To my mind, real cooks can improvise. Given a fridge with nothing but open cat food cans, wilted vegetables and what we will kindly call a "science experiment," a real cook can produce a gourmet dinner better than dining out.

I cannot do this. I work from a recipe to cook everything. Even cooking chili or puttanesca sauce, both of which we eat nearly weekly in the fall and winter, the recipe runs through my mind as I chop and measure and stir.

Baking brooks no experimentation: change the ratio of flour - fat - liquid - sugar - leavening too far, and you get something completely different, if not a total failure. Underneath the flavors that change with fashion, there is an unchanging support of basic baking.

And yet, in August, I managed to improvise at least two recipes that I'll share with you:

Honey-shallot dressing for arugula or other bitter greens

We had a large "box" of arugula from the supermarket. Without any poppy seeds for a sweet dressing to balance the bitterness, my subconscious supplied a honey-shallot combo I'd undoubtedly read on a menu somewhere. A near-to-end-of-life diced avocado was an unexpectedly delicious addition. All measurements are approximate.

• 1 Tbs finely-chopped shallots, about 1 medium
• 1 Tbs honey
• 2 Tbs oil
• 1 Tbs red wine vinegar

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat the honey and shallots together for a minute (originally, this was to melt the crystalized honey, but it also softens the shallots). Whisk in oil and vinegar. Season to taste.

Cole slaw

As a child, cole slaw was one of the few vegetables I would eat (tomatoes and carrots were the others; years passed before I tried potato salad). Of course, the cole slaw had to be the family slaw, nothing from a deli or at someone else's house; potato salad gave me the same problem once I finally tried it. This calls for half a small head of cabbage, because that's still enough for eight people, unless you want to eat cole slaw all week.

For years, my mother has had to adjust the slaw dressing until this summer, when I seem to have gotten the ratio right. Again, all measurements are approximate.

Finally, there is a correct tool for shredding that cabbage. It's called a Höbel, and will slice the cabbage only a millimeter thick.

Slaw:

• Half a small head of white cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded

Dressing:

• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp celery seed

Whisk dressing ingredients together, pour over cabbage and carrots, toss. Let sit for at least two hours.