Heh, I am glad that my cooking style (if it can be called that; it's more of a cooking lack-of-style) agrees with you. Some people are very precise recipe-followers, but I was raised by a mother whose cooking approach was "read 3 recipes, then figure out your own" and that's generally how I approach it, too. Less enthusiastically, though - my mother genuinely loves to cook, whereas I just want food that is cheap and tasty. :D

Every now and then I'll be Inspired and produce something very specific and fabulous, but most of the time I'm just cooking because That's How Food Happens.

The worldbuilding, especially in the first books, is so great! I STILL crack up at Bren's misinterpretation of Jago & Banichi's relationship! And if you got far enough to reach the 'salad' jokes, that is another favourite bit for me! I just love the trust and the tolerance it implies, beneath the humour.