Just kidding! I 100% failed all my computer science classes in college and got put on academic probation for an entire semester, oops. When I say code, I mean hand-written cards in a wooden box held together by tiny, perfect dovetail joints. The recipes on them are a finely tuned sequence that help me figure out what to make for dinner. Better yet they allow me to turn my phone off while I’m cooking dinner, one of life’s true pleasures.
A couple times a year I like to give the box a little update, which usually happens in three parts:
1. I write down recent expiraments I’d like to repeat or keep riffing on.
2. I record variations of existing recipes that have been really delicious.
3. I get distracted by recipes I forgot I love, then get excited to make them again.
Over the weekend I found a card from the last time I made veggie stir-fry. It reads:
(serves 2)
2T brown sugar
1t black vinegar
1T oyster sauce
1T soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2t cornstarch
I remember with perfect clarity what a banger this was. And honestly? 10/10 no notes, no riffs, will repeat. Will repeat tonight. Already this morning I chopped up baby bella mushrooms, shiitakes, a small yellow onion, and a bunch of red bell peppers from the yard. Later, I’ll stir-fry everything together with some tofu and dried chilis, and serve it over rice with toasted sesame seeds and the very last chive blossoms of the season.
I’d love to know: do you have some form of analogue recipe archive too?
I have a handwritten “cookbook” with family favorites, and a folder full of others. And yes, there have been numerous notations over the years. It’s been great to have handy when my grown daughters ask how to make childhood favorites!