Improving with Improvisation

Cooking is like jazz in many ways. It has its own rhythm, flow, and timing. They are both completely individual, subject to the composer’s personality and whim. Music and cooking can be meditative activities, practiced alone, or as social gatherings, with friends and family. What you get out of your music and cooking reflects what you put into it. Play and cook with love and enthusiasm and you will live well (and eat well too!) Innovation and inspiration come from within in both the kitchen in music. I think that improvisation though, is where cooking and jazz are most similar. Improvising on a whim makes whatever you are doing better; it makes it more individual, more unique, and fresh. And no matter how hard you try, most likely you’ll never do it the same way twice. Improvising is also a good way to customize recipes to you preferences. I like to substitute as many local ingredients in recipes as possible. Recipes that are easily adaptable are pastas, stir fries, and even risotto. As long as you are pleased with the final product, there’s no reason you can’t bend the rules a bit.
-Josie