When chefs exchange recipes, it usually looks something like:

- sear short ribs 
- deglaze pan with red wine, reduce 
- add in beef broth, tomato paste, garlic and onion
- braise until tender 

No measurements, no heat levels, no cook times, no specific equipment given. 

Chefs understand that all of those things vary substantially, and the specifics should be based on the preferences and instincts of the person doing the cooking. Great chefs cook based on taste, touch, sight, sound, and feel....not instructions in a recipe. 

This might sound intimidating if you're used to following recipes, but if you learn some solid fundamentals and focus on techniques, it's actually a much better way to cook. Less stressful, more enjoyable, and much more creative. 

80/20 Cooking teaches this approach.

entrepreneur, writer, and former professional chef / mylessnider.com

My mother was a professional cook her entire life

I grew up watching her in the kitchen

To this day, I have a sense for things that will work wonderfully in the kitchen without needing to carefully follow recipes, and knowing when to deviate from one if I don't like where it's going

I'm glad recipes exist, and even happier that they're not written in stone