Innovative soup recipe

I love this soup recipe below because it gives guidelines for how to make different kinds of soups with whatever you have on hand. This is a really practical recipe that gives you a lot more control over what you're cooking. It explains how to use ingredients, rather than just dictating what you should use and when.

I wish someone would write a cookbook with recipes written this way.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Soup-Without-a-Recipe

I make chocolate chip cookies a lot based on my Great Grandma's recipe. I've learned what butter does vs. shortening. Butter makes it browner, flatter and crispier than shortening. The more flour you put, the chunkier. I'm still trying to figure out the role of rising agents. Next time I think I'll leave them out and see if they even make a difference.