Making the Most of Recipes:

There is a ravenous demand for new recipes, created by new cookbooks, lifestyle magazines, and newspaper food sections. Often these recipes are poorly written or not tested, and they don't work or deliver the anticipated result. To avoid frustration and wasted time and ingredients, the cook should have a realistic expectation before cooking whether a recipe will work. The following provides some tips on both how to initially evaluate a recipe as well as how to follow and/or write a recipe successfully.

The primary key to constructing a successful recipe is kitchen testing, often several times. Few publications describe their testing procedures.  However, by reading a recipe thoroughly and evaluating certain criteria, a reader can determine how much care has been taken in developing that recipe, indicating a good chance for success.

First, the recipe should be well written without obvious mistakes. Are there grammatical mistakes in the instructions? On a first reading, do the directions make sense? Look for obvious mistakes in measurements and instructions. For example, is a cup of salt called for in a cake? or does the recipe add pasta to cold, not boiling, water?

Make certain that the ingredient list matches the directions - is the egg mentioned in the ingredient list actually used in the directions? See if the ingredients are listed in the order in which they are used.

Next, check to make sure that the recipe is complete. A well-written recipe should have the following elements:

ü       the title should be descriptive, as well as enticing

ü       ingredients should be described in a logical preparation order, i.e. apple: peeled, quartered, and cored

ü       all sizes should be specific, (32 ounce can, not "large can")

ü       pan type and size should be described, especially for baking

ü       oven temperature should be listed and if preheating is necessary, this should be specified

ü       presentation should be uniform; any abbreviations, (e.g.. TB for tablespoon) should be standard throughout the recipe

ü       yield should be included and described appropriately, either by serving or measurement

ü       directions should be detailed and logical; is the pot being put in the oven covered or uncovered?

ü       two different guidelines, usually time and  appearance, should be described to determine whether the dish has finished cooking

See if the style is appealing. A recipe should have an interesting head note, i.e. a few sentences introducing the recipe that in some way makes the recipe personal and sets the tone.

The recipe should be appropriate to the cook's style and skill of cooking. If the recipe is presented as a basic cooking lesson, and there are culinary terms that are totally foreign, then the author is writing for the wrong audience.

Most importantly, the writer should not be condescending and make the reader feel vaguely ill at ease. I still remember one cookbook that insisted only homemade butter could be used to guarantee success -that book left me feeling quite insecure.

Should the recipe still be enticing, there are a few keys to successfully executing it:

ü       Reread the recipe all the way through, concentrating on whether all the ingredients are at hand, as well as any special time considerations - does something need to be marinated or chilled for an hour before continuing preparation?

ü       Follow the recipe faithfully. Don't make substitutions unless specifically allowed. After the recipe has been made once, then feel free to change it and make it personal.

ü       Assemble the ingredients and proper equipment before doing any cooking. In professional cooking, this is known as "mise en place," (French for "put in place"). All necessary equipment should be found and prepped, e.g. a cake pan should be greased. The ingredients should be assembled and measured out.

     It is a great idea to have little, inexpensive cups such as custard cups or even specific mise en place cups (King Arthur sells 10 little cups for $6.95) and use these to hold premeasured spices, salt, baking soda, orange rind, whatever. Having 2 or 3 measuring cups hold the liquid ingredients until needed. Little bowls are useful for flour, sugar, cut vegetables, etc. By assembling all required tools and ingredients, the cooking process becomes more efficient, measurement errors are prevented, and any forgotten ingredient will be right there on the counter to remind you that they need to be added.

ü       Dont be afraid of adding to the actual written recipe. If it's on a page from a magazine or in a newspaper, tear it out and tape it to the cupboard, keeping it at eye level and avoiding splats. Put a cookbook under an acrylic holder (or heavy can), and write all over the recipe. If a certain casserole dish is just the right size make a notation on the page of the book. Or if parsley tastes funny but mint might work, note that down.

ü       Keep track of authors whose recipes work out well and look for more of their work.

ü       Finally, figure out a way to keep track of the recipes that really work, whether its a paper file system, or computer software like MasterCook. There's nothing like having a treasure trove of tried and true recipes.