How many of you rolled your eyes when you saw the title of this blog?

Well, you’re all about to eat crow. Not literally, of course. I’ve heard the black birds aren’t so tasty. But pigeons? They gave those things a fancy name when they first cooked them up, which means they’ve got to be delicious. And by fancy, I mean disgusting. Squab? It sounds like you’re going to get a nasty rash by eating it.

Anyway, reading a recipe ALL THE WAY THROUGH is the most important thing you can do before you start cooking. I usually read something through about three times before I start a new recipe. Then I make my mise en place and get to it.

However, I’ve made the mistake of not reading everything correctly. Like when I made this mushroom lasagna with my friend Heidi? Yeah, I used all the shallots in the beginning because I didn’t read up top that it was “divided.”

In the words of Cher Horowitz, “Oops, my bad!”

Reading the recipe thoroughly and multiple times will help keep mistakes at a minimum, like knowing to divide an ingredient. Or preparing the sauce beforehand. Or making sure you have all necessary kitchen gadgets to make your dish. ‘Cause, uh, that’s never happened to me before.

So read that recipe like it’s The Hunger Games. Soak it up. Absorb it. Comprehend it. Whatever you do, don’t start cooking until you understand the recipe as a whole.

How many of you have started making a dish without reading the recipe all the way through, only to find out your kitchen adventure is now an epic fail?

and for your Tuesday viewing pleasure: