies salt in grams. How much salt fits in half a teaspoon is pretty arbitrary since it strongly depends on the type of salt. For many dishes it doesn't matter, since you just salt according to taste. But if you are making meatloaf, getting the amount of salt right is essential, and you can't really taste it unless you like tasting raw meat, so an amount in gram would be appreciated.