I used to say that there are two kinds of cooks -- the kind that follows a recipe to the exact ingredient and measures them to the teaspoon and the kind who wing it, throwing ingredients that sound good into a pot while hoping for the best. I usually fall under the second category.

Recently, I decided there is a third kind of cook.

I got together with a friend of mine over the weekend, and as our children were busy running around outside in the spring air, we sipped some coffee in the kitchen as she prepared what she claimed was her newest go-to meal: ratatouille. The traditional French stewed veggie dish has a few simple ingredients. Eggplant, peppers, zucchini, onions and tomatoes are key components, and they are diced and sauteed in olive oil until soft and gooey. It is a simple dish with soothing and pungent flavors.

Generally, my friend shares my tendency to wing it. At least I thought so, before I noticed an open cookbook with some olive-oil fingerprints on the directions. She said she liked to follow this recipe exactly, and there were some basic rules that shouldn't be broken:

First rule: It's always better the next day.
Second rule: Roasting the eggplant is key.
Third rule: Eat with a fried or poached egg on top.

I would add a fourth rule: Make sure to use a sweet red pepper.

And just when I thought she had turned on me and became a recipe-reader, she said: "Oh, I didn't use as many tomatoes as I was supposed to. And I had to add some zucchini."

I wrote down the list of ingredients and made the same dish at home that night. I only had one small zucchini, but had a colorful Carnival squash (right), which I poked with a fork and microwaved for 6 minutes so it was soft enough to cut into cubes. I used half in the ratatouille (half I roasted in the oven for another meal). Instead of basil, I used sage (I think it goes better with squash), and I used three whole vine-ripe tomatoes (recipe calls for Roma).

It was then I decided there is a third kind of cook: One who, no matter how hard they try, has to bend the rules a bit. It's not like we're trying to make up our own recipes, it just kind of happens. I, like my friend, need to tweak a thing or two. If you're cooking gluten-free, it's probably already second nature. Since using wheat flour is not possible, we may use corn starch or a rice flour. Because a soup may call for an ingredient we can't eat, like barley or pasta, we put in rice or quinoa. And by trial and error, we create our masterpieces.

What I created turned out to be a very colorful work of art. But my friend was right. It was better the next day, with an egg on top and roasting the eggplant made a world of difference.

Next time, I may try red skin potatoes.

This recipe is an adaptation from Molly Wizenberg's "A Homemade Life." Check out her blog here.

Make it Your Way Ratatouille
1 eggplant
1/2 sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper
2-3 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch discs
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 teaspoons dried basil
1 tablespoon olive oil, and some for brushing on eggplant
salt and pepper, to taste

Step 1: Slice eggplant horizontally into 1/2 inch circles. Place on cookie sheet and brush top with olive oil. Salt and pepper and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Take pan out of oven and flip eggplant, brushing the other side with olive oil and baking another 15 minutes. Cut into large chunks and set aside.

Step 2: In large dutch oven or saute pan, saute zucchini in olive oil, about 5 minutes on both sides. Set aside with eggplant.

Step 3: Saute onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft. Return eggplant and zucchini to pan and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes and remove from heat.

You can serve immediately, or:

Step 4: Cool and refrigerate. Serve the next day at room temperature or reheated. Add a poached egg on top and serve with a cup of coffee. Enjoy!