My father was an engineer. His mind worked so quickly that it would sometimes overtake his hands. He tended to put things together instinctively. Towards the end of his life, he had casually built his own computer, as easily as most of us might make a cup of coffee.
However even he would occasionally find, he had missed something vital and would have to take everything apart and start again, whereupon he would say,
When all else fails, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Baking is similar. I rarely saw my mother use a recipe book, yet she was a great cook. Nonetheless there were probably times, when she had regretted not having followed a recipe.
She was rarely able to share recipes with me. She did have this beautiful old cookbook fortunately which I would regularly use. Miraculously I found the identical cookbook, while browsing in a shop which sold second hand goods, here in Australia. My mother had cried in disbelief when she visited me here and I had proudly shown it to her.
Forrest Gump talked about boxes of chocolates. I prefer to discuss cakes.
(A lovely cookery teacher had once introduced us to a “foolproof” pastry recipe. My own teaching experience has taught me that there is always at least one child, who will find weaknesses in any such statement. In cookery class I was that child.)
However Dad’s words (about following instructions) have often bounced around in my head.)
Perhaps our genetics are just like ingredients in a cake. Even with great ingredients we can easily produce a soggy mess or a smouldering wreckage.
Running In The Family – Level 42
Source: Level 42 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT7EuTe98AetRSFUudYFCiQ
Looking at disaster can either cause us to give up cooking altogether and never venture into the kitchen again or perhaps we find ourselves picking up the recipe book and the remaining ingredients, resolving to follow the recipe in future.
Of course if you can’t bake, you can b try to locate some crumpet ( I seem to remember somebody being referred to as “the thinking woman’s crumpet.!
I will raise a toast to that, I think I could use a Sea Change. (My all time favourite Australian TV show?)
Perhaps our genetic ingredients are a gift. If we follow the recipe, we may just produce something wonderful.
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