Writing down a recipe
I have been looking through the church type of cookbooks.
I have found that its easier for me to follow/understand some of them than others.
I have also found that the contributors often leave out important details (which I did, when I made up cookbooks for my kids and grandkids!) that they just "know" - such as pan size, when to poke the holes in the cake before adding the glaze, when it's okay to ad lib, and when the recipe should be closely followed!
Anyway,
I find it helpful to have included:
All the ingredients needed - listed at the beginning at the recipe. It's kind of frustrating thinking I have everything I need and then an important component is at the bottom of the recipe. Okay - I should have read the recipe to the end before starting - but I usually don't, if there is a list at the top.
Measurements sizes for cans or components - a large can of something? - some things come in gallon cans.m How big is a large box of spaghetti? How big is a nickel-size Hershey bar?
For things like soups, salads, and casseroles - I have started to put in approximate measurements -
example: 1/2 to 1 cup onion, 1/2 to 1 cup celery - I have heard of someone throwing away 1/4 of a carrot when making vegetable soup because the recipe called for 1/2 cup of diced carrots.
Size of pan needed to bake the item. I remember when I was a little kid and I tried to make brownies using Mom's recipe - and the pan she always baked them in. However, I did not know/realize that she doubled or tripled the recipe for that particular pan!
Yield: Something like "six 1/2 cup servings" is helpful. "Serves six" is not - two of my sons would consider a 1/2 cup serving an annoyance!
It is getting harder to write recipes now with the package sizes getting smaller and smaller.
Also, with things like Jell-o - write down the package size in ounces instead of "large" or "small" -
Writing down a recipe is a bit like knowing how to assemble a quilt. After a while,with experience, a lot of the steps do not need to be written down, so it is challenging to know how much detail is needed when writing instructions for either activity.
"Season to taste" - I really appreciate a little more help with this than just that phrase - how about 1/2 to 1-1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 to 1/4 tsp pepper - maybe that person usually adds some unusual spice or herb that makes that recipe unique?