When cooking, most just wing it

A new survey reveals that most people just wing it when fixing dinner, rather than relying on a recipe.

Only four out of 10 people who regularly prepare their households' meals use a recipe at least once a week, according to the NPD Group, which surveyed 3,000 adults as part of its Kitchen Audit.

In a year's time, 90 percent of people will make a dish using a recipe, according to Harry Balzer, an NPD vice president in Rosemont. Cookbooks and family and friends are the most common recipe sources. But that's changing as more people turn to the Internet, Balzer says.

One reason so many people don't use recipes: The most popular food for dinner is a sandwich.

Among other findings of its latest Kitchen Audit:
• • A cookbook that's been in the home at least two years is our main source of recipes.
• • Seventeen percent of homes have a sandwich press.
• • The No. 1 pie filling that people keep on hand: pumpkin

We here at the Naperville City Desk try to get into the NCD Test Kitchen and test at least a couple recipes a month. Most tend to come from the web but we also find and try recipes in magazines.