Recipe creation

So I have this dream of one day having my own little restaurant.  A little Filipino-American cafe.  Of course, in order to do that I need to have recipes.  That's the plan anyway.

Some recipes I do have from her.  Like her recipe for siapao dough or chicken salad or kare kare.  There are recipes galore for each.  But for some things I haven't found any like hers with just that particular taste.  I actually try to 'invent' some recipes with the help of my own memory and learned skills first.  And I say 'invent' because I don't really invent them.  There are enough recipes in existance.  I use them as reference, leafing through books and scanning the internet,comparing recipes and then adjusting them to what I want them to really be.  And what I want them to be is a dish that reflects what my mother would make.  It's all about my mother.  And her mother and who else knows beyond that.   I wish to honor them in the Filipino recipes I create.  When all else fails, then I turn to my mother.  But even then, sometimes I have to adjust.

That's the thing about recipes.  They're only references, only guides.  Sometimes recipes I reference need very little adjustment.  Sometimes they need alot.  When I receive a recipe from my mother, I try to adjust it very little.  But I've noticed over the years that different people even though they're following the exact same recipe will create slightly different versions if left to their own devices.  The difference being two things- the knowledge of technique and love.  Oh, yeah.  Love.  Love and attention.  People who care less, make careless food.  Simple enough.

And then most times I also have to consider how they will translate into a recipe for commercial use.  Because there can be a difference between how something is prepared in a professional and a home kitchen because of the volume, speed and plating size.  For example, the recipe for pancit from my mother is designed more for family gatherings, banquet style.  Make alot and let it sit for hours and have everyone partake when they want.  I would need to adjust it for made to order individual plates or small groups.

These are the trials and tribulations that every recipe goes through in order to become mine.  And why am I mentioning all this?  Because lately I've been on this kick to work some more on those recipes.  I've kind of worked on them on and off.  Whenever I make a Filipino dish at home, it's always with the notion that I'm trying to perfect it for my future dream.  But recently, I've been focused.  We blame it on too much free time, heh.  Which is a good thing!  So I figure I'd share some of the trial and tribulations of what I've been doing.