Go 'By Eye'
This illustration is part of my Collective Food Wisdom series, for which I asked people across different languages and cultures to share a nugget of food wisdom or advice they’ve received that they continue to carry with them in their kitchen, garden, or life.
This piece of wisdom comes from Anthony and Leila of The Recipe Hunters. They travel the world in search of traditional recipes, often landing in kitchens of grandmothers to capture their stories and wisdom through photos and film.
What is the most useful piece of food wisdom or advice you have ever received?
Anthony and Leila: "Al ojo" in Spanish or "a aynic" in Arabic, "a occhio" in Italian or "by the eye" in English. It's an expression used to respond to the question, "how do you know when it's finished or it's the right consistency?" Literally, it means "by the look of it," but metaphorically, it means through experience, through being taught by cooking with ones elders, or through natural human instincts!
Who gave it to you?
Anthony and Leila: We have heard this expression from grandmas in every kitchen we've been to.
How does it show up in your life?
Anthony and Leila: We've had to try to put "by eye" into written details for our recipes...transforming two words into thousands.
Years ago I spent two amazing weeks with Anthony and Leila at a faraway cabin in the mountains of New York.
Anthony taught me how to make his perfect hazelnut ice cream. We went ‘by eye’ to determine when the custard had finished thickening. Leila taught me how to make smooth, creamy hummus by adding a bit of this and a bit of that until it was just right.
Cooking like this comes from practice and a deep understanding of food, and it is core to my mission to teach this skill (and learn more myself).
To sink your teeth into more Collective Food Wisdom, and perhaps even hang a reminder of it in your own kitchen, head on over to my shop. Sometimes I sell the originals, too, so make sure you're signed up for my monthly inspiration email to be notified next time they go on sale, and you can snag your favorite.