Welcome to Grandpa Bill's Family - Part 2

From Intuition to Science: Grandpa Bill’s Recipe for Balance

Cooking Without Recipes: Using Your Intuition and Intelligence

Cooking without recipes might sound intimidating, but it’s really about trusting your instincts. As I shared in Part 1, my grandpa Bill didn’t follow recipes—he let his senses guide him, tasting and adjusting until every dish came together like magic. What seemed effortless to me as a kid turned out to be something much deeper: a creative chemistry honed by years of experimentation and care.

From Science Labs to the Kitchen: Grandpa Bill’s Culinary Experiment

After WWII, my Grandpa Bill went to the University of Minnesota–Duluth on the GI Bill, earning his political science degree in just three years. When he applied for work at his alma mater, they told him the only position available was as a janitor in the science labs. It was a reality too many Black men faced back then—being expected to clean up after others despite their education—but Grandpa Bill had a family to support, so he took the job.

What happened next speaks to who he was. The scientists in the lab quickly noticed his sharp mind and attention to detail. They started giving him more responsibility, teaching him lab processes, and eventually trusting him to set up and run experiments. By the time he finished his career, he was the Lab Supervisor.

I like to imagine Grandpa Bill soaking up every detail in the lab, watching how precise actions could create powerful reactions. He didn’t just observe—he carried those lessons with him into the kitchen. Cooking, after all, is just another kind of experiment: the right combination of ingredients, timing, and care can transform something simple into something extraordinary.

“If it’s too salty, add something sweet.” That wasn’t a guess—it was Grandpa Bill applying the same logic he’d seen in the lab. He knew how to balance bold flavors with a touch of finesse, whether it was cutting through richness or waking up a dish that needed life. His kitchen wasn’t just instinct—it was a master class in understanding what makes things work.

And that’s where I see organic unity in action. Grandpa Bill didn’t ask to clean floors, and he didn’t ask the Navy to put him in a kitchen because of his skin color. But he took those circumstances and the skills learned from them—the science, the survival, the service, and the seasoning—and brought them together to create something greater. When life gave him lemons, he balanced the flavors, and made it the best damn lemonade you’ve ever had.

Grandpa Bill in the Chemistry Lab at the University of Minnesota - Duluth

The Science of Balance: Salt, Fat, Acid, and Heat

It wasn’t until I read Samin Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat that everything clicked. She gave words to the principles Grandpa Bill had used all along: salt enhances, fat carries, acid brightens, and heat transforms. Suddenly, his techniques weren’t just familiar—they were foundational.

Take brining, for example. I always knew it worked—Grandpa swore by it—but I never really understood why until I learned the science behind it.

Almost every living cell has a membrane that lets sodium move in and out. When you add salt to the outside of meat, you’re creating an imbalance. Sodium starts rushing into the cells to even things out, and water follows it through osmosis to restore balance. The result? The meat isn’t just seasoned—it’s juicy and full of flavor.

And here’s the really wild part: you don’t even need a brine. You could literally dump a pile of salt on top of a steak, and given enough time, that sodium would distribute itself perfectly throughout the meat. You wouldn’t have to do anything else—nature just works.

That’s what I love about cooking: when you understand the science behind the craft, you don’t need recipes—you can trust the process. We’ll talk more about how we use this and other scientific principles in our own spice blends and recipes in Part 3. For now, just know that balance isn’t about perfection—it’s about creating the right conditions and letting nature do its thing.

Samin and Grandpa Bill would have been besties 💯

Empowering Intuitive Cooking with Grandpa Bill’s Spice Blends

Cooking isn’t magic—it’s about understanding a few simple principles and trusting yourself to experiment. Grandpa Bill didn’t need recipes, and neither do you. When you let go of perfection and trust your instincts, cooking becomes easier, more creative, and a lot more fun.

That’s exactly what Grandpa Bill’s No Recipe Foods is here to help with. Our spice blends take the guesswork out of cooking, giving you the freedom to focus on flavor and connection. Because the best meals aren’t just about what’s on the plate—they’re about the moments shared around the table.

In Part 3, I’ll take you behind the scenes to show how we turned Grandpa Bill’s lessons into our very first spice blends, crafted to make every meal effortless and unforgettable.