The luxury of instant feedback is one of the biggest gifts of cooking.
From large changes such as onions caramelizing to the subtle effect of an additional minute of boiling on the texture of spirali, we are sensitive to a wide spectrum of tastes.
And yet, most people do not utilize this opportunity. They would rather finish cooking the entire dish before dipping in with their spoon.
This points to a broader tendency of our minds. We are eager to get things done once we start them. We are less eager to pause along the way and ponder.
If you follow a recipe from start to finish every time, you end up with the same dish. If you stopped and changed things along the way, infinite possibilities open up.
Observations 