There are two types of cooks. Those who cook by formula and those who cook by feel. The difference is subtle, but the results are extraordinary. The formula cook is a cook from day one. Anyone can follow a recipe. The second type of cook takes years of practice, some intuition, and a good sense of smell.

Let’s say you want to cook a steak. The formula says add a pinch of salt and pepper, maybe onion and garlic salt, and maybe Worcestershire Sauce. Or maybe just “steak seasoning.” The cook by formula measures out the ingredients and applies them according to the instructions. The burner is hot, the steak is seasoned, and the cooking begins. The result sometimes is a flavorful piece of shoe leather.

On the other hand, we have a feel type of cook who recognizes the steak he/she is dealing with is less marbled and tougher than a fast cooking can stand. This cook recognizes tenderizing is required, by the needle or maybe aging, in order to render this particular piece of meat fit for steak. Otherwise, it may be better served with a longer, slower, lower temperature roast style cooking. The difference is in the feel of the meat.

Another example might be spaghetti. The formula cook assembles all the ingredients: tomatoes (diced), sauce, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, fennel (intriguing), pepper, hamburger, and (also intriguing) sausage. The browning begins. First the meats, spiced according to formula. You strain out the meat into another pot, and then add the parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, veggies and bay leaf to the juice. Things simmer. Finally, after awhile the combination of meats and vegetables occurs, and voilà, the meal is done, but falls flat.

You know you did everything right. The measurements were correct. You didn’t skip any ingredients, so what went wrong?

Well the answers are various. The usual culprit is stale spice. Any spice, (my rule) on the shelf for over six months needs to be doubled to have the same effect as a recipe amount. Also, a subtle but potent difference could be the timing of the addition of “colorful” spices. If you add herbs too soon, for example, they dissipate before the meal has finished cooking. They may need to be added again to recover their essence. Here is where the seasoned sense of smell plays a key role. If you sniff the pot and it smells mediocre, it tastes mediocre.

Time is of the essence and a good cook is as seasoned as the pot he/she cooks in. Nothing, in my opinion, is as satisfying as a mouth watering, fork tender meal, whether vegetable or animal. The key to achieving the desired result every time is a combination of formula, feel, and a good sense of smell.