There are many ways a recipe can be written but there are many things that basically all recipes contain. Most recipes, especially the ones we have looked at in class start off with some sort of introduction that tells the story of the author’s connection to the dish. The introduction often includes the history of the dish and how the author was first introduced to the dish. While this may vary from recipe to recipe, almost all authors include their first experience with the dish. Some authors were introduced to their dish by a family member, some by restaurant, and some may have just come across it online and adapted their own version. For example, Brown tells the story of how her friend recommended the french onion soup recipe to her and she goes into a detailed description of what she experiences when she makes the dish. Brown describes “the smell in your kitchen is absolute heaven” which gives the reader a sense of what they will experience as they make the soup (Brown, French Onion soup).

Many recipes also include images so that the viewer can see what the finished product should look like. This is especially true in a recipe meant for beginners, as the pictures often guide the chef and provide step by step images of what their dish should look like throughout the entire process. This butter chicken recipe not only provides an introduction that talks about the authors experience with the dish themselves, but also has step by step pictures and makes it a lot easier for the reader to make the dish themselves (http://evergreenrecipes.com/butter-chicken-recipe/). Many recipes also list items that pair well with the dish. Whether this is a side dish or a cocktail may differ between recipes but a lot of recipes for beginners have some sort of food or drink that pairs well with the dish.

Most recipes are written in an instructional format. Besides the introduction, which normally tell a story about the dish, the rest of the recipe is simply telling the reader how to make it. The instructions normally include specific measurements for how much of a certain ingredient you are supposed to have in the dish. For example, the butter chicken recipe above says “Heat the wok with 1/4 cup butter and add ground paste. Cook the spices on slow heat till butter shows separately. Then add 1/4 cup more butter and food color”. This clearly lays out instructions to the reader and makes it easy for them to recreate the original dish without much confusion.