recipe writing

recipe writing

The Art of Recipe Writing: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Introduction to Recipe Writing

The focus of this lecture will be to characterize features of recipes that transcend their culinary genres, concentrating on traditional recipes as opposed to their various hypertext recipe counterparts. These features should be useful, both as guidelines and prompts for people creating recipes or creating projects based on recipes, particularly those using recipes in business, the humanities, or the professions. First, let’s clarify our areas of interest and consider the genres of recipes, cookbooks, and hypertext recipe collections. Finally, we will preview the kinds of features and classifications we can use for understanding recipes as written.

The recipe is an extraordinarily versatile document in which to use all types of genres, purposes, and audience-related objectives. While often simply conceived of as straightforward procedural documents, the genre can be quite flexible in form and function. Because recipes are documents for getting something tangible done, they make good subjects for investigating the way we use communication to accomplish practical purposes. And practice is enjoyable, as well as practical and informative. In working with the recipe genre, students get to do things – make presentations, organize text, prioritize tasks, direct activities, and share expertise that is acquired from genuine problem-solving.

2. Key Components of a Recipe

Nearly every recipe for most food genres essentially follows the same basic formula, covering topics such as origins, developed etiquettes, and understanding flavor combinations. But for a true understanding of recipe writing, you need to understand basic concepts––even if your primary vocation is restaurant or food styling. Even if you are a full-time entrepreneur, when at home after the kitchen door has closed, thoroughly understanding these components will no doubt aid your everyday cooking skills as well.

A recipe should pack a punch, providing the reader with everything needed to recreate the original dish, yet be concise and easy to follow. It is a form of technical writing that should not need interpretation or explanation. You may wish to regard these parts of a recipe as sections, yet it is uncommon to see them delineated by subheadings in published works. Each part is a piece of the whole and creates a successful recipe. All pieces should be included; once mastered, all pieces will help to create a cohesive and intelligible set of instructions.

3. Writing Clear and Concise Instructions

The cardinal rule when it comes to writing recipe instructions is to be clear and concise. And if I am to distill this lesson even further, I would advise you to be clear about timing and to be simple with your language. Keep your steps to a sentence or two if you can and absolutely no more than a paragraph unless you are providing some extra clarity, in which case a little more detail isn’t so bad. If a step seems complex, just be sure to break it down into the smallest possible parts and then proceed through those steps. If you follow these rules, it is much less likely that you will receive any emails from your adoring and loyal Recipe Tester readers asking to be sure they understood correctly that they are supposed to keep all ingredients separate until, oh dear, what happens next? which is a wonder in and of itself.

The good news is that by the time you get to writing the instructions for your recipe, you’ve done the most difficult bit already. With your headnotes and recipe head counts done, you’ve made all the decisions about how to make your dish, so that when it comes time to translate that information into step-by-step instructions, the heavy lifting, as it were, is done. There are just a few more things to keep in mind and some standard language conventions to be aware of, and then you’re on your way to seeing one of your original recipes come to life on a plate.

4. Incorporating Measurements and Conversions

When adding measurements to your recipes, follow these simple principles. The standard unit of measurement used for most types of dry ingredients is the cup. This is a measurement of volume, not weight. There is no need to purchase an expensive kitchen scale. It is quick and easy to use a measuring cup and it can also be very useful. If it is important to ensure good measurement, gently spoon the ingredient into the measuring spoon or cup and level off the excess. An important exception to the rule of measuring by volume is flour. One way to do it is to use a spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour. When not leveling it out perfectly, as opposed to packing or tapping the flour, it is the best way to go. Otherwise, the flour becomes compressed, so the recipe will come out with more flour than desired. Instead of being a precision robot, most people are not, and a little extra flour here and there can make all the difference.

A considerable part of writing recipes is advising would-be cooks as accurately as possible. By using precise language, it is simple for cooks to recreate and follow instructions without any confusion. One way to do this is to incorporate clear and accurate measurements of ingredients. Yet, while the clear majority of recipes call for some standard kitchen measurements and sizes, it can never be assumed that all cooks are well-versed in the difference between a teaspoon and a tablespoon or know the exact equivalent of 75 g of flour. Seeing that your readers could come from all around the world and therefore know different standards, you may need to include both the standard and metric measurements and conversions for readers to understand your instructions. Due to this, one cannot state how important it is to educate oneself about what “1 cup” or “1 1/4 sticks” of butter really means.

5. Tips for Engaging and Inspiring Readers

Give credit where it is due – Citing one’s sources is an important principle in good recipe writing. It is a simple enough act, yet every day bloggers either purposely or unthinkingly claim the ideas and work of others as our own. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there in cookbooks, food blogs and the many talented food writers and international, national and regional cuisines that exist for us to draw on. Name that source and acknowledge your culinary inspiration where it is due. While no longer a legal requirement in many countries, it is standard practice in good recipe writing to show decorum and respect in deep gratitude to our culinary elders and contemporaries and the traditions they represent.

Inspire without bragging – Be enthusiastic but modest. A recipe that is straightforward and perfectly presented is a great source of reliable information that quietly earns the respect of the reader. Resist the temptation to oversell your creation and don’t over-garnish the recipe with flowery superlatives. Food speaks volumes by nature. Habitually elaborating about how delicious the dish is and how easy it really was to prepare can sound disingenuous.

Add personal comments – Sharing an anecdote or a tale of how the recipe came about makes your recipe writing interesting. While readers want a clear, concise recipe to follow, a dash of soul in the form of a reflective comment on the history of the dish or its remarkable simplicity or flavors will engage the reader and make the preparation process more meaningful.