Is recipe writing a lost art? Or do we all conform to a set style for a reason? Also: why headnotes are my favourite part of a recipe, and why I find my own debut cookbook frustrating to cook from.
This is a great read, Rachel, and has so many excellent points. As someone who has spent way more time reading and trying recipes than writing them, I think the best way to write instructions for the home cook really depends on what you’re making. If it’s something more complex, I certainly appreciate having the equipment listed first, as in your food processor example. In an ideal world, we would read carefully through the recipe and instructions first, but listing the part about the equipment first helps it to not be missed. Also sometimes it really does make a difference if you use a large bowl or a small one! I’m thinking of a recipe I make fairly frequently that specifies using a large bowl in the first step because later in that same bowl you have to add chicken (and if you choose a small one it’s not all going to fit). At the same time, I agree that if you’re making a sauce or a dressing, it’s much less important to explain to the reader what recipient they need to choose.
Good for you for winning the argument on your nonpareille capers (side note that these are always the capers I reach for and I agree that they’re more flavorful)! It’s interesting that British publishers may be more strict than their American counterparts, and I guess in a way it makes sense, at least from a language perspective. Your comment actually made me think of the Oxford English Dictionary vs. Merriam-Webster. It’s my understanding (and please someone correct me if I’m wrong!) that it’s much easier for a word to make it into Merriam-Webster when compared to the OED, especially when it comes to more of-the-moment words like internet slang. Maybe in the same way there’s more of a sense of following tradition for British publishers? There are pros and cons to both styles, I suppose- it’s nice to be allowed some leeway, but too much could lead to disastrous results, particularly for something like a cookbook.
I enjoyed this, Rachel. I realised that I do not really know who you are and what you do (I do not really remember why and when I subscribed!), so I checked your stuff a bit and I will try one of your recipes on the weekend. I decided for Salmon & Pea Pasta with Lemon and Crème Fraîche. Any other suggestion?
On the topic of recipes, I think majority of books are hit or miss, for example, I really enjoyed one of Ramsay's books, but found the other 3 I had more like 'meh'. I use BBC a lot, and it could be I even cooked something you created? :)
I love that me mentioning this rant lead to a long and thoughtful piece, Rachel. Thank you. You've made many good points here about recipe writing.
I didn't know that there was such a difference between British and American publishers in terms of the rigidity of the writing. We do have style sheets, but they're mostly about spelling and numbering conventions. Still, someone wrote on Twitter that two of the American publishing houses she worked with said to write "In a bowl, combine."
It's been fun to have people disagree about this writing convention. Their main points are that the equipment comes first; and that it's clearer to state it that way.
I love this conversation! I think about it all the time in my own newsletter writing because I have intentionally thrown off the yoke of the ingredients list and opted for a full narrative approach. I know that, in doing so, I lose all the "jump to recipe" readers. I also made this decision after reading the millions of reader notes on any given recipe site that all seem to say "I did not have [whatever] and used [whatever] instead" or "I love this recipe!" followed a vast catalogue of substitutions that they made. At this point, I'm resigned to the fact that many people do not follow a recipe to the letter. I know that I, personally, always adjust the spice and herb measurements based on taste. There is always a balance between giving the reader all the information they need to properly execute the recipe and leaving room for the individual to make their own choices (the "fold in the cheese" moment from Schitt's Creek comes to mind). For the record, I am not a professional recipe developer/writer, but I am a writer who loves food. (Love your newsletter, btw)
This was lovely! I find I actually skim less if a recipe is written in a more conversational style. And I find many conventionally written cookbooks "boring" precisely because they have eliminated so much of the author's voice. I wonder if we won't see a change in publishing start to happen as publishers realize that the internet is too much competition for traditional recipes-only cookbooks and start to allow more authorial voice to break through. Because although I also constantly explain SEO and how getting paid on the internet works to the complainers, and I feel for a lot of food bloggers, there's a lot of bad writing out there! I'd rather read a whole cookbook.
This is a great read, Rachel, and has so many excellent points. As someone who has spent way more time reading and trying recipes than writing them, I think the best way to write instructions for the home cook really depends on what you’re making. If it’s something more complex, I certainly appreciate having the equipment listed first, as in your food processor example. In an ideal world, we would read carefully through the recipe and instructions first, but listing the part about the equipment first helps it to not be missed. Also sometimes it really does make a difference if you use a large bowl or a small one! I’m thinking of a recipe I make fairly frequently that specifies using a large bowl in the first step because later in that same bowl you have to add chicken (and if you choose a small one it’s not all going to fit). At the same time, I agree that if you’re making a sauce or a dressing, it’s much less important to explain to the reader what recipient they need to choose.
Good for you for winning the argument on your nonpareille capers (side note that these are always the capers I reach for and I agree that they’re more flavorful)! It’s interesting that British publishers may be more strict than their American counterparts, and I guess in a way it makes sense, at least from a language perspective. Your comment actually made me think of the Oxford English Dictionary vs. Merriam-Webster. It’s my understanding (and please someone correct me if I’m wrong!) that it’s much easier for a word to make it into Merriam-Webster when compared to the OED, especially when it comes to more of-the-moment words like internet slang. Maybe in the same way there’s more of a sense of following tradition for British publishers? There are pros and cons to both styles, I suppose- it’s nice to be allowed some leeway, but too much could lead to disastrous results, particularly for something like a cookbook.
Writing about recipes is hard. Thanks for the effort!
I enjoyed this, Rachel. I realised that I do not really know who you are and what you do (I do not really remember why and when I subscribed!), so I checked your stuff a bit and I will try one of your recipes on the weekend. I decided for Salmon & Pea Pasta with Lemon and Crème Fraîche. Any other suggestion?
On the topic of recipes, I think majority of books are hit or miss, for example, I really enjoyed one of Ramsay's books, but found the other 3 I had more like 'meh'. I use BBC a lot, and it could be I even cooked something you created? :)
I love that me mentioning this rant lead to a long and thoughtful piece, Rachel. Thank you. You've made many good points here about recipe writing.
I didn't know that there was such a difference between British and American publishers in terms of the rigidity of the writing. We do have style sheets, but they're mostly about spelling and numbering conventions. Still, someone wrote on Twitter that two of the American publishing houses she worked with said to write "In a bowl, combine."
It's been fun to have people disagree about this writing convention. Their main points are that the equipment comes first; and that it's clearer to state it that way.
I love this conversation! I think about it all the time in my own newsletter writing because I have intentionally thrown off the yoke of the ingredients list and opted for a full narrative approach. I know that, in doing so, I lose all the "jump to recipe" readers. I also made this decision after reading the millions of reader notes on any given recipe site that all seem to say "I did not have [whatever] and used [whatever] instead" or "I love this recipe!" followed a vast catalogue of substitutions that they made. At this point, I'm resigned to the fact that many people do not follow a recipe to the letter. I know that I, personally, always adjust the spice and herb measurements based on taste. There is always a balance between giving the reader all the information they need to properly execute the recipe and leaving room for the individual to make their own choices (the "fold in the cheese" moment from Schitt's Creek comes to mind). For the record, I am not a professional recipe developer/writer, but I am a writer who loves food. (Love your newsletter, btw)
This was lovely! I find I actually skim less if a recipe is written in a more conversational style. And I find many conventionally written cookbooks "boring" precisely because they have eliminated so much of the author's voice. I wonder if we won't see a change in publishing start to happen as publishers realize that the internet is too much competition for traditional recipes-only cookbooks and start to allow more authorial voice to break through. Because although I also constantly explain SEO and how getting paid on the internet works to the complainers, and I feel for a lot of food bloggers, there's a lot of bad writing out there! I'd rather read a whole cookbook.