The genre of recipe writing is usually thought of a very standardized, reliable set of instructions, always consisting of two parts: the ingredients and the instructions. However, this is an overly simplistic view of this genre. While most recipes are composed of ingredients and directions, sometimes, recipes only include directions (Canora). Additionally, a great recipe is not just a set of directions; instead, great recipes can even tell a story – about a grandma’s Christmas cookies, about a lovely Valentine dinner, or about new motherhood (Perelman).

Generally, though, the form of recipes are first, a set of ingredients, followed by a list of directions, but this has slightly transformed over time. For much of history, most recipes actually didn’t actually specify precisely how much of an ingredient was needed; instead, recipes would call for a “cupful” or a “drop” (Schofield). Nowadays, though, recipes, especially in baking, usually specify a precise amount needed for each ingredient. However, how these quantities are specified can also vary. For example, most of the world tends to use weight measurements (i.e. 400 grams of flour) in recipes while others (mostly the U.S.) measures by volume (2 cups of flour), and some recipes list both for universality. In regards to the preparation method, most directions are listed in short sentences in numerical format, while others prefer an essay method. Furthermore, some recipes’ layout may be vertical-down, while other recipes, especially in recipe books, may include ingredients on the left with the directions on the right. Other text features in recipes may include how much a recipe yields, cooking or prep time, optional ingredients, helpful tips, etc.

Some recipes include a short story or excerpt preceding a recipe, and I believe that this method really adds to the content of recipe writing. For example, Deb Perelman is famous for her cute, relatable family stories in her Smitten Kitchen food blog. Her stories make it clear that her themes in her recipe writing are familial, homey, traditional, and practical. Her writing style and content also makes it clear that her intended audience are parents, families, and practical cooks – both experienced and new. However, other recipes may not need a cute story before each recipe in order to target an audience. For example, in Leanne Brown’s book, she adds an interesting and very helpful feature for each recipe; she lists the total dollar amount needed to make each recipe and also the per serving dollar amount. This clearly targets people on a budget, college students, money-savvy cooks, etc. Thus, already, though there is some continuity in recipe writing, it is easy to see how the recipe genre, a seemingly homogenous form of literature, can actually take on various forms and even contradictions.

It also, therefore, makes sense that there are various reasons why authors write recipes. Some write recipes to pass on memories (perhaps a grandma passing on a family-secret biscuit recipe to her grandchild) or some write recipes to expose others to international cultures (perhaps a writer who blogs about her cooking experiences across Japan). The grandma recipe writer may just compose her recipe literature on a piece of napkin or in a family cookbook, while the travelling recipe writer may write weekly blogs and eventually publish a book. No matter the reason or the audience for a recipe, it is clear the recipe genre goes beyond a set of instructions; instead, it truly is a way to tell a story.

• Brown, Leanne. https://cookbooks.leannebrown.com/good-and-cheap.pdf
• Canora, Marco. http://luckypeach.com/how-to-make-gnocchi/
• Perelman, Deb. https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/best-birthday-cake/
• Schofield, Mary A. https://books.google.com/books?id=zvOppQPQxPgC&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q&f=false

Authors write recipes for the purpose of teaching their audience how to make a particular food. It might be a food the author finds particularly tasty, or a meal that is very fast and easy to make. Whatever the case may be, the reason for writing recipes depends on the audience.   A cookbook about fast, easy meals for college students is not going to contain recipes for fancy steak or lobster, because these recipes don’t match the target audience. Authors of recipes use rhetoric that their audience will understand so that they can successfully cook the intended meal.

Although recipes can be written in many different ways and styles, there are some main similarities that many recipes share across the genre.   The first similarity is in the layout of the recipe, specifically the order of the content. The main format that most recipes seem to follow is that which Fuschia Dunlop uses in her book “Land of Plenty.” Dunlop introduces her audience to Kung Pao chicken, gives them some historical background, then lists out the ingredients and finally gives detailed, numbered instructions that lead her audience step-by-step through cooking the meal.  This format seems very common for recipes, as it makes the most logical sense.

The introductions of recipes vary greatly, but they are very important to a recipe because they are the first exposure the reader has to the recipe. The content of the introduction depends greatly on the audience. Many recipe authors use introductions as a way of explaining the cultural or historical importance of a dish. For example, in her book “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking,” Marcella Hazan uses the introduction to her pesto recipe as a way to explain the origins of pesto in Genoa. Introductions like these give the reader a broader perspective on a food they might not know much about. Introductions like this also lend the author more credibility as a trusted cook. If an author gives a full-page detail about the origins of pesto and its original intended uses hundreds of years ago, it becomes obvious to the reader that this author is very knowledgeable about the subject matter at hand. The reader is then more likely to trust that the author has provided them with an appetizing, time worthy recipe.

Other recipes, like many found online, are written with introductions that focus less on the cultural or historical significance of the dish, and more on the author’s personal experiences with making that dish. For example, on this recipe for Dutch chocolate pancakes found on Smitten Kitchen, the author fills the introductory paragraphs with personal anecdotes and stories from her life. In this case, the author has established some sort of relationship with her audience and shared her story of making this recipe with them. This format wouldn’t work as well in a traditional cookbook, but since it is part of an online food community, it is very effective. Any advice that an author gives just serves as extra pieces of helpful information; there is no such thing as ‘too much’ cooking advice.

The form of a recipe is distinct and fairly recognizable when compared to the form of other texts. It consists of ingredients and necessary measurements, followed with step-by-step instructions of how to successfully prepare the dish. Some recipes may also include a tasteful photo if the author is particularly eager to grab the reader’s attention or a brief introduction that gives a background on the recipe’s origin or a story about where the author got his inspiration. The layout of the text may vary depending upon the medium in which the author posts or publishes the recipe. For example, if the recipe is written in someone’s individual cooking notebook it will definitely appear different than a digital recipe posted online.

As far as the theme and purpose of a recipe are concerned, one must first consider the topic an author is attempting to explore. In Leanne Brown’s, Good and Cheap, her whole mantra is eating well on a budget. She emphasizes the idea that food doesn’t have to be crazy expensive just because it’s healthy and argues that, “Kitchen skill, not budget, is the key to great food”. After reading Brown’s intro and philosophy in its entirety, her purpose, to share healthy, easy recipes with the budgeting world (her target audience) is made clear and thus the reader has a better understanding of her theme.

Furthermore, the purpose behind an author’s decision to write a text varies depending on the context of that said text. In regards to a recipe, the author typically writes it for the reader because he or she believes the dish is worthy of others’ time and taste buds. An author may also write a recipe simply for his or her recollection purposes or to tweak the recipe at a later date.

With a few clicks of a computer mouse an individual can have a magnitude of recipes at their fingertips; whether that be a professional blog post, digital cook book, or website where aspiring cooks congregate to share their food favorites with one another. Allrecipes.com is a perfect example of such a site and once an individual creates a profile, he or she is free to post as many recipes as their heart desires. While exploring this site I stumbled upon a recipe titled, Yia Yia’s Baklava Recipe, posted by Jacolyn Dandreano. This title forces one to beg the question, “Who is Yia Yia?” but after reading just the first sentence of Dandreano’s introduction to this recipe we learn that Yia Yia is the originator of this dish and the Baklava has been passed down in her family. Her introduction goes on to share a personal story related to the dish and even suggests certain times of the year that the dish is typically popular. After reviewing the entire post, one might acknowledge that while the author’s purpose was to share her Greek recipe with the public at large, the theme this text portrays is the idea of food bringing families together and the importance of one’s culture.

When looking at recipes, it is important to note the form the author utilizes. The form can tell you a lot about a recipe such as the sequence of the text and the layout. The most basic and familiar form would be the introduction of the dish, a list of ingredients, and the instructions. The introduction to the dish serves as a way to let the audience know the details behind the dish. It may include what region the dish is from, how many it serves, and maybe even more. The instructions will simply tell the reader what to do with each ingredient and specific steps to making the dish. There are several recipes or recipe books that include pictures of the meal or even several pictures of how each step should be carried out. Now a days, with technology on the rise, many even include video tutorials. A great example of this would be Tasty videos, which is something that most millennials are familiar with. Every recipe also has a unique theme or topic. Some recipes may focus on vegetarian dishes or meals for healthy eaters. For example, the All Recipes website has a entire category for only vegetarian recipes. Others may focus on culture and food from around the globe.

Many people think of recipes simply as a set of rules, however there is so much more to a recipe than the ingredients and the instructions. Although this is the basic format of all recipes, many recipes serve a deeper purpose and are meant to tell a story to the reader. Some may wonder why authors write recipes. Well, there are many answers to this question. Some authors write recipes to serve a certain purpose or audience. Recipes can be written for several different kinds of audiences such as family and friends. Authors such as Leanne Brown write recipes to target a certain type of audience that may be on a strict budget. In her compilation of recipes titled Eat Well on $4/day Good and Cheap, she says that the “cookbook is a celebration of the many delicious meals available to those on even the most strict of budgets” (p.5). Some authors write recipes in order to shed light on a certain culture to allow the audience a glimpse of food from all over the world.

So what makes a good recipe? The answer varies from person to person and depends on the situation. I personally believe, however, that for a recipe to be good it should taste phenomenal and it should be easy to make. The instructions should be simple, yet effective and easy to follow. Some recipes contain instructions that are unclear and don’t give clear guidelines on what should be done. This is an attribute that may make a recipe “bad”. Another characteristic that I think makes recipes good is having an instructional video. Online recipes are becoming more and more common and this channel allows for the audience to receive a visual of how the dish is made.

The typical recipe contains at least a list of ingredients with their measurements and instructions on how to prepare the dish. What is a recipe for then if not just those two items though? A question posed by Gopnik is “What’s the recipe for?” A recipe can mean much more than just a simple instruction book. According to Gopnik, it can be “self-revelation.” The recipe can have an introduction detailing the story or the history behind the food itself, the discovery of the food by the author, or even just a reason for why they chose to write the recipe. For example, Fisher describes in “The Art of Eating” that minestrone is “probably the most satisfying soup in the world for people who are hungry.”  Interestingly, two aspects that Fisher’s minestrone recipe is missing is the number of servings and the preparation and cook time that many other recipes have such as V’nut- Beyond Redemption’s “Japanese Chicken Karaage (Fried Chicken).” Her recipe lacks an introduction, but includes the total time (1hr 20mins), serving size, yield size, and a lot of commentary such as “Don’t put only a few pieces,” and “If you see bubbles as soon as you put a wooden chop stick into the oil, this is too hot.” So another answer could be that maybe the recipe or cook book is that it “should supply the rules, the deep structure—a fixed, underlying grammar that enables you to use all the recipes you find” as stated by Gopnik. Recipes come in all shapes and sizes, with some lacking an introduction, the time to cook, or serving size, and maybe someone can try to write a recipe without measurements or instructions. In general, a recipe seems to just talk about the preparation of a food.

With all recipe writing though, there’s more than just the form. There’s also the content in the form of a recipe, which is written by the author for a given audience. As in Fisher’s minestrone recipe, she wants to write for an audience that is hungry and wants to make soup. An interview by the New York Times in 1990 states that while many others were writing about “the struggle for power and security,” she instead chose to write about food. Her reason for writing is instead that “our three basic needs, for food and security and love are so mixed and mingled and entwined that we cannot straightly think of one without the others.” It is a basic need and a love for it that makes her want to write about food. It’s a combination of the author’s experiences and what they want that a given text exists.

Brown and her book, “Good and Cheap,” was made with another idea in mind. Brown wanted to write about dishes that could be made with “$4 or less,” showing that her target audience could be beginners or people who are on a budget, and it was published during a time where the American people were still struggling from the downturn of the economy. There’s context for why the recipe exists. With the idea of “$4 or less” and that the book should be freely distributed, she had hoped that more people could eat well despite the many struggles of the middle class and below. Brown shows that experience of living in that time by writing such recipes, showing her expertise.

So a great recipe does more than just state a dish and how to make it with a given list of ingredients. V’nut- Beyond Redemption’s recipe may have more features of a recipe with the serving size, cook time, and yield size, but it does not hold the same strength as recipes that are found in Fisher’s or Brown’s books.  A great recipe brings you in as the author displays their expertise through storytelling and giving you reason to cook a recipe. It’s through their vivid imagery or being able to make it relatable, such as recipe writing for the downturn of the economy, that can convince the reader to want to consume what they are reading about. To be able to connect the reader with the content within a given context is a great success for the author.

Format

The type of format in which a recipe is written can vary based on how the recipe is being published (book, magazine, online, etc.), the length and difficulty of the recipe, the audience the recipe is being written for, and many other factors. There are three distinctive formats in which recipes are commonly written.

The first being the more traditional standard format where ingredients are listed in the format they are used and instructions are listed in a simple step-by-step format. This form takes up little space allowing for easy printing and allows for cooks to easily check the ingredient list. This recipe format is often used in cook books and magazines.

Another popular way for recipes to be formatted can be described as “active format” in which ingredients are listed with step-by-step instructions. This makes the recipe easy to follow; however, it is more difficult to check for ingredients needed. It also is not as convenient for printing since it takes up more space.

Narrative format is when a recipe is written in paragraph form and the ingredients are listed along with the instructions. The recipe can be hard to follow using this format making it much more useful for short recipes with few ingredients. Often times, the ingredients are listed at the top prior to the narrative of the recipe for convenience. This format is popular on food blogs.

Style

The style in which the recipe is written typically reflects who the person is writing the recipe and the audience for which the recipe is being written. There are general stylistic conventions that are almost used like instructions given in imperative sentences and putting measurements in US customary units (or whatever measurements are standard where the recipe is being published), but style can also be used in recipes just as it is in any other form of writing. Style is most evident in narrative form recipes where the person writing the recipe has more freedom to tell a story of how they prepare a meal. The Pioneer Woman blog is a great illustration of how recipes can have a particular style (http://thepioneerwoman.com).Ree Drummond uses narrative form with pictures to vividly illustrate how she prepares the recipe. She will then include a standard form of the recipe for easy preparation.

Content

There are obviously basic elements of a recipe: ingredients and instructions. However, there are additional aspects that can be added such as, how much the recipes yields, the time it takes to prepare the dish, the origin or provenance of the dish, and nutritional information. Recipes often include pictures of the prepared dish and potentially even pictures of the dish as it is being prepared.

Literature contains many unique genres, and recipes are definitely a category of their own.  Recipes can be classified with a few distinct characteristics that most other genres of literature do not contain.  For example, many recipes include a personal introduction explaining the author’s relationship to the recipe, how they discovered it, and other details such as the history or culture behind the dish.  Secondly, recipes almost always contain ingredients.  While it is possible to be ambiguous on what ingredients to use, or leave the recipe open-ended for the reader, there still must be a list of base ingredients, whether it is the full recipe, a seasoning, or a recommendation.  Finally, recipes usually contain directions.  Without directions, it would be impossible to have a recipe, since many different dishes can be made with the same ingredients.  The directions give a recipe its uniqueness.  Directions and cooking techniques are vital for any recipe.

One example of a recipe that includes a personal introduction is this recipe for tandoori chicken burgers (which I have referenced in a previous post).  The author of the recipe lists her inspirations for the dish and the reactions of her family members.  She not only includes an introduction, but at the end of the recipe she includes a statement from her daughter.  By giving some insight into why, how, and for who she created the recipe, the author makes it much more relatable and achievable in the eyes of the reader.

The ingredients of a recipe also contribute to its classification as its own genre.  While some recipes may not include the specific ingredients, such as this gnocchi recipe, alternatives and classic renditions are listed, which gives the reader something to base it on if they aren’t feeling creative or overly ambitious.  Without a list ingredients, or at least a recommendation of ingredients, a recipe becomes too ambiguous, and instead may turn into a mundane instruction manual.

As important as the ingredients are the directions.  While some recipes may include the directions in the form of instructions, many may have some visual aid detailing significant points in the process of the recipe.  This recipe for Kung Pao chicken does just that.  The author takes their recipe to another level by not only including the instructions in text, but also pictures of the recipe during the preparation and cooking processes.

In order to understand why recipes should be considered their own genre, one must realize why authors write recipes.  There are a multitude of reasons for this.  Many recipe-writers enjoy doing so in order to share a creation of theirs for others to enjoy.  More forgetful folks may write recipes down simply in order to remember them.  For some, recipe writing can be a source of income, or even an entire career.  The list goes on and on.  To conclude, while there are certain specific guidelines for classifying a work as a recipe, there are countless reasons for why one would write a recipe.

The majority of recipes follow the same the rhetoric regiment. Recipes start off with a quick introduction about the dish that the reader is going to recreate. To then be followed by a list of the ingredients; great recipes will include exact measurements of the ingredients, as well as serving size. Next, recipes list the steps needed to make the rest of the dish. The instructions are written so readers can follow along; in certain recipe steps are numbered and easy to read, or are split into short paragraphs. Some recipes will list out the ingredients on top, while other recipes will format it so the ingredients on one side and the instructions on the other. Recipes are the gate way to interpersonal connections between anyone and the rest of the world. Over time they have been translated into multiple languages, and come with a variety of pictures so that anyone can comprehend the recipe. Taking something outside of your bubble, learning the ingredients, cooking the meal, and the experience you gain from one meal: oneJaffrey(1999)OkraTomatoes recipe. Madhur Jaffrey, born in India; is a television personality, a food/travel writer, and cook who has won many awards over the years. Being inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006; she was recognized from bringing Indian cuisine to the Western world. In her book Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian, published in the 1999 this book contains preparation and the techniques for cooking the Indian based cuisines. This book contains about six hundred vegetarian recipe dishes for all over the world. The recipe entries each contain the original saying of the recipe, along with a little excerpt about the story of each recipe; next to the recipe title she offers a cultural implication about the origin of the recipe. One of Madhur’s recipes Okra with Tomatoes found on page 253 of her book comes with an passage that states “those of Indian-Muslim descent in Uganda, with a topping of scrambled eggs or even an omelet” (Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian) she gives the reader/possible chef some taste of where the recipe came from. Although the main audience of this cookbook is intended for vegetarians, it is suitable for anyone who wants to introduce flavor filled veggie based meals into their diets. Even the vegetarians would want to try different flavors and different recipes. This recipe has the potential to appeal to many types of people; I feel that authors pay attention to the wording of recipes. Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian cookbook does no appeal to college students, or may someone on a tight budget, due to the wide range of ingredient options and how you don’t find the words “quick” or “cheap” located throughout the book. Recipes allow people to get a glimpse in the author cultural lifestyle, like me Paula Deen was born and raised in the south and her recipes reflect that. A recipe that my family and I have mastered is her Lady and Sons Fried Pork Chops, a recipe that is located on the Food Network website. Recipes found on website today are wildly popular; people have access to so many recipes from all over the world. Recipes on Food Network allow people to rate and comment on all of the recipes, allowing the website to see what recipes are favored over others. Due to the power of media influence accessing recipes from various cultures is a breeze, you can type in any recipe and find a multitude of results. Food is something that people can agree with worldwide, something that connects us, food a social construct that allows society to flourish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lady-and-sons-fried-pork-chops-recipe.html

While not every recipe is written the same way, nor are there any formal rules that govern recipe-writing, there are several text components that are frequently seen with most recipes. The first element is the introduction. The introduction is typically written to familiarize the writer with what they are about to prepare. This may include content such as the flavors of the dish, the best times to eat the dish, the origins of the dish, the authors experiences cooking the dish, etc. One example of a recipe with a good introduction is the Gong Bao chicken recipe by Fuchsia Dunlop. This introduction gives the reader a background regarding the origins and name of the dish. It also includes a written description of what the dish looks and tastes like.  The next part of the recipe is the ingredients list.  The ingredients are typically listed in the order in which they are used and are accompanies by their measuring units and numerical quantities (whole numbers and fractions). Sometimes the serving size is also included under or above the list. Next comes the list cooking instructions themselves. They are listed in the order that the author intends for the reader to prepare them in. The steps give specific detail about what to do with each individual ingredient and how to use each one in creating the final product. I thought that this recipe for beef tips and gravy from Uncle Jerry’s Kitchen does an excellent job of going into great deal on all of the steps and offering tips/things to look out for while you are cooking the dish. Finally, the end of the recipe may include some variations or ways of altering the dish. In my opinion a high-quality recipe would include all of these things, listing the steps in great detail while providing some person insight from the author in the introduction. I think a high-quality recipe should also include pictures of the dish. A picture catches the reader’s attention and can incentivize him or her to prepare it. Brown’s “Eat Well for $4/day: Good and Cheap” includes vivid pictures for each recipe, and just the pictures alone made me want to prepare several of the dishes myself.  A low-quality recipe may leave out small details in the that contribute to the overall value of the dish. For example, if you were frying something, a low-quality dish leave our small tips how much oil to use in the frying pan; these details may not be essential, but including them would lead to a smoother preparing and possibly a better tasting product. In addition, a low-quality recipe wouldn’t provide any special background or insight about the dish.

When searching for a recipe, one might find that recipes are often sorted and categorized by certain topics or themes. These can include foods to prepare during certain seasons, foods that are prepared for certain events, foods that are all based upon a central ingredient, etc. For example, in a cookbook it is common for all of the desserts to be grouped together. I also visited a webpage on AllRecipes.com that had recipes that were all made using bananas.

In terms of purpose, an author may have any number of motives for writing a recipe. An author may choose his/her audience based on culture, taste preferences, access to resources, financial statues, age, etc. An author may simply write a recipe for the simple reason of wanting to share something delicious with other people. Just like books that you would read for fun, recipes and cooking is considered an art by many. Just as a painter likes to share a portrait with the world, a cook wants to share his/her recipe.  Another reason might be to help a certain demographic. For example, for those people with limited amounts of money, an author may write a recipe that is made from cheap ingredients so that less-wealthy people have meals that they can make. Or, say there is only a limited amount of ingredient resources in a certain part of the world. An author may write a recipe for people who have no idea what to make with limited ingredients. Recipes may also serve as a means for an author to share his/her own with culture with the rest of the world, giving others a way to experience their customs in a such a way that is available to all.

Recipes are written to teach readers how to make the dish so they can recreate it themselves. Authors write recipes with different kinds of audiences in mind. For example, in the book Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day, author Leanne Brown writes, “I designed these recipes to fit the budgets of people living on SNAP” (Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4/Day). Although the main audience of her book was for people who were part of the food stamp program, her book is also suitable for college students, people on a budget, or people who don’t want to spend too much on groceries, demonstrating how recipes can pertain to more than just one audience. The purpose of writing recipes can vary based on who the audience is; some authors might write recipes to inform readers on how to make the food, while others might write recipes just to get the information out there. Authors will also think about including certain words in the recipe title to catch the attention of audience members; for example, if an author wanted to write for college students, he or she might include the word “easy” or “quick” in the title, since many college students do not have as much time to cook. Most recipes follow a certain format which makes it easy to identify that a certain piece of text is a recipe. First, many recipes will start off with an introduction of the food so readers will know more about what they are making, followed by a list of ingredients. High quality recipes will include exact measurements of the ingredients, as well as serving size. After the ingredients, many recipes will list the steps needed to make the rest of the dish. These instructions are written so readers can easily follow along; in higher quality recipes, this could mean the steps are numbered and easy to read, or are split into short paragraphs. Some recipes will list out the ingredients on top before listing out the instructions, while other recipes will format it so the ingredients are in one column and the instructions are in another column of the page, side by side. In the Kung Pao Chicken recipe by Kho, we can see this kind of format with pictures on one page and the recipe on the next page (Phoenix Claws and Jade Leaves by Kian Lam Kho). More modern recipes that can be found online will also usually include the prep time, cook time, and how long it will take for the food to be ready. Recipes found on websites like All Recipes will allow people to rate the recipe, comment, and give feedback to the author, which also gives other people the chance to look at the recipe and decide if they want to continue reading (All Recipes: Joy’s Banana Bread). Some recipes will also include photos of the food, which can draw in readers who may not have a lot of cooking experience and are looking for something that looks delicious. Recipes are a way for the authors to share their culture with the rest of the world. People can make food from different cultures by reading recipes, and now with the internet, it is easier than ever to look up old recipes which have continually been passed down, or recipes that originate from other countries. In a web search for a Taiwanese beef noodle soup recipe, I was able to find a website which listed out the recipe with video tutorials and pictures detailing different parts of the cooking process (Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup). Food is an important part of a country’s culture and recipes help bring people together by providing a way for everyone to learn more about that particular food.