Practice is the key, I think. My wife often comments that I have cookbooks that I never use. I often don’t use cookbooks the way many people might, for the recipe. Since learning how to cook, I use cookbooks in a different way. I use cookbooks for ideas, for inspiration, and in a way to break a cooking “block”. Sometimes I look in the fridge and pantry, stumped about what to make for dinner. I have an idea but am hesitant. I’ll start reading through books and eventually something emerges. What often happens is that the cookbooks affirm my gut instinct. That instinct comes from a long time of cooking- Boy Scouts, college, restaurant work, and just for the heck of it. I really should trust my instincts, but sometimes I don’t. So Julia Child, Viana LaPlace, Michael Ruhlman, Alice Waters, Deborah Madison, Mark Bittman et. al. help me along.

Hey! I love Viana LaPlace! And all the rest of your favorites are among my favorites too. Yes, the affirmation factor is huge. Sometimes I find myself going on autopilot with recipes, but it’s just not as fun as working something out with inspiration from a favorite cook.

As one of my music teachers used to say, “Practice doesn’t make perfect; practice makes permanent.” In other words, if you do something badly over and over again, you just get very good at doing something badly.

I think we turn to cookbooks not just for recipe ideas or flavor combinations, but for suggestions on technique -- in other words, how to make the practice better, not just permanent. Especially for those of us who never had a talented parent or grandparent to watch in the kitchen.

And as the middle ground, I will suggest that one or two really great “La Technique” cookbooks will give you both inspiration and information. After that, if you’re not rattling those pots and pans it is most likely cause you don’t want to cook. As they say.....you can lead a horse to an apron but it’s hard to get it to make you an omelet (or something like that).