Food Recipe or make it up as you go along?

I'm a very anal follow the recipe girl. I figure, the measurements are there for a reason and have been tested, etc.

But, after a few rounds with something I will jot down notes on the recipe card or elsewhere, where I add in a tweak or two. So, in time I improvise based on my own experience...
 
I follow recipes when I bake, and when I'm making a dish of someone's that I've tried before or when I find one that looks interesting. I modify it if it doesn't come out to my liking. I learned to cook by just making things up though so I also tend to do that on occasion.
 
When I bake, I always follow a recipe. It's chemistry, so the measurements have to be exact for good results!

When I'm cooking, I either make it up as I go OR I look at a bunch of different recipes for ideas and then make up my own recipe. The problem with cooking this way is that when something comes out GREAT, I can never remember exactly how I did it :Push:

ohhh me too. so disappointing when i cant remember wat made somethihg so great....:rolleyes:
 
My mom has this mentality of always making a recipe exactly how it is stated the first time. That is how it is "supposed" to be and it was perfected for print. But, after we have our initial taste test then we make changes- usally a lot of them! But, with most recipes we're a lot more liberal with seasonings and opt for fresh.
 
i look at the recipe to get a good idea of what i have to do and then ill just go on my own. as long as i have a rough idea of what needs to be done the rest will come naturally.