How often have you read a recipe, gone through all of the measurement requirements with meticulous precision, and then you get to a point in the recipe where it says something like, “Add salt to taste”?
For those who don’t understand what this means, the recipe is essentially allowing you, the chef, to decide how much salt, or whichever seasoning it is, to add to your mix. The thing is, this gives you plenty of power, and we’d argue a bit too much. Here’s why you should take the suggestion of seasoning to taste with a grain of salt (pun intended).
It Can Ruin a Recipe
The fact of the matter is, seasoning is a very important part of your recipe. The reason that recipes suggest seasoning to taste it’s very subjective, and everyone has their own preferences over how much salt or pepper is too much. But it is precisely for this reason that you need to be careful. And while the recipe might lead you to believe that “anything goes”, we beg to differ.
There are certain “requirements” that you should go by, and certain limits to adhere to. If you put too much salt in a recipe, it will ruin the entire thing—no questions asked. If you don’t put enough, it may be bland. The cookbook is assuming you’re a well-seasoned chef, but if you’re not, there’s no shame in asking someone more experienced for some assistance.
