You left out the "you can completely ignore the recipe" part. I realize this is in the intermediate section; but it matters. I was raised by an amazing cook (who learned from books, since her mother in turn is terrible) and though I was too lazy to bother with technique, I did learn the *confidence* to improvise, which has served me well. glasseye, who was raised by someone who does not cook, persists in treating cooking as chemistry; but has managed to brew quite well.