What is it?
A recipe is a set of instructions that gives detailed information on how to prepare something, typically some sort of food dish (although it can also be used in medicine by doctors). Recipes have been around for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient Egyptians. In fact, many ancient Greek recipes are still used today. A recipe generally consists of several different components: the name of the dish, how much time is required to make the dish, the necessary ingredients and their required proportions, and the needed equipment. This is followed by a step-by-step guide that tells you when to add certain components. In cookbooks, there may also be a photograph of the finished dish, which you can compare yours to once you have finished.
How to
There are many different ways to find recipes online. The easiest way is to type the name or type of dish into Google and add the word “recipe” at the end. For example, typing in “pumpkin pie recipe” returns over 13 million results, including recipes from Allrecipes.com, The Food Network, and BBC Good Food. Another popular site to find recipes is Food.com. It has an all-things-food-related webpage that places a priority on cookbooks and recipes. You are able to browse popular recipes and check out the most frequently searched recipes. Food.com also offers a Recipe Sifter tool, which allows you to select the course you want and narrow your search down by using filters such as special occasion (holidays, parties, etc…), ease of preparation, dietary requirements, and many more. Allrecipes.com allows you to store recipes you find and use if you make a free account, and also offers an advanced search tool to help you specify exact requests. It also has an extensive photo area where other users can show off the food they have made.
Why do it?
There are thousands upon thousands of recipes online, so if you spend a little time researching you should be able to find the perfect recipe. Using sites such as Allrecipes.com or Food.com, which both offer advanced search options, allow you to cater each meal to your specific needs and desires. You can have your laptop open while you cook, access the recipe on your phone, print out the recipe or simply write it down. If you happen to misplace the recipe, you can have it saved as a bookmark on your computer, or save it to your account if the specific website you use allows you to do so. This should mean no more losing great recipes.
Risks
The biggest drawback of using a new recipe is the risk that you or others may not like it. Still, if that is the case, you can easily throw it out and try again another time.
Be sure to check all of the ingredients and make sure you, or anyone else who may be eating, is not allergic to any of them. Some online recipes may use obscure ingredients that can be difficult to get a hold of, especially if you live in a different region or country. Some recipes may also use an odd ingredient that changes the taste of the dish, and may have been added as a personal preference by the creator of the recipe. Ultimately, you should use a recipe as a guideline, while subtracting and adding various ingredients as you see fit.
