Recipe Writing Style Sheet .windows.net



Recipe Writing Style Sheet

Recipe titles:

Arial 14 point

All Caps

No underline or boldface

Head Note:

Arial 10 point & italics

Capitalizations

Tablespoon

teaspoon

pound

ounce

cup

Ingredients are always listed in the order that they are use in recipe.

Seasonings are always written in total measurements in the ingredient list –

Example: Listing 1 teaspoon salt 3 times in ingredient list is confusing. Instead, list it as 1 Tablespoon salt, divided use. That way the cook knows the total measurement and will follow the instructions on how much to use in each step.

Understand how to read ingredient list. If the ingredient is listed as “1 cup almonds, chopped” that means you measure the almonds and then chop them. If the ingredient is listed as “1 cup chopped almonds” it means that you chop the almonds before measuring.

If you are listing an ingredient like 3 carrots – size matters – you also need to list an approximate weight or cup measurement

To save space/simplify your instruction steps, you can list how to prep an item in the ingredient list. For example, instead of having a separate step for chopping up carrots and celery for a soup recipe, you can list those two ingredients as chopped carrots and chopped celery and that step is eliminated. Then you can just call for those two ingredients to be added to the soup along with other ingredients.

If it’s an unusual ingredient that the average cook hasn’t work with, then make sure there is a Cook’s Note to explain how to work with that ingredient. This also goes for where to purchase the ingredient.

If you are using an oven, preheating the oven is always the first step unless you are prepping ahead i.e. overnight or several hours before you bake. Remember that most ovens take 30 – 45 minutes to fully preheat.

Specify:

Low sodium broth type of sugar

Unsalted butter type of salt

black or white pepper fresh or dried herbs

size of eggs

type of flour

type of oil

General rules for writing instructions:

How is it being cooked – stovetop, grill, oven, etc.?

What temperature is it being cooked?

What vessel is it being cooked or prepped in?

How long is it being cooked?

Can it be held for service? How?

What appearance or level of doneness are you looking for in the final product?

What cooking utensils are being used? Example: spoon, whisk, spatula

How long can it be prepped in advance?

How long will the finished product last?

Are there any Cook’s Notes needed to explain technique or ingredient?

Headnotes

1. Start with what is special about the dish - the flavors, preparation, why you thought the recipe ingredients would work together. 

2. Motivate someone to make the dish by describing it according to tastes or what’s appealing about the dish.  You have to think of it as though you are describing the dish much like you would describe a wine.  Maybe it's texture or color and shape of the vegetable in the example of using teardrop tomatoes.  What stands out about the look or taste of the recipe?  Help the home cook envision the recipe.

3. What special about preparation or holding of the dish?

4. How would the dish fit into someone’s recipe collection?

5. Is there any information about the background of the dish or ingredients that is interesting? History or origin.

6. Why was the dish created?

7. Give tips on presentation

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