His very first rule of cooking:

 

READ THE RECIPE TWICE AND COOK IT ONCE

  

 

The second rule is:

 

BEFORE you unleash your creative genius OBEY THE LIST of all the ingredients and hardware you need - this will ensure seamless progress from kitchen to table. PREPARE all the ingredients, weigh, measure, chop, slice or mash. Be sure to LOCATE ALL THE UTENSILS you’re going to need – there is nothing that is guaranteed to mess up your rhythm more than if you suddenly have to go searching for a bowl, or measure out an ingredient. Think like a concert conductor and conduct your culinary magnum opus like a symphony (after all the conductor would not start without a baton and the score!). If you are missing but ONE thing do not attempt to “busk it”, as it will end in tears and that feared plaintive wail “ I wish we’d gone out” from the other room.

 

 

The third rule is:

 

Whenever you have added a new ingredient to your pot, TASTE the result. Now is the time to adjust the flavours to YOUR taste. Remember that my recipes are a guide not the law, You are the one who has to be satisfied. Taste your creation on an ongoing basis; it will be too late if you find it is “not quite right” just before you set it on the table. A useful tip for tasting liquids is to take a small piece of plain white bread, dip it in and taste - you will be able to detect the flavours and seasoning immediately. When cooking do not forget that most sensitive of organs - your nose. It’s not a bad maxim to “follow your nose”. Smelling your food, as it bubbles away, will often give you a clue as to how it’s going to taste. Dining should be the complete sensuous experience, giving all five senses free rein - taste, texture and smell are an obvious by product, but do not neglect the sights and sounds from whence came your inspiration - for presentation and sound are as important as salt and pepper, which is why you rarely hear a French accordion played in a Chinese restaurant.

 

 

Last rule, but not the least:

 

If when you’ve cooked your dish and tasted it, if it falls short of your own self-imposed standards, give it to the dog and go out. It’s never worth trying to pretend bad food is good, it never ever is.