On occasion, our Readers will have noted that from time to time we have invited discussion with the question; Is cooking a science or an art ?

That's all very nice and an interesting subject, totally straightforward but as home cooks wishing to please guests or families, maybe we should go a little deeper.

In our view there is so much more to how we view this kitchen business. Think about the adding of mushrooms, egg yolks or tomatoes to a dish to synergise the sauce or dressing. That is certainly a science. And important.

Now, look to carefully working the ingredients of a recipe together, balancing the degree of bitterness, sweetness or texture and you have an Art. From this we can agree both science and art work comfortably together in a home cooks kitchen.

As we have said, these sorts of discussions are good fun and interesting but really not much help for home cooks selecting and preparing a meal in a busy midweek. Well, there is another element that we think overides science and art when planning the evening meal. Emotion.

Memorable Meals We should explain how emotion fits when choosing a recipe. It fits because it is from the heart. Think of memorable meals when growing up. They could be from a Mother or Grandmother (who most likely had the recipe passed on)

Take our Greek Readers. Their present day collection of recipes exist because of the love of Greek people and for all Greece stands for. The recipes that have been handed on through generations might not measure up to present day thinking but when served, the dish will taste better than from a great Chef.

And the recipe and notes on how to prepare it will be well kept and detailed in all families. They will be prepared without fuss, not bothering whether the dish is a science or an art. It will be from the heart. That's all it will need.

Stay well everyone Arthur Huxley