4 small to medium tomatoes (about 500 g, 1 pound)

4 eggs

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp Shaoxing wine

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp sugar

1/4-1/2 cup water

These are the ingredients for "Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes." Without any disrespect to the blogger, I can tell you confidently that this is not correct — but it’s not incorrect either. “Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes" is ordinary but also extraordinary at the same time. One thousand chefs will create 1000 flavors. The only real recipe is no recipe at all. There are no exact measurements or direct instructions. There is no true definition for thin or thick, tender or tough, moist or dry, sweet or sour. These definitions are subjective and different for every person.

In our house, televisions were not for cartoons or kid shows. When everyone else was singing along with "Spongebob Square-pants" or dancing around with "Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination," I was always watching a man standing in front of the stove, pouring sliced garlic into the pan, and saying with an appealing voice, "I am going to show you some amazing dishes using only 5 ingredients." This is what happens when you have a dad that is a fan of Jamie Oliver. All I watched in my childhood were food shows from TLC or local news from TVB, and nothing more.

I may have been looking at recipes more than any other child. Yet, following a recipe step by step, from milliliters to grams, did not mean that I could duplicate a delicious dish. Instead, I combined all the recipes I had in my mind, and all the flavors I had in my memory — to create my own recipe.

For instance, I twisted the procedures every time I cooked "Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes." One time, I cooked the eggs first; then I added the tomatoes. The next time, I cooked the tomatoes first; then I added the eggs. A third time, I attempted to cook the eggs and tomatoes separately, and I tried putting them together at the same time. In other trials, I added pork or veggies, and I even changed it to Western cuisine by adding cheese on top and putting it in the oven. I have used whatever ingredients I find in the refrigerator, and whatever I felt to be possible, feasible, and flexible. That is the definition of creation, isn't it?

Although I enjoy the process of creating and thinking differently, cooking without a recipe does not mean I do not anticipate the dish's final outlook before I start cooking. In fact, life is not a rehearsal, you cannot always do things over again, so I do not take unnecessary risks. If you ask my parents, they will tell you that I plan my own schedules and goals. If you ask my classmates, they will tell you that I write scripts for everything from tiny assignments to big presentations. If you ask my club members, they will tell you that I make outlines for every meeting.

However, as a musician, I have also learned to play by ear. For example, when I sing, I listen to music and I can improvise to blend with the melody. In life, I follow this same philosophy, and I can treat unpredictable problems with flexibility. I foresee potential flaws, and I am prepared to make timely adjustments.

Everyone knows how to read the recipe, but not everyone is a chef. My strategy is to never follow the recipe; rather, it is to create my own recipe for life, just like the way I cook my eggs with tomatoes.