What Cooking Has Taught Me About Editing

I’ve always believed that the kitchen and the editing desk aren’t as far apart as they seem. Both are places where raw ingredients—whether it’s vegetables or sentences—need patience, care, and a little creativity to become something nourishing.

Stirring Slowly: The Risotto Approach

Anyone who’s stood over a pot of arborio rice knows it’s not a dish you can rush. You add stock slowly, stirring consistently, tasting, adjusting. Editing is much the same. You can’t throw in a splash of grammar here and a pinch of punctuation there and expect brilliance. It’s about layering changes, reading aloud, re-shaping tone and rhythm until the text feels smooth and balanced—just as risotto becomes creamy one ladleful at a time.

Layering for Depth: The Masala Shepherd’s Pie

A masala shepherd’s pie is hearty, layered, and filled with unexpected flavour. When I edit, I think about those layers too. The base layer is clarity: making sure ideas are structured logically. Then comes spice—style, voice, originality. Finally, the mash topping seals everything in, like formatting and consistency that keep the piece cohesive. Without each layer working together, the dish—and the text—falls flat.

Recipes Are Never One-Size-Fits-All

Cooking has taught me that no recipe is ever fixed. Sometimes you adjust based on what’s in the pantry or who you’re cooking for. Editing is no different. A thesis requires different seasoning than a blog post. An academic article needs the measured precision of a risotto, while creative work sometimes calls for the bold experimentation of a masala twist.

Care at the Core

The biggest lesson? Both cooking and editing are acts of care. You do them not just for yourself, but for others—so that what you’ve made can be understood, enjoyed, and appreciated.

Final Taste Test

The next time you find yourself stuck in the middle of a draft, think of it like standing at the stove. Add one ingredient at a time. Taste. Adjust. Trust the process. And remember: editing, like cooking, is where the real flavour develops.