I could be snarky and say that measuring is for schlemiels.

But I’d be a liar, as well as the most awful baker ever. We can all agree, baking or not, measuring is essential to all cooking. While working in kitchens, you definitely run into a share of snarky ‘savory’ cooks that spew garbage about how pastry chefs could never be great chefs because we measure. “To be a great cook, you have to just know. You have to feel it.”

What-ev. What those cooks don’t realize is that they measure too. They just use a different scale. Handfuls instead of cups. Depth instead of liters. For stock, we need 2 onions. When pan frying the chicken, make sure the olive oil is 1/4″ deep in the pan. Put a handful of salt in the pasta water. Funny, there ALL measurements.

That being said, there are definitely times when scrutinizing over exactness is totally unnecessary. And thank goodness, otherwise my head would explode. Luckily, my head is filled with chocolate candy so the kids would love it!

So the point of all of this? One of my favorite dishes is tender scallops glazed with Balsamic vinegar. The scallops are seared first, caramelizing the natural sugars. Then they are deglazed with Balsamic adding another layer of sweetness. They taste like candy, and take no more than 6 minutes to make. No brainer. And you won’t see any typical measurements for this one. Which means you could make 4 or 40 in the same amount of time. But don’t worry, I believe in you! Because you’ve just got to feel it…

Balsamic Glazed Scallops Recipe

large scallops
salt
black pepper
balsamic vinegar

Heat a nonstick saute pan on high heat. Don’t have a nonstick? Add 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan.

While the pan is preheating, season both sides of the scallops with salt and pepper. When pan is hot, add the scallops. Let them chill without moving for 3m. Flip and let cook for another 2m.

Reduce heat to medium. Do a couple turns of the pan with the vinegar. The vinegar will bubble and deglaze. After 1m, turn the scallops so both sides are coated in that yummy vinegar syrup.

Then eat them already!