Professor: “Lately, I have been on the internet looking for recipes and have quickly found some good recipes, but there are also many awful ones. Some are hard to read and difficult to follow, especially for a person like me, who are not experienced in cooking. Is there any way you can cast a light on that?”
Chef Alex: “You are right. Many bad recipes are floating around. Let’s look at what a recipe is and how to read one.
A well-written recipe is designed to make the cooking process as simple as possible. Still, no matter how basic and user-friendly a recipe is, there is a particular way to read it to achieve a successful outcome and make the process as stress-free as possible.
Once you learn the language of recipes, your cooking expertise and knowledge will grow by leaps and bounds. Some people think cooking, and baking are science and a recipe is similar to a chemical formula. Others claim cooking is an art and baking is a science. If you are a baker and not necessarily a cook, it is crucial to remember that cooking and baking are two distinct disciplines. While baking uses precise formulas, cooking is more flexible. With cooking, you can sometimes substitute ingredients and even change the amounts of the ingredients, up to a point, without ruining the recipe itself, but not so with baking.
Recipes speak a language of their own. Subtle nuances in directions, like ‘softened’ versus ‘melted’ or ‘baking powder’ versus ‘baking soda,’ can make a big difference in your finished dish—especially when it comes to baking.”
Professor: “But, is there a certain order in which a recipe is written?”
Chef Alex: “Influenced by cultural, technological, and societal changes, the structure and style of recipes have evolved over time.
- In the past, recipes were often presented in long paragraphs with minimal formatting.
- Recipes assumed that the reader had a basic understanding of cooking techniques and terminology.
- Measurements were sometimes imprecise.
- The order of ingredients might not follow the order of use.
- Serving sizes and preparation times were not always clearly specified.
- For a long time, recipes were written in a narrative style, with the ingredients and directions intermixed.
Title
Ingredients – directions
it’s written almost as a dictation to a novice. “Peel and cut your tomatoes and put them into a saucepan with two onions …”
The ingredients list was at the bottom when ingredients and directions were first introduced.
Title
Directions
Ingredients
Today’s recipes most often have the ingredients listed before the directions.
Title
Ingredients
Directions
Some recipe writers prefer to split the page with ingredients and directions side by side.
Some have returned to the narrative style, but type the ingredients in bold.
While traditional recipes focus on conveying essential information to experienced cooks, contemporary recipes often cater to a broader audience with varying culinary expertise.
There are no rules or laws for how a recipe is written, but nowadays, almost all follow the same pattern.
The Anatomy of a Recipe
Title
Headnotes
Servings
Ingredients List
Instructions/Method/Preparation
Notes
Variations
The two main parts of a recipe are the Ingredient List and the Preparation Method.
Before the ingredients come the title, number of servings, and serving size, if appropriate. Then the ingredient list and the preparation method. If the recipes are adapted from another recipe, credit is due (“Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s World Peace Cookies”) below the text of the method.
Even when the dish looks extremely simple, reading through the recipe from beginning to end is important before starting to cook. This way, you can ensure you have all the ingredients and tools on hand and are clear on how to proceed with each step. So, instead of reading as you go, sit before you start and read the entire recipe. It’s well worth the time to slow down and read the recipe carefully, twice, to understand it fully.
At The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), students are taught to write an action plan before the start of the actual cooking process. When preparing a full meal with several recipes, the goal is to have everything ready simultaneously. So, having a plan for preparing everything in the right order can be very helpful.
Note anything that could add to your prep time before you start cooking, like having butter at room temperature or setting the oven to the right temperature. Find out what can get started simmering or baking while finishing prepping the rest of the ingredients.
Some recipes list ingredients that need to be divided and the portions used at separate times in the cooking process, so reading the recipe through first will ensure you will not make a mistake during preparation. This initial review also allows you to look up any terms you don’t understand so that cooking proceeds smoothly.
Gather what you need.
Nothing is worse than burning the garlic because you were running around your kitchen to find the next ingredient. Before you begin cooking, lay out all of the necessary ingredients—measured if possible—as well as the pots, pans, bowls, and cooking tools. If the recipe’s first step is to heat the oven, then do so before cooking. Take your time and double-check so your cooking experience is as seamless as possible.”
Professor: “Don’t you chefs have a word for that?”
Chef Alex: “In a professional kitchen, chefs, and cooks start hours before service to get ready. They will slice, dice, portion meat, chicken, and fish, and make sauces, soups, and dressings, so by the time the first order comes in; they are ready to start cooking; it is called:
Mise en place
This roughly translates from French as “everything in its place,” meaning everything is chopped, minced, or diced before you start assembling. This will make your overall cooking process much smoother instead of stopping to chop every few minutes.
Let’s look at three randomly picked recipes.
Title
The name of a dish
Italian Baked Meatballs
Shrimp and Tomato Bisque
Classic Beef Meatloaf
Head Note
Head Note, or Introduction, is often used to give a little information about where a recipe came from or its intended use.
Baked Italian Meatballs
Baked meatballs are easy to make and always tender and tasty. These meatballs freeze well, and I always make more than I need.
Shrimp and Tomato Bisque
An old, updated recipe with shrimp, tomato, and rice. A hearty, rich, and satisfying start to any meal.
Classic Beef Meatloaf
Nothing is better than a hearty meatloaf. This recipe is easy, foolproof, and with only a few ingredients.
Servings
Sometimes listed as servings serves, makes, or yields, it can also be the total weight or volume of the recipe. Some recipes also add serving or portion size. If a dish can be used as an appetizer and an entree, it will state serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as an entree.
Baked Italian Meatballs
Servings: 6
Shrimp and Tomato Bisque
SERVES 4
Classic Beef Meatloaf
6 Servings
Ingredients List
A well-written recipe will list the ingredients at the beginning and list them in the order in which they are used. For example, olive oil is listed first in a simple spaghetti recipe, followed by onion and garlic. That is because the recipe’s first step is to heat the olive oil, add the onion and the garlic, and sauté until translucent.
If ingredients are listed with the word “divided” after, it means the same ingredient is used more than once in the recipe, so you must keep that in mind when gathering your ingredients. An Apple Tart might use sugar in the crust, in the apple puree, and in the apple topping.
The only time an identical ingredient should be listed more than once in an ingredient list is when the list is divided into sections, such as Crust, Apple puree, and Apple topping.
Baked Italian Meatballs
Ingredients
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ cup water
2 eggs, beaten.
1 ½ pounds ground beef
Shrimp and Tomato Bisque
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, chopped.
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped.
1 thumb-size piece ginger shredded
1 medium carrot chopped.
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (13.5-ounce) can, unsweetened coconut milk
1 (16-ounce) jar roasted red peppers
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
2 handfuls baby kale
1 pound jumbo wild shrimp peeled and deveined.
1 to 2 cups cooked brown rice for serving.
1 handful fresh cilantro, for serving.
1 handful fresh basil, for serving.
Note this recipe uses handful as a measurement. Imagen the hand of a 7″ male basketball player and 4″ 6′ female gymnast.
Classic Beef Meatloaf
Test Kitchen Tips
Use a gentle touch with ground beef. Over-mixing will result in burgers, meatballs, or meatloaf with a firm texture.
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds ground beef (93% lean or leaner)
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup ketchup, divided.
1/2 cup minced onion.
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic.
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Professor: “To me, the measurements are the most confusing.”
Chef Alex: “Yes, it can be frustrating when recipes use cans and packets as measurements without letting us know what size can or packets.
About the Measurements
“Correct measurements are absolutely necessary to ensure the best results.”
Fannie Farmer, The Boston Cooking School Cookbook, 1918
Although there is some flexibility with certain ingredients when cooking, the recipe’s author (hopefully) tested the recipe several times and found the published measurements to be the ideal amounts for a successful outcome. When an ingredient list specifies 1 tablespoon, the intention is for you to use an actual tablespoon measurement and not a tablespoon from the silverware drawer.
Another thing to keep in mind is the difference between a dry and wet measurement. To be accurate, you will need dry and wet measurements as they are not measured similarly. If the recipe calls for 1 cup flour, you need to use a dry measuring cup; a liquid measuring cup should be used for a liquid ingredient like chicken broth.
French Bread
Ingredients
10 ounces all-purpose flour (or bread flour) – (2 ¼ cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus ½ teaspoon for sprinkling on top
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing over top.
6 fluid ounces warm water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
Here we see a recipe using fluid ounces. So, what’s the difference between dry and fluid (liquid) measurements?
Both use cups and ounces to measure ingredients — but they don’t always mean the same thing.
Professor: “Here’s a common cooking question: How many ounces are in a cup?”
Alex: “Unfortunately, the answer is more complex than it seems. Though they both have the same name, there’s a difference between ounces, which measure weight, and fluid ounces, which measure volume.
Measuring in ounces: dry vs. liquid
Liquid measuring cups indicate that 1 cup = 8 ounces. But they really mean 1 cup of liquid = 8 fluid ounces. For dry measurements, the rules change. Dry ingredients vary greatly in weight; you can’t rely on the same conversion. For example, 1 cup of all-purpose flour weighs 4.5 ounces, not 8 ounces. On the other hand, 1 cup of chocolate chips weighs a little over 6 ounces.
If a recipe calls for an ounce of dry ingredients, weighing the ingredients with a scale is best. If a recipe calls for an ounce of liquid, you can measure it in a liquid measuring cup or on a scale.
Measuring in cups: dry vs. liquid
There are two main types of measuring cups — dry and liquid measuring cups —and it matters which one you use. Dry measuring cups measure dry ingredients like flour, nuts, and berries, while liquid measuring cups measure water, cooking oil, and yogurt.
Liquid measuring cups are usually glass or plastic with a handle. They allow you to pour a liquid into the cup and bring it even with a measurement line without spilling.
On the other hand, dry measuring cups hold the exact amount of ingredients and should be leveled off with a flat edge.
Even the order of words in an ingredient list changes the preparation of the foods. For instance, if a recipe calls for:
“1 cup nuts, chopped,”
that is different from
“1 cup chopped nuts.”
In the first case, you should measure 1 cup of un-chopped shelled nuts first, then chop them. (In the case of walnuts, a “whole” nut is actually half of the nut.)
In the second case, the nuts should be chopped first, then measured. The comma placement changes the measuring technique.
Notice These Subtle Differences
Poaching vs. Boiling: Water boils at 214°F. (100°C.) Poaching is done at a few degrees below boiling.
Melted vs. Room Temperature: Melted butter is liquid; melted in the microwave or stovetop. Softened butter at room temperature should be firm enough to retain its shape but still easily pliable.”
Professor: “What is the difference between chopped and diced? Isn’t it the same thing?”
Chef Alex: “Chopped vs. Diced vs. Minced: Cooking schools teach students that a large dice is ¾ inch on all sizes, medium dice is 1/3 inch, small is ¼ inch and brunoise are 1/8 inch. I think we can stick with: Large, non-uniform pieces are chopped. Medium, uniform pieces are diced. Small, very fine pieces are minced.”
Professor: “I made a dessert a few weeks ago that used chopped chocolate. I had to read the recipe a few times before I got the concept of chopping the chocolate before measuring.”
Chef Alex: Chocolate, chopped vs. Chopped Chocolate: Pay attention to the use of commas in recipes! Any cut, mince, or chop instruction after a comma in an ingredient list means to do it after the ingredient is measured.
‘6 oz. Chocolate, chopped’ means take a 6 oz. bar of chocolate, chop it up and add it to your cake. ‘1/2 cup chopped chocolate’ means measure out 1/2 cup of already-chopped chocolate into the appropriate measuring cup.
Similarly, 1 cup of sifted flour differs from 1 cup of flour that has yet to be sifted. This could make a big difference in your favorite cookies.”
Professor: “Some friends have told me they will look at a recipe but never measure anything.”
Chef Alex: “Yes, the old measuring vs. freestyling. There are some items I always measure: Polenta and rice, for example. But I know chefs who have cooked rice daily for thirty years. They don’t measure anymore, they might have the first couple of times, but they didn’t have to after that. In a professional kitchen, a chef might glance at a recipe the first time they make it, fine-tune it, and then make it 30-40 every night. With general cooking, there is more leeway when substituting ingredients or adding more or less. This is different for baking, where measurements need to be more exact.
Are you ready to move on?”
Professor: “Let’s do it.”
Chef Alex: “Next is:
Directions, Instructions, Method
The body of the recipe contains the directions—usually in a step-by-step format—for how to prepare and cook the recipe. Again, it is wise to read the steps more than once to understand how to proceed and ensure you understand the language.
Heating the olive oil means pouring it into a skillet, turning on the heat to the designated level (in this recipe, medium heat), and then leaving the oil over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes until you can feel the warmth when you hold your hand 3 to 4 inches above the pan.
Cooking the onions until translucent means the color changes from pure white to a more transparent softer white.
Browning ground beef means cooking just until the pink or red color disappears; it does not mean cooking until the meat turns dark brown. Stir with a fork to break up the chunk of ground beef as it cooks, leaving you with small, uniform pieces.
Cooking vegetables until tender means that when you poke or pierce them with a fork, the tines of the fork slide easily into the flesh with little resistance.
Simmering and boiling are the degrees of cooking a liquid. A simmer means small bubbles rise to the surface of the liquid slowly; simmering liquid doesn’t make much noise. Boiling means large bubbles rise to the surface of the liquid quickly and is quite noisy.
Pasta is tender when it is cooked all the way through. To test that, remove one strand of pasta from the sauce, rinse it with cool water, and carefully cut it in half. There should be no white areas inside the pasta or only a thin white line if you like your pasta to have more texture. Then taste it; the pasta should not taste of flour, and the texture should be tender but still firm, referred to as ‘al dente’ in Italian.
Stirring frequently means manipulating the ingredients with a spoon every 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan so nothing sticks and burns.
The recipe offers a range of 20 to 25 minutes for cooking the pasta in the sauce and also describes “until pasta is tender.” Start checking the tenderness of the spaghetti at 20 minutes. You shouldn’t have to cook the dish beyond 25 minutes, although many factors can influence timing.
Baked Italian Meatballs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bowl; stir in water and eggs. Add ground beef and mix until well combined—form mixture into balls and place on a nonstick baking sheet.
Bake in the oven until cooked through and evenly browned, for about 30 minutes.
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 45 mins
Spiced Tomato and Shrimp Bisque
1. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
2. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, carrot, and cayenne pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and their juices, coconut milk, and roasted red peppers to the pot. Reduce the heat and bring to a simmer. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, and juice of 1 lime. Let the mixture simmer for 10 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove the bisque from the heat and, using a hand blender, purée until smooth—season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Return the bisque to the heat and bring to a simmer. Add the kale and cook until wilted about 5 minutes.
6. When ready to serve, add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
7. Serve with rice, cilantro, basil, and a wedge of lime.
Classic Beef Meatloaf
Cooking
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup ketchup, onion, egg, Worcestershire, garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt in a large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Shape beef into an 8 x 4-inch loaf on a rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.
Place on upper oven rack in 350°F oven. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160°F; brush with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup during the last 10 minutes, if desired. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into slices.
Cook’s Tip: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed ground beef. Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of ground beef doneness.
Test for Doneness
All recipes have a cooking time range and a description of what the food should look like or what the texture should be when finished. For example, a fish recipe often states, “Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily.” These time ranges are tested using tolerance techniques in test kitchens; the range is provided because home stovetops and ovens can behave differently.
You should always test for doneness at the beginning of the time range (so at 10 minutes for a 10- to 15-minute span). While baking recipes have doneness tests, cooking requires a bit more of a subjective perspective, so remember to start testing at the earliest time in cooking recipes and remove the food from the heat when it tastes and looks good to you.
A recipe can be deceiving.
Sometimes, your eyes, ears, and nose can better indicate whether your recipe is done better than a timer. If your dinner rolls recipe says they should be golden brown after 15 minutes, but they’re not quite there yet, don’t be afraid to leave them in a bit longer.
A look-see-smell-and-taste approach is encouraged. How better to know if something is ready to come out of the oven or off the stove than to rely on how it smells or to evaluate how it looks? Learn and succeed in the kitchen by paying attention to the food—not just the timer.
The same goes for leaving things in the oven for less time than is written down. If your casserole is getting too dark and crispy but still under the written cook time, check it out early. Every oven and stovetop is different, and as you expand your skills and learn how your appliances work, understanding your timing will come more naturally.
Sample Recipe
Of course, each recipe will have its own set of cooking terms, but there are a few that you will see repeatedly. This recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce is a good example of universal techniques you will employ in various recipes.
Simple Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion.
2 cloves garlic, minced.
1/2-pound ground beef
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce (is this 8 oz. or 16 oz.?) See below
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 oz. uncooked spaghetti pasta, broken in half.
Grated Parmesan cheese for serving.
Directions
Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent.
Add ground beef and stir until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.
Stir in the remaining ingredients except for uncooked spaghetti. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add uncooked spaghetti to the simmering sauce a little at a time, stirring to keep it separated. Cover tightly and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes over low heat or until pasta is tender, stirring frequently.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Explanation of Terms
Chopped onion: In this recipe for spaghetti with meat sauce, the onions are chopped first and then measured. Some, but not all, recipes may offer the approximate number of onions you will need to reach the chopped measurement; when that information is not given, you will need to estimate.
Minced: The garlic is listed as 2 whole cloves first, then you are directed to mince it. Mincing means cutting it into very small pieces.
8-ounce: Canned ingredients are specified by their weight. This recipe calls for 8 ounces of tomato sauce. You will find the measurements on the label.
Tsp.: Some recipes will list the ingredient measurement in the abbreviated term versus being written out. A teaspoon is “tsp.” and a tablespoon is “tbsp, or sometimes Tsp.” The abbreviation of ounces is “oz.”
Notes
Tips on storage, special equipment, or techniques.
Also, suggest how it is served or what it is served with.
This recipe is a modernization of an old classic dish.
Time
Some recipes list prep time, cooking time, and total time, which can be helpful. If you wake up one morning and decide to make kimchi for lunch, you should look at the time it takes.
Kimchi
Yield: 1 quart
Start to finish: 20 minutes prep + 3 hours draining + 30 minutes packing + 5 hours at room temperature + 3 days fermenting + 3 days refrigeration.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information can be as simple as a few items like calories and fat content, or it can be detailed with a list of nutrients, diabetic dietary exchanges, and a list of several different fats.
Pita with Turkey, Carrot, and Cottage Cheese: Per Serving: Calories 300 – Protein 22 g. – Carbohydrate 36 g. – Fiber 6 g. – Fat 6 g. Saturated Fat 3 g. – Sodium 1,037 mg.
Asparagus Salad: Fat per serving – 0.9 grams. Calories per serving – 71
Caesar Salad Dressing: Calories per tablespoon: 30
Variations
Variations are used to vary a dish or suggest substitutes.
- When rice is done, you can substitute the sundried tomato paste with pesto in step 3.
- Omit the bacon for a healthier option.
Service instructions, Plating, Garnishing
When a dish comprises several items, each with its own recipe, it is helpful to know how it all comes together on the plate or displayed. A dessert, for example, can contain bread pudding, ice cream, a sauce, a fruit compote, and a garnish. So, at the end of the recipe, it might state: Place bread pudding in the middle of a large plate, top with ice cream, and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with fruit compote, whipped cream, and mint leaves.
Other examples:
Drizzle each plate with green pea puree and garnish with thyme
Serve warm.
Place an equal amount of the roasted sweet potatoes in the center of each of 4 heated plates. Slice chicken breast into 3 pieces and place over the sweet potatoes. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breast and serve immediately.
Place each medallion on a plate with starch and vegetables; Drizzle with Balsamic reduction.
