I've archived over 600 recipes in my "paprika" app. I like this app because it lets you scale things easily and find things easily.
Some things that I've noticed about how recipes are written. (this topic is really about #4, but...) I usually modify the recipes in my app to accomplish these...
1. Salt is almost always "to taste" - Unfortunately this means inconsistent results. Recipe should have some notion of where to start or some range at least, I guess this removes all oversalting risk from the recipe writer. Many things are not easy to sample at certain stages.
2. Volume measurements instead of weight measurements. Scaling is so much easier with weight, and so is mise en place, especially if using a digital scale since a single bowl can be tared and used for multiple ingredients.
3. Ingredients lists should be grouped together for those things that can be combined pre-cook, so they can be easily gathered for miss en place in a few dishes as possible.
4. Heat and the tools you need to generate it should be in the ingredients list for example:
If the recipe requires a XXX degree preheated oven/smoker etc, it should be specified at the beginning in ingredients
If the recipe requires a heavy cast iron pan over high heat...""
If the recipe requires any special equipment (dutch oven, steamer basket, frying set up)...""
Seems to me like it would be easy to specify these things in the ingredient list.
2 eggs
15 grams of cheese
12" cast iron pan set to medium-high (don't get meathead started on the "medium high" specification, we all know that is inconsistent and problematic as well)
etc...
It's quite difficult to scan the "directions" part of a recipe to find things you know you need and much better to have everything mise en place, including your heat generation equipment, so I think heat approach should be listed as an ingredient right up front.
What do you think?
Some things that I've noticed about how recipes are written. (this topic is really about #4, but...) I usually modify the recipes in my app to accomplish these...
1. Salt is almost always "to taste" - Unfortunately this means inconsistent results. Recipe should have some notion of where to start or some range at least, I guess this removes all oversalting risk from the recipe writer. Many things are not easy to sample at certain stages.
2. Volume measurements instead of weight measurements. Scaling is so much easier with weight, and so is mise en place, especially if using a digital scale since a single bowl can be tared and used for multiple ingredients.
3. Ingredients lists should be grouped together for those things that can be combined pre-cook, so they can be easily gathered for miss en place in a few dishes as possible.
4. Heat and the tools you need to generate it should be in the ingredients list for example:
If the recipe requires a XXX degree preheated oven/smoker etc, it should be specified at the beginning in ingredients
If the recipe requires a heavy cast iron pan over high heat...""
If the recipe requires any special equipment (dutch oven, steamer basket, frying set up)...""
Seems to me like it would be easy to specify these things in the ingredient list.
2 eggs
15 grams of cheese
12" cast iron pan set to medium-high (don't get meathead started on the "medium high" specification, we all know that is inconsistent and problematic as well)
etc...
It's quite difficult to scan the "directions" part of a recipe to find things you know you need and much better to have everything mise en place, including your heat generation equipment, so I think heat approach should be listed as an ingredient right up front.
What do you think?
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