Signal Fall 2019 Newsletter

www.alliancecom.net 7 How to Spot a Good Recipe Online What are your criteria for evaluating new recipes? Simple? Fast? Uses your favorite ingredients? What about ease of preparation, or for that matter, ease of understanding the instructions? When evaluating new recipes online, it’s important to know what to look for. Online food magazine Kitchn (thekitchn.com ) asked several recipe writers how to evaluate a new recipe. Here are some of their suggestions: Read the blog text and comments. You’ll be able to tell the level of testing the author used and whether others have had success with the recipe. Make sure the ingredients match the instructions. Read a recipe all the way through before trying it. Ideally recipes should have ingredients listed in the order in which they’re used. Look for specificity. An ingredient of “1 carrot” is good, “1 medium-sized carrot” is better, and “1 cup chopped carrots” is best. Similarly, descriptive text— like, “the onions should be translucent”— is useful. Beyond Recipes: Fabulous Food Resource Sites T hese sites add a little something extra to the standard search-and- find recipe format. You’ll get articles, communities, and tips to take your cooking to the next level. Edible Communities (ediblecommunities.com) This site has a bit of everything food related. You’ll find recipes with a focus on seasonal food and plenty of fresh veggies. The Local Stories section includes articles about innovative people in the food indus- try. Check out the Home and Garden section for tips about gardening, eating on the road, and much more. Tastemade ( tastemade.com) Tastemade is a global lifestyle commu- nity with three primary sections: Food, Travel, and Home. The Food section includes yummy-looking recipes in many categories like “easy breakfast,” “skillet,” and “healthy.” The Hacks section offers tips you never would have thought of, like unexpected things to do with cauliflower (cauliflower nachos, anyone?). Bakespace (bakespace.com ) This delightful site is more like a foodie community. It features a recipe swap and cookbooks, all submitted by members. You can make your own cookbook or browse the recipe section where you can search by course, ingredient, country, taste, or special diet. Check out unique and delicious recipes such as Healthy Avocado Chocolate Cookies. Chowhound (chowhound.com ) Chowhound is a place for people who like to have fun with food. Explore recipes and how-to guides, then go beyond with food experiences in various cities (such as The Liqueur That Only Chicagoans Like), food trends, history, and product tips. The community allows members to post questions and participate in discussions. QUICK TIP: Check out the Minimalist Baker (minimalistbaker.com) for quick recipes that require 10 ingredients or less to prepare.