There are times I wonder how I ever survived in a professional bakery.
Not because I couldn’t bake but because I just do not measure. I consider a “pinch”, “handful” and “Roughly” good enough measurements for me and I have to admit, I even do this when I bake (not anything to terribly important.) I know, I’m not a good baker for that exact reason.
Cooking however is a different story. When I stumbled upon a recipe for Butternut Squash Gratin and quickly scanned for a recipe, I realized there really wasn’t one- I knew the “idea” was for me. I mean hell, it’s not like I can follow a recipe anyway.
This butternut squash gratin was eyeballed the whole way. Enough butternut squash to fill a 1 quart dish, a medium size onion (sauteed in about a tablespoon of butter and fresh rosemary), enough cheese to make a person happy (I happen to use smoked gouda, fontina, and parmesan cheese), dabs of butter and a dusting of flour on each layer, and milk (I would say around 1/2 cup.)
Layer: Squash, flour, dab of butter, onions, cheese (repeat x3) and top with milk. Bake covered for roughly 25 minutes at 350˚ and uncover for another 10-15.
I’ve learned, cooking is like music- there needs to be creativity, passion, and a personal spin. So, in that respect- why follow a recipe exactly?
For the original “recipe” click over here!
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