How to write a recipe

By Judith Evans, Food Editor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Newspaper food editors strive for appealing recipes that anyone can follow, even novices.

When listing ingredients, two reference guides are especially helpful.

The New Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (Barron's, $14.95), is a comprehensive A-to-Z look at culinary terms. The appendix includes eerythng from a listing of trade groups (need to contact the American Alligator Farmers Association? It's listed here) to pan capacities to a pasta glossary. the definitions are available online at epicurious.com (click on "food dictionary").

AFJ has compiled a guide called Foodspell which is available for $10. In addition to defining a host of terms, the 40-page guide notes AP style on words that can be spelled more than one way (use ketchup, not catsup) and lists common brand names, such as A.1. (with two periods).

Here are some common conventions for recipe writing:

List ingredients in the order that they are used.
Make sure that all ingredients used are listed, and, conversely, that all ingredients listed are used.
Don't abbreviate. (1 teaspoon, not 1 tsp.)
Use exact amounts. (1/2 cup basil leaves, not a handful.)
Be precise, and pay attention to wording. 1 cup chopped basil means you chop the basil, then measure it. 1 cup basil, chopped, means you measure, then chop. The difference is significant.
Call for the measurements that cooks commonly use (1/4 cup water, not 2 ounces; 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan, not 1/8 cup.)
Be as specific as possible. (Canned pineapple packed in juice -- or light syrup, or heavy syrup -- not just canned pineapple.) If an ingredient needs to be at room temperature or drained, say so.
Be specific about package sizes, and be sure that the sizes and products called for are still available. (Package sizes change frequently.)
In the directions, be concise but use full sentences.
Be specific about pan sizes, cooking temperature and any other essential details.
Don’t assume that readers understand cooking terms such as “cream” or “dredge.” Instead, define them: “beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy” or “coat fish lightly with flour.”
When appropriate, give a range of cooking times and provide a way to determine when the food is done. (Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown.)
Provide the number of servings that the recipe yields.
If you adapted the recipe from another source, give credit.