In Cooking, as in Writing: It’s Plotter vs. Pantser
Writers tend to fall into one of two categories: plotters, who come up with detailed outlines for their stories before they ever start writing, and the so-called pantsers, who fly by the seat of their pants and dive into their books with no plan at all.Cooking is actually similar.
There are the ardent recipe followers, who measure every teaspoonful, never deviate, and would rather quit a recipe than try to complete it sans one ingredient (no matter how inconsequential, no matter if a completely good substitute is available). And then there are the people who add a dash of this and a pinch of that, cooking more by instinct than design, tasting and adjusting as they go along.
I’m somewhere in the middle, both at my desk and in the kitchen. My writing process involves something author Roxanne St. Claire, who honed this technique, calls a “story plan.” It’s an adaptable, flexible road map for the story, providing a loose structure and a direction, while still leaving room for the intoxicating rush of discovery that makes winging it so addictive.
And when I’m at the stove, I love to start with a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks or chefs, and then add my own spin by changing it up on the fly, going by what tastes good at the moment. Recipe calls for orange marmalade? Great, but I have this fabulously special bergamot marmalade in the fridge—wonder what it would be like to use that instead? Or . . . the recipe calls for half a cup of chocolate chips—but wouldn’t it be better with twice that amount? (Note: In my experience, more of a good thing isn’t always better; sometimes it’s just more. One major exception to this: chocolate.)
In my latest Recipe for Love novel, On the Steamy Side, the celebrity chef hero, Devon Sparks, rediscovers his own palate with the help of the heroine, Lilah Jane Tunkle, and her homespun Southern family recipes. That experience enables him to start innovating with food again, and helps him become the kind of cook he always wanted to be.
I love combining the security of knowing where I’m heading with the freedom of endless possibilities. What about you? Do you follow a recipe or your own tastebuds? Or maybe you’re a hybrid, like me?
Give us the straight dish, and you could win an autographed copy of my new novel, along with a signature Recipe for Love apron and spatula set!
http://www.louisaedwards.com
 |  |  |  |
Comments
This is the precise blog for
This is the precise blog for anybody who desires to find out about this topic. You notice so much its almost onerous to argue with you (not that I actually would want HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic thats been written about for years. Great stuff, just nice!
Vintage engagement rings in philadelphia prefix
Most of the time I follow a
Most of the time I follow a recipe. Occasionally I will cook as a pantzer.
Thank you very much!!! Email
Thank you very much!!! Email sent! :)
Big congrats Giada!
Big congrats Giada!
Congratulations Giada M. You
Congratulations Giada M. You are the winner of the Louisa Edwards blog contest. Please forward your contact information to susan(at)writerspacemail(dot)com.
Danny - The first ms I ever
Danny - The first ms I ever wrote will never see the light of day. But it was a great learning experience!Janel - I agree, baking is a different animal. Measurements have to be more precise to make it come out right.Leni - Yay for experimentation!Lady Graeye - LOL, well at least you sound comfortable playing both sides of the coin.RobinL - Good point, I think it does help to feel more experienced and sure of yourself in the kitchen before you start going off on your own.Crystal - Works out pretty well most of the time, doesn't it!
I am a hybrid like you. :)
I am a hybrid like you. :)
I used to be so that I
I used to be so that I followed the recipe to a T for fear it wouldn't turn out. Nowadays, I do vere from the recipe somewhat, especially in casseroles, stews, soups. For baking I'll add nuts or coconut even if it isn't called for.
Hi Loiusa! As a true Gemini,
Hi Loiusa! As a true Gemini, I believe I am a bit of both! I'm proud to say it's just like my personality; split!! LOL
I follow most of the recipe
I follow most of the recipe and add a little bit of something that I think would be a great addition. Sometimes it doesn't work, but for the most part it does. lenikaye@yahoo.com
For me, recipes are a
For me, recipes are a starting point. Every once in awhile I'll follow one exactly, especially if I'm baking. If it's any other kind of recipe, any and all variations that I can think of are fair game.
Louisa,thanks for the advice!
Louisa,thanks for the advice! I think the first one is always the worst. I really had to overcome the desire to always go back and edit something.
Kristen - I think I could've
Kristen - I think I could've predicted that response from you, verbatim.Evangeline - Sounds like you're getting a good handle on what works for you!
I've begun to reach a happy
I've begun to reach a happy medium with my writing process. When I began, I would write incredibly detailed synopses and would proceed to begin my WIP, never deviating from what I'd planned. As my writing matured, this process became irksome, yet if I didn't have some sort of road map, I ended up writing myself into a corner. So now I "plot" by marking plot twists with scene names, but I "pants," as anything goes between those markers.
I've yet to meet a recipe I
I've yet to meet a recipe I couldn't improve. 'Nuff said.
Limecello - LOL--I do that
Limecello - LOL--I do that too! One of the reasons I love Joy of Cooking is that it's got great substitutions for normal ingredients. Sometimes I like the substituted thing better...Giada M - I like that: "Follow your own tastebuds." Can I steal it? :)Peach - There's really nothing like that excitement when a character surprises you or a plot twist crops up that makes the whole story better. I can see why pantsers are so addicted to that kind of process!M - Glad I could introduce you to this place! The Writerspace blogs are awesome. And I know what you mean about inventing a recipe--the hardest part is documenting it as you go.Julie - That's an interesting twist, that you run different scenarios (while chewing your idea cud!) I don't think of it like that, but it's similar to what I do.Sue - I hope you get the chance to try my books! Danny - The first few books you write are sort of all about nailing down your process. At least, that's how it was for me! The first two will never see the light of day, and now, with the contracted manuscripts under my belt, I'm only just beginning to understand my own best way of working. Hang in there!Kirsten - I love that you're so willing to be adventurous! Fear of messing up only holds you back and keeps you from ever doing anything interesting. I bet dinner at your house is tons of fun!Maureen - That sounds like a good system. And thanks!
I always start with a recipe
I always start with a recipe and usually make it according to the directions the first time and then I will change things a little bit here and there if I continue to use it. Congratulations on the new book!
As an aspiring author I am
As an aspiring author I am still trying to find my way, so I am not sure if in the end I will be a plotter or pantser. When it comes to recipes I don't follow them faithfully but change them
As a writer, I like to
As a writer, I like to ruminate on a piece before I actually write it--I call it "chewing my idea cud" (which sounds kind of gross, now that I've actually written it). I play with an idea and run different scenarios with it, and mentally note and do the same to anything else that surfaces. So, I go in having some sort of idea where it's supposed to head, but sometimes something good pops up that has to be accommodated.As for cooking, I'd rather be tasting. ;)
I didn't even know
I didn't even know writerspace blogs existed, till I saw your tweet, so I can check off the 'Learn something new' box on my daily list today!Writerly, I'm a full-on pantser. Cooking-wise, not so much because I"m not so confident of my skills. The big exception is soup: I don't follow recipes at all, just make things up as I go along. The downside is that if something turned out really well, I can't always remember what went in...
I am a pantser both in
I am a pantser both in writing and in cooking though I tend to be, like you, more of a hybrid. I like to know what has to be there, then play around and experiment around the main supports. Some of the best things came unexpectedly, which is such a thrill :)
Hi Louisa!^O^Thank you for
Hi Louisa!^O^Thank you for this contest! I think in every recipe there are ingredients that you can substitute and fundamental ingredients. So I'm a hybrid like you. I follow the recipe, but sometimes it could be better to add (or not add) something. Cooking is an art for me, so I think is fundamental to follow your own tastebuds. Thank you again! ^O^ Best wishes!Giada Mfabgiada @ gmail.com
Hi Louisa, I'm not a writer,
Hi Louisa, I'm not a writer, but I like to think of myself as a cook :)As for recipes... :X I don't know that I've followed one faithfully in the past 5 years, at least. Even when I mean to - so, heh, oops. Oftentimes, I don't have all the ingredients necessary for a recipe, so I just take what ingredients I have, and adapt and adopt.