As you will be aware, everyone is different. No two people are exactly alike; although having said that most people do seem to fit quite happily into certain categories. For example, there are those night owls who get everything done when most of us are asleep. The opposite, would be those irritating morning geeks who have everything done before most of us have got out of bed.

I am definitely one of the first variety. About 10:00pm something kicks into gear—an amazing burst of energy and creativity, and off I go working until the wee small hours.

When it comes to cooking there are also two basic classes of people as I see it: the cooks and the all important bakers. Baking is a very precise type of science. Flour, sugar, baking powder, milk, boil, butter or other ingredients are used in a variety of ways in baked goods recipes, but they interact with each other in very specific ways. Measurements have to be precise or everything goes wrong.

Commercial bakers still weigh their ingredients even if they’ve been cooking for years. The famous cookbook has recipes that are tested and re-tested until the directions shown, if followed are guaranteed to produce something wonderful. People with personality need not apply, this is science not art.

When we see Jamie Oliver irritatingly lob everything into a pan without looking, he has probably measured out everything meticulously before the cameras started rolling.

Although I can turn out a reasonable cake or pile of biscuits when required, I find it about as satisfying as getting biscuits out of a packet. Being creative really doesn’t work, you end up substituting something really important, and whole thing falls apart. The website listed below, has some interesting ideas on how to substitute ingredients for things that actually taste similar!

On the arty-farty side there is cooking, a completely different kettle of fish... I find creating new recipes really fascinating, its almost as fun, varying others to make them look and taste just a bit different, or using ingredients in new ways.

For instance, take that good old traditional standby, potato salad. Its one of those where we all have a favorite recipe, but have you ever thought of some ways to vary your version? Take potatoes, the surprising main ingredient, there are so many varieties of spud, you could spend all day messing about with the one thing. Do you go with Yukon Gold, Baby Reds, White Rose or some of the many lesser known breeds. Also, think about onions, there are hundreds of different types of onions as well.

Move onto dressings and another huge door opens up for you. Some people prefer mayonnaise; others, salad dressing, a creamy sour cream mixture, light vinaigrette or a traditional French dressing. Then there are the add-ins, which can vary a huge deal.

There are those who say a potato salad isn’t the proper job without small cubes of egg cut thrown in. Others prefer crumbled bacon bits, chopped pickles, sweet relish, or a variety of crisp vegetables. You get the idea, baking is monotonous, dull and prone to errors. Where as cooking uses the other side of one’s brain, it sparks creativity... makes the whole thing worth while.

If you are going to move from baker to cook, please do make sure you have the correct ingrediants ready as substitutes, when you inevitably set off on something you don’t have any of the right stuff to make.

In the end bakers and cooks should unite, food is great! Writing this has made me hungry, I’m off for a burger...