Reading comprehension: It's not just for the SAT! The concept that many of us probably rolled our eyes at in our youth — surprise! — does indeed have practical implications in our real adult lives. Recipes are a prime example.
Sure, recipes are about cooking, but before you get into the kitchen, it's key to slow down and fully understand what you're about to undertake.
Ideally, your recipe will have been developed, written and tested by a reliable source. It should be clear and concise. But that's not always the case. Whatever the state of the recipe you're perusing, here are a few things to think about when you're choosing and preparing to make a recipe.
◼️ Read the recipe first. Pretty much everything I go into below falls into this overarching advice. Please, read carefully before you do anything — even before you decide to actually make the thing! Read the recipe all the way to the end. Ideally, you'll read it multiple times. The effort is well spent.
◼️ Be sure to read, or at least scan, the head note. Complaints about how people don't want to read the intro to a recipe are a dime a dozen these days. Skip it at your own risk. Sure, we like to tuck anecdotes in there, but the head note may also provide such information as how you can switch up the ingredients or try different cooking methods. In other words, it could answer questions you might have before you even ask them (or comment on the recipe).
◼️ Sketch out a time estimate. A lot of recipes provide information about how long a recipe takes to make, but not everyone includes prep time. And often the stated prep time isn't realistic for many cooks. Do the math yourself, accounting for your own speed, your own situation — i.e. how many times is my toddler going to interrupt me? This is also key for recipes in which a rest time, such as letting a tart dough chill or a bread dough rise, are tucked into the instructions. That's not the surprise you want after you've already started cooking.
◼️ Survey your ingredients. See what you have on hand, ideally long before you start cooking. It's a real drag to start on a recipe and only then realize you are missing an ingredient. Even if in your reconnaissance you find you don't have something, doing the leg work in advance gives you time to think about a smart substitution.
◼️ Look for stealth ingredients. Depending on the writer or publication's style, not everything will be listed in the ingredient list. The most common item is water, but salt and pepper can be buried in the recipe steps. Ditto oil or nonstick cooking spray.
◼️ Check for divided ingredients. I will definitely admit to missing this myself at times. Not all recipes will indicate when one ingredient is used at different points in the process. If the recipe does, it will probably say "divided" or "divided use" in the ingredient list.
◼️ See if there's a related sub-recipe. This is especially prevalent in cookbooks. You commit to making a dish, maybe even start preparing — only to notice there's an entirely separate recipe needed to put together the one you chose. Sometimes they're found elsewhere in the book, making it especially tricky to spot.