Old recipes say “a pinch” and “until it looks right.” You only learn that by making it wrong a few times.

Certain knowledge cannot be written down precisely, so it gets handed over in vague words that only make sense once you have the experience behind them. A pinch is not a measurement; it is a reference to a feeling in your fingers you do not have yet. Wrong is the only teacher for that part.

Cook the thing badly on purpose, twice, and pay attention to what wrong tasted like. Too salty teaches you where the edge is better than any spoon ever will. Ask whoever the recipe came from to stand next to you once, because they can tell you what to look for in real time.