UNDERSTANDING RECIPES

Prepared by: Ms. E. Leslie

WHAT MAKES A GOOD RECIPE?

REQUIRED INFORMATIONAll good recipes share the same characteristics

YIELD the amount that the finished recipe

produces

INGREDIENT LIST the ingredients that are required to make the

final product

QUANTITIES how much of each ingredient is needed

INSTRUCTIONS/DIRECTIONS what steps need to be taken in order to

complete recipe

TEMPERATURE & TIME Cooking temperature & time- if the food

needs to be cooked

OPTIONAL INFORMATION

Although not essential, many good recipes will also include the following pieces of information:

EQUIPMENT LIST The tools needed to prepare the recipe What equipment is needed for this recipe?

PICTURES visuals of foods needed and/or the final

product

METRIC & IMPERIAL Ingredient quantities in metric & imperial

format- eg. cups and millilitres Change the imperial measurements into

metric.

PREP TIME Preparation time- how long it will take you to

prepare recipe How long do you think it would take to

prepare these cookies?

NUTRITION INFORMATION the nutrients and amounts of them that this

food item contains

IS THIS A GOOD RECIPE? Baked Salmon with Tomatoes, Spinach & Mushroomsprep time : 10 min

total time : 35 min

makes : 4 servings, 1/4 recipe (163 g) each

Ingredients:

4  salmon fillets (1 lb./450 g)

2 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1  tomato, chopped

1/4 cup Kraft Extra Virgin Olive Oil Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing

HEAT oven to 375°F. Place fish fillets, skin sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

MIX remaining ingredients until blended; spoon over fish.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until fish flakes easily with fork.

THIS ONE?

IS THIS?

RECIPE STYLES There are 5 main styles of recipes

1. Conventional

2. Demonstration

3. Step by Step

4.Active5.Narrative

CONVENTIONAL RECIPESThis is the most common recipe

style. You will be able to tell it is a conventional recipe because …

→ Ingredients are listed at the top

→ Instructions are written in paragraph form

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks)  salted butter, softened1/2 cup sugar1 1/2 cup brown sugar2 eggs2 tsp. vanilla extract3 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour 1 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt 1 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. baking powder2 cups/16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes) Make sure the mixture gets VERY creamy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated.  Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed.  The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.  Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.  Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface.  Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

STEP BY STEP RECIPES

Most people find this style of recipe very easy to follow. A step by step recipe has…

→ A list of ingredients at the top

→ Written in numbered steps

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks)  salted butter, softened1/2 cup sugar1 1/2 cup brown sugar2 eggs2 tsp. vanilla extract3 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour1 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt 1 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. baking powder2 cups/16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes) Make sure the mixture gets VERY creamy.

3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. 

4. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. 

5. Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed.  The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. 

6. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown.

8. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. 

9. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface.  Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

ACTIVE STYLE While this style of recipe is

easy to follow when you are preparing the recipe, it is more difficult to use when preparing a shopping list.

→ No list of ingredients→ Step by step method→ Ingredients listed within each

step

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 4 dozen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream 1 cup (250 mL) salted butter, ½ cup (125 mL) sugar, and 1 ½ cups (375 mL) brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes) Make sure the mixture gets VERY creamy.

3. Add 2 eggs and 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. 

4. Add 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda, 1 ½ tsp (7 mL) baking powder, 1 tsp (5 mL) coarse sea salt, and 3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour until cookie batter is fully incorporated. 

5. Finally add 2 cups (500 mL) chocolate chips until well distributed.  The cookie batter should be somewhat thick. 

6. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

7. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes. 

8. Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface.  Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.

DEMONSTRATION STYLE This style of recipe is a

favourite of visual learners, and is also helpful for those who are learning to cook. A demonstration style recipe contains…

→ A list of ingredients at the top→ A method with diagrams

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks)  salted butter, softened1/2 cup sugar1 1/2 cup brown sugar2 eggs2 tsp. vanilla extract3 cups (12 oz) all-purpose flour 1 tsp. smallish-medium coarse sea salt 1 tsp. baking soda1 1/2 tsp. baking powder2 cups/16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy

(approx. 5 minutes) Make sure the mixture gets VERY creamy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. 

Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour until cookie batter

is fully incorporated. 

Finally add chocolate chips until well distributed. 

The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.  Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

 

NARRATIVE STYLE

A narrative style works best with short and simple recipes with few steps and ingredients. It is easy to follow when cooking, but is difficult when preparing a shopping list.

→ No list of ingredients→ Written in paragraph form

Alice’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Yield: 4 dozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together 1 cup (250 mL) salted butter, ½ cup (125 mL) sugar, and 1 ½ cups (375 mL) brown sugar until it is nice and fluffy (approx. 5 minutes) Make sure the mixture gets VERY creamy. Then add 2 eggs and 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla. After beating for 2 minutes, add 1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda, 1 ½ tsp (7 mL) baking powder, 1 tsp (5 mL) coarse sea salt, and 3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour. Beat again until cookie batter is fully incorporated.  Finally add 2 cups (500 mL) chocolate chips until well distributed.  The cookie batter should be somewhat thick.  Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough or use a medium cookie scoop and plop the batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges are nice and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow the cookies to stay on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes.  Pick up the parchment paper with the cookies still on top and transfer to a cool non-porous surface.  Allow the cookies to cool on the paper for at least 3 minutes before serving.