Read The Recipe, Cook Your Food
My interest in food started at a young age. Flipping through the television channels my brother stumbled onto Iron Chef America. Soon after, my 9 year-old self debated the fineness of chopped onion for macaroni & cheese and how much char should be on a grilled hot dog. Decades have passed by and life has certainly changed–the same childhood curiosity and excitement while cooking has remained steadfast.
Along the way and in preparation of this brand I have come to see three purposes of recipes: to instruct, to inform, and to inspire. I think everyone looks for each of these in different ratios at different moments within their life. I hope each recipe posted on Outlet F&D meets each of the three.
I believe instruction is the most essential goal of a recipe. With something seemingly basic—it can be challenging to strike a balance between the rigidity of directions and the flexibility that life demands. Too little and too much can both be problematic in their own ways.
The Instruction section of each recipe is meant to give you all you need to be successful and not much more. It provides the structure. The Substitution section offers alternante ingredients and how to incorporate them into the recipe. It provides the flexibility.
"Read the recipes, but use the instructions to cook your food."
I reluctantly include cooking times and precise ingredient quantities for recipes. They are meant to be used as general guidance instead of a declaration. There are many variables in cooking. Don't let the recipe tell you when to make a move; use your eyes, nose, mouth, ears and brain. Read the recipes, but use the instructions to cook your food.
It's easy to fall into a this way or the highway approach when writing and reading how-to guides and recipes. Especially those with niche and detail-heavy ideas. Instead, the recipes and articles on Outlet F&D are meant to provide knowledge and create a choose your highway approach.
"Read the recipes, but use the information to make food that you enjoy."
The Keys To Success section is there to ensure you, the reader, is aware of what can go wrong and some details that can make the food taste just a little bit better. The Author Thoughts section has additional information on techniques or ingredients, if relevant. Finally, there is a Related Reading section that provides sources to information and ideas worth exploring. Read the recipes, but use the information to make food that you enjoy.
These days when I wander the internet for recipes, I am on the search for inspiration. In my everyday cooking I like to go fast and loose–pulling an ingredient from this and a technique from that. I hope recipes on Outlet F&D can provide that experience for you.
"Read the recipes, but use the inspiration to cook food that inspires you."
The Why Make It section is there to inspire and explain what a recipe is all about. What makes it unique? What makes it delicious? What makes it worth your time? The Author Thoughts section is there to fill in the gaps and provide any background on how the writer was inspired themself. Read the recipes, but use the inspiration to cook food that inspires you.To wrap this tamale up, Outlet F&D was designed to be an outlet for both the readers and the writers. With community at our core, we look to explore differing perspectives with the ultimate goal of finding deliciousness. Read the recipes, but feel free to make them yours. It's kind of what Outlet Food & Drink is all about.
