the thinking approach versus the feeling approach

My friend Alison and I are planning to hold a Chrismukkah party at some point. To this end I watched my mother making potato latkes this evening so that I will be able to do the same for Chrismukkah. And wow is my mother not the scientific type at all.

My mum approaches cooking as an art. A pinch of this, a bit of that, do it the same way you've always done it if that way worked, the recipe makes as many latkes as it does. Cooking has to be done with love and care.

And then there's my approach. Observe. Ask for precise numbers. Speculate out loud about whether there's a more efficient way to do parts of it. Try to come up with a clear description of how to know when to stop adding flour. Speculate some more about the logistics/efficiency of alternative methods.

She threatened to hit me when I mentioned the words 'scientific method' :D