Reading recipes sounds self-explanatory, but there are some tips and tricks a cook needs to know to ensure recipes turn out each and every time.
Have you ever realized at STEP FIVE of a recipe that you were supposed to reserve some flour? Ever unsure whether to measure the nuts, then chop, or chop then measure? This recipe reading article decodes recipe mysteries, helping save time in the kitchen.
While at the grocery store struggling to figure out where to locate the correct ingredients for a recipe, a busy mom was reminded why she doesn’t like to cook very often. Was a stalk of celery just one piece, or the whole thing? And the oregano—was it dried and ground or fresh?
Cooking at home can challenge the patience of all cooks, novice to advanced.
March is National Nutrition Month. This year’s theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward”.
Let’s head back to the basics to better understand the ins and outs of reading recipes because serving delicious, healthy meals (with less stress!) is a great way to put our best fork forward not only this month but all year.
Standards of recipe reading:
- When a recipe calls for eggs, it means large eggs
- Sugar, not specified, means white sugar
- When a recipe calls for an herb, it generally means dried
- Flour, not specified, means all-purpose white flour
- 1 stalk of celery means just one long piece from the base of the celery head, not the whole bunch.
- The word divided, listed after an ingredient, means that ingredient is used in several parts of the recipe.
EXAMPLE
You may use shredded cheese in a sauce, and then again to top the dish. The total amount of cheese would be listed on the recipe then followed by a comma and the word “divided”
1 cup shredded cheese, divided.
- Taste food, then season to taste, not necessarily to recipe measurements.
TIP: Take the liberty of seasoning food the way your family prefers. This might mean adding a bit more, or less salt. Maybe add more minced garlic than a recipe calls for or leave out the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Know the difference between a simmer and a boil.
TIP: Simmering means that a bubble breaks the surface of the liquid every second or two. Boiling means more vigorous bubbling. Knowing the difference between the two is very important to the outcome of a recipe.
- Make sure the pan is hot enough before starting.
TIP: Food will stick to the pan if it’s not hot enough. If there is no sizzle, it is not hot enough. Test by drizzling a couple of drops of water in the pan. If the water “bounces” around the pan – it’s hot!
- Leave food alone while it’s cooking, don’t turn, poke, or flip.
EXAMPLE:
An item like breaded chicken breasts won’t develop a nice crust until its allowed to cook, undisturbed, according to the recipe directions.
- And my favorite – Always use a meat thermometer, don’t guess by looks.
TIP: This is the quickest way you can improve your cooking skills – properly cooking meat to the correct temperature. Check out a short video on this topic HERE.
Reading Recipes 101
Make sure to read the full recipe. Before starting, always read through the entire recipe – at least twice. It will save you time in the end.
Watch punctuation. Punctuation in a recipe gives you direction, make sure to pay attention to those commas. “1 cup chopped nuts” is not the same as “1 cup nuts, chopped.” In the first example, you are measuring pre-chopped nuts, in the second you are measuring whole nuts, then chopping them after they are measured.
This is a bit confusing if you don’t understand the importance of those commas. One reader noted, “Recently I made cookies where the recipe called for 1 1/4 cups of rolled oats, ground into a flour. I never know 100% if that means you want 1 1/4 cups AFTER grinding. Baking from scratch can be tricky enough; I want measurements and directions spelled out for me!”
Unfortunately, many recipes won’t spell things out any more clear than the comma. Follow the guidance of the comma.
Note differences between ounces and fluid ounces. They are not the same, one measuring weight, the other volume. If a recipe calls for ounces make sure to weigh the ingredient. For example, ¾ cup of flour is not the same as 6 ounces of flour. A cup is a measurement, ounces is a weight.
Get out supplies before starting. This ensures you have everything you need and will make the cooking process go more quickly. Gather measuring cups, spoons, mixing bowls, or baking pans in the beginning.
Gather ingredients. Set out all ingredients called for in a recipe. It is best to know right away if you don’t have enough flour for the recipes rather than when you are to that step.
Make sure you properly measure ingredients. For example, 1 cup of flour should be spooned into the measuring cup and leveled across the top with the back of a knife for proper accuracy. Also, you should know that ingredients are listed in the order used. For example, most recipes will have you preheat the oven first, or prepare the baking pan, so they ready when you are.
Pay attention to cooking instructions. Many times, cooking instructions will include phrases such as to cook until “golden brown,” “a knife inserted comes out clean,” or “spices are fragrant.” Make sure to use these clues along with the cooking time. These can be more valuable than a timer alone.
Serena Ball MS, RD (@tspcurry) says
SUCH great tips! My problem is never leaving food alone…I’m queen of poking and proding. And then I have a baked-on pan to clean in the end!
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Serena! I always struggled with putting meat in the pan before it was hot enough — then everything would stick. It was fun reviewing all these points, and great reminders to keep in mind when writing recipes 🙂
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
Wow these are SUCH GOOD TIPS! I don’t always pay attention to details (like having the pan hot enough) but now I know WHY it matters! haha
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
These are great tips and I usually pay close attention to the details but sometimes you just have to wing it!
Jessica Fishman Levinson says
These are such great tips! Way to clear up some common kitchen confusion!
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Jessica!
chrissystein says
This is great and I had to smile because it’s so true! I’m sure half my dishes don’t turn out because I don’t follow the recipe exactly. As in – Do I really need to mix things separately before mixing them together?
Create Kids Club says
Chrissy- I do the same thing sometimes! I have to admit I don’t ever sift anything, and don’t always combine all the dry ingredients before blending into the wet 😉
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health says
so many great tips. i am slowly learning how recipe is actually written and its a work in progress. thank you for sharing such comprehensive post!
Create Kids Club says
Your welcome, Dixya! I learned some great points in researching this article too!
abbey sharp says
These are really awesome tips!! It’s so true, punctuation is so important in recipes!! Also, gathering ingredients before hand could not be understated!!
Create Kids Club says
Abbey- for sure! I have gotten to step 3 and realized I didn’t have it way too many times! Now I always get those ingredients out first. Such a time saver!
Mikki (@notperfectwife) says
What a great post. So many awesome tips that some of us take for granted. I have the bad habit of not reading the recipe all the way through and then missing a step. Ugh.
Create Kids Club says
Mikki- I have been guilty of this too. I try hard not to rush these days, it always pays off in the end 🙂
Jill Conyers (@jillconyers) says
Jodi this is awesome. Read the recipe all the way though first and get everything out before you start are my go to tips for PT clients when we talk about eating out less and whole food recipes.
Create Kids Club says
Thank you, Jill! Getting all the ingredients out first is the perfect way to start a recipe. It helps every time 🙂
ilkasblog says
You really took the mystery out of some of the recipe readings!
Create Kids Club says
Glad it helped, Ilka!
Sara Kashlan says
Such great tips!! I am guilty of skimming recipes sometimes and then I miss something very important! Woops!
Create Kids Club says
I do it too, Sara! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Sara Haas says
Really great tips! I hope everyone reads them! 😉
Create Kids Club says
Sara- that made me laugh – the first step, right? 🙂
laurhp says
These are awesome tips, especially ones to keep in mind as recipe developers 🙂
Create Kids Club says
Thanks Lauren! These were great reminders for me as well 🙂
Anne Murphy says
LOL – I remember rescuing two (very) young women in a supermarket once, as they tried to figure out what eggs to buy (consulting the back of a box…) People forget that you have to *learn* these things!
That’s a good list of things to learn – thanks!
Create Kids Club says
Good for you, Anne, helping them out! And yes, there are some things that don’t seem to be taught anymore. I feel cooking falls into that category too frequently. Gotta start at the basics 🙂