Padma tapped her thumbnail on the side of the bowl at Siobhan's comparison. "Yes, exactly," she said thoughtfully. "The basic theory is there all the time, that there are magical and chemical and even symbolic properties at work, and how those things interact with each other is fairly predictable, but when it comes to each recipe, the method often has to change because of how those things need to come together."
She frowned a bit and glanced over at the other woman. "That... Made sense, right?" She shook her head and returned to kneading the paste. "It's really not that complicated, but it can seem like it if it's not your area."