crimson_leaf_publishing/skills/guides/RecipeWritingGuide.md

Recipe Writing Guide — Crimson Leaf Publishing

This guide is authoritative for all recipe content produced at CLP. Every agent writing or editing recipes must read and apply this guide.

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The Philosophy of a Good Recipe

A recipe is a promise: "If you do exactly what I say, it will work."

Every element of a recipe — the headnote, the ingredient list, the method, the variations — exists to deliver on that promise with clarity, warmth, and precision.

The best recipe writing:

• Treats the reader as an intelligent adult who has never made this particular dish
• Gives them the "why" behind the critical steps (not just the "what")
• Sounds like a knowledgeable friend standing in the kitchen with them
• Is tested, precise, and honest about difficulty

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Document Structure

A CLP recipe follows this exact structure:

# [Recipe Title]
*[One-line descriptor]*

## Headnote
[2–4 paragraphs]

**Prep time:** X min
**Cook time:** X min
**Total time:** X min
**Yield:** X servings
**Difficulty:** Easy / Medium / Hard

## Ingredients
[Ingredient list]

## Method
[Numbered steps]

## Variations
[2–3 variations]

## Storage & Reheating
[Short paragraph]

## Pairing Suggestion (optional)
[One sentence]

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Title

Specific is better than clever. The title should tell the reader exactly what they're getting, and ideally make them hungry.

• Bad: "Easy Pasta Dish"
• Bad: "Nonna's Secret" (too vague)
• Good: "Crispy Shallot Pasta with Brown Butter and Sage"
• Good: "One-Pan Lemon Chicken Thighs with Roasted Fennel"

Include a key technique, hero ingredient, or flavor profile in the title.

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Headnote

The headnote is your opening paragraph(s). It is NOT optional. It is the part of the recipe that makes someone stop scrolling and say "I need to make this."

What a Headnote Does

1. Earns the reader's attention — tell a brief story, share a memory, or describe the sensory experience
2. Sets expectations — what does this taste like? What occasion is it for?
3. Delivers one critical tip — the single most important thing the cook should know before they start

What a Headnote Does NOT Do

• Provide the full recipe history (one sentence of origin is enough)
• List every health benefit
• Explain what the dish is (the title did that)
• Run longer than 4 paragraphs

Voice in the Headnote

Sound like a friend who has made this dish a hundred times. Warm, specific, and confident. First person is appropriate ("I first made this during a power outage and now I make it every week"). Avoid the third person editorial ("This recipe is beloved by many").

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Ingredients List

Format Rules

• List in order of use (this alone prevents 80% of cooking errors)
• Group ingredients by component if the recipe has distinct parts (e.g., "For the marinade:", "For the salad:")
• Standard measurements: cups, tablespoons (tbsp), teaspoons (tsp), fluid ounces (fl oz), ounces (oz), grams (g), pounds (lb)
• Include the preparation note after the ingredient: "2 cloves garlic, minced" not "2 minced cloves garlic"
• Specify form: "1 cup flour (scooped and leveled)" for baking precision
• Range quantities when flexibility is real: "2–3 tbsp olive oil"

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ambiguous cuts: "1 onion, chopped" — how fine? Specify "finely diced" or "roughly chopped"
• Unlisted options: if a garnish is optional, mark it "(optional)"
• Missing prep: don't list "2 eggs" if you need them at room temperature — say so
• Inconsistent units: don't switch between metric and imperial mid-recipe

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Method

The One-Step-One-Action Rule

Each numbered step should contain ONE primary action. If a step contains "and then," it usually needs to be split.

Good: "1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of water evaporates on contact." Bad: "1. Heat the skillet, add oil, and when it shimmers, add the garlic and stir constantly for 2 minutes until golden."

Sensory Cues Are Mandatory

Home cooks don't trust timers — they trust what they see, smell, and hear. Every step where timing matters must include a sensory cue:

• "until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes"
• "until a knife slides in with no resistance, 20–25 minutes"
• "until the sauce coats the back of a spoon"

Temperature Language

• Specify exact oven temperatures (°F and °C both, when space allows)
• For stovetop: describe heat visually (oil shimmering, butter foaming, pan smoking lightly)
• "Medium heat" is vague — use it only when the exact level doesn't matter critically

Yield Check

The method must produce the yield stated in the metadata. Do not write a recipe for "4 servings" that clearly makes 6.

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Variations

Every recipe must include 2–3 variations. These are not afterthoughts — they expand the recipe's usefulness and show the cook how to think about the dish, not just execute it.

Standard variations to consider:

• Dietary swap: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free version
• Budget or seasonal alternative: swap expensive ingredient for accessible one
• Flavor direction: turn up the heat, add sweetness, make it more acidic
• Equipment variation: if the recipe requires special equipment, offer a workaround

Format each variation as a bold label followed by a short explanation: Make it vegan: Replace the butter with extra-virgin olive oil and omit the Parmesan.

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Storage & Reheating

One paragraph, written for the practical cook:

• How long does it keep (fridge / freezer)?
• What container type?
• How to reheat without destroying texture?
• What doesn't freeze well (and why)?

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Difficulty Rating

Rating	What It Means
Easy	Beginner-friendly; no special technique; under 30 minutes active time
Medium	Requires attention, some technique (e.g., knife work, timing), or longer passive time
Hard	Multi-stage, requires special equipment, precise technique, or significant time investment

Be honest. A soufflé is not "Easy" because the ingredient list is short.