“Cooking, like so many other creative endeavors is defined by relationships. For instance, knowing exactly how much flour to put into a loaf of bread isn’t nearly as useful as understanding the relationship between the flour and the water, or fat, or salt. That relationship is defined by a ‘ratio’ and having a ratio in hand is like having a secret decoder ring that frees you from the tyranny of recipes. Professional cooks and bakers guard ratios passionately so it wouldn’t surprise me a bit if Michael Ruhlman is forced into hiding like a modern day Prometheus who, in handing us mortals a power better suited to the gods, has changed the balance of kitchen power forever.
“I for one am grateful. I suspect you will be too.”
- Alton Brown, describing ‘Ratio’
