I am convinced that all recipes should have introductions or, as the editors call them, “recipe notes”. I just finished 200 hednotes for my next cookbook, so I’ve given a lot of thought to its purpose. I see each one as a special opportunity to connect with readers – these people are right at the top of the page ready to see what I have to say. So, I have a great opportunity to tell you why I care about food in general and this recipe in particular.
Here’s an introduction I especially like for a peach cobbler recipe. I hope it makes readers want to read more, and maybe even tempt them to run to the kitchen and prepare the dish.
“When I asked in Mountain View, Arkansas, for the best home bakers, the name Jean Jennings kept coming up. People looked up to the sky, sighed happily, and mentioned her shoemaker. A musician friend of hers even told me, ‘Sir, eat Your peach cobbler is better than sin!”
I’ve also given a lot of thought to the do’s and don’ts of writing headnotes. If you’ve ever considered writing a cookbook or articles about food, keep reading. Even if you love food, you may find the information here interesting.
Whose Begin every recipe with “This recipe is…” There’s nothing wrong with presenting the occasional dish that way, but editors and readers alike will want to scream if every page of a cookbook or every recipe in an article begins with this same phrase.
Do: Start with your personal opinion: “I really like this dish because…” Or at least reverse the order of your sentences and start with: “The perfect recipe to quench your thirst on a muggy day, this recipe is… “Or better yet, tell a story: how you found the dish, or what inspired you, why it’s unusual, what’s wonderful about it, etc.
Example: “The buttery, slightly yeasty flavor and melty, buoyant texture of these homemade muffins remind me of the ones that were the pride of various white-haired ladies who baked for the frequent church fund-raising dinners of my childhood. Neatly Dressed Wearing aprons and hairnets, they would stand at the back of the parish kitchen and skillfully prepare dozens of trays of rolls, which were taken straight from the ovens and devoured by the eager tables of diners (customers) not the highlight. It wasn’t the featured ham, oysters or turkey, but those amazing all-you-can-eat rolls!”
Whose use “delicious” or “yummy” to describe your dish. I’m tempted to say never, but certainly almost never. I never, never use delicious because Atlanta-Journal-Constitution writer John Kessler did a search and found that it was the most common food adjective used. I don’t want my writing to be so ordinary. Also, the word “delicious” just doesn’t sound appetizing to me, sorry, but I can imagine drooling! As for delicious, I allow myself one per recipe book; it doesn’t tell the reader what’s appealing about the food, which is really what I think a note should do.
Do: Think about how delicious the dish is: Is it juicy? Tender? Fragrant with spices? Silky on the tongue? Heating? Refreshing? There are hundreds of food adjectives and countless ways to say what a recipe tastes like; use them, use them.
Example: I adapted this ball from a great recipe shared with me by Craig Ponsford, founder of Artisan Bakers of Sonoma, California. Craig brought some of his beautiful multigrain breads to a baking conference and while I’m not normally a big fan of multigrain breads, I was impressed with the unique earthy flavor, light yet hearty texture and beautiful look of his housewife. . The secret is the combination of nine different whole and ground grains and seeds, which adds a wonderful graininess and crunch, but is tooth-friendly and completely avoids that serious “it’s good for you, so eat it” character of some. multi-grain breads.
It’s true that creating enticing recipe notes takes time and effort, but I think these snippets of text are probably the most read parts of any food article or cookbook. Don’t pass up what is perhaps the best opportunity to attract readers and win them over to your culinary writing and products.
