comments:
There is a cookbook called Ratio; its basic premise is that most recipes consist of two or more ingredients and the exact amount of everything else either isn't critical or it's totally extraneous. Bread, for instance, is usually 5 parts water to 3 parts flour, some yeast, and a pinch of salt. How much yeast? Doesn't really matter. More yeast makes it rise more. How much salt? Doesn't really matter; more salt makes it saltier. The author describes a mentor that had every "recipe" he ever needed on a 3x5 card. The book, obviously, is larger than a 3x5 card, so it makes one ponder the seemingly unnecessary embellishments to its very premise. But it details some critical ingredients and basic steps involved in some common dishes while stripping out many of the extra steps & ingredients that so many recipes add. It probably doesn't have all the science and food prep/kitchen management stuff you're looking for (I saw some other people have already recommended Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and Alton Brown), but Ratio gave me a lot of confidence to cook without recipes & learn how things interact.