adrien falling in love with cooking is something that is so personal to me
like. i think he starts out somewhat insecure, not knowing a single thing about it. wanting to learn but being afraid to ask silly questions. following every single step in every single recipe to a T, and trying to shake off the disappointment when things STILL don't turn out the way they should. because cooking really isn't about being exact, it's about instinct
marinette and alya gently tease him about how oh-so-carrfully trying to measure the perfect teaspoon of some spice instead of just tipping some into his hand and tossing it into the pot, and adrien struggles not to let that sting. he knows he doesn't have that sort of sixth sense. he doesn't think he ever will
and maybe he starts to feel embarassed that he's not getting it, so he starts seeking out answers on his own. there's a world of recipes and youtube tutorials he never knew about. there are a thousand different ways to make the same dish, and a dozen different approaches to the same cooking skill he swore he'd never master. there are secret ways to mimic flavours with different ingredients--hey. it's a little like science
and then there are the blogs. spaces where people pour out their life stories between carefully crafted photographs, sharing their struggles and triumphs. or those family-oriented food blogs with pictures of little hands reaching for cookies, tiny faces blurred for anonymity but somehow the pictures still capture their joy
he starts to learn that maybe, just maybe, perfection isn't the point
so he starts throwing things together...just because. and many of those first few attempts are disasterous--even marinette struggles to find something positive to say. but finally he's having fun with it, through experimentation
marinette comes home one day and their tiny kitchen is covered in baking sheets from a dozen different attempts at chocolate chip cookies; he tweaked one ingredient in each recipe, just to see the evolution of the results. and sure, he could have just googled one of those guides that show the effects of adding more baking soda vs. baking powder vs. butter vs. sugar vs. flour, etc... except he wanted to learn for himself
and then he starts to get it. the food starts turning out well no matter what he does. most times he knows with a taste what to add more of--and if he doesn't, he just has to try a few options before landing on the right balance. his friends are starting to ask for his recipes but he doesn't know what he did. he's not sure if he can replicate it
i think, after that, he prefers to do his own thing mostly. he'll seek inspiration from recipes but give it his own twist. and the only things he continues to memorize perfectly, step by step, are some of marinette's favourite recipes from childhood, things he asked sabine to teach him in case marinette has a bad day and he needs to cheer her up
but i think she prefers when he simply follows his whims
