I am not scientific either; my mom and grandma, who taught me what I do know about cooking (and baking; they are great bakers) are of the "put some of this in, you know, until it looks like enough" and "cook it for a while" school.

I think I might be a bit like this too because my husband, who's afraid of poisoning himself if he cooks his own food, doesn't seem to like it when I say "put some of tht in--I don't know! just ... some, there, that looks good, doesn't it?" and "it's probbly done! go check! does it look done?" But even he is gaining the slightest bit of confidence in this because it's just a matter of experience.

Then you can feel like a member of the Sekrit Cult of Cookery Masters and that is almost as good as having a mortar and pestle and being able to get those things you wrap samosas in.