"Following the instructions in a recipe is like parroting pre-formed sentences from a phrasebook. Forming an understanding of how flavors work together, on the other hand, is like learning the language: it allows you to express yourself freely, to improvise, to find appropriate substitutions for ingredients, to cook a dish the way you fancy cooking" (Segnit, Niki – The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook)