Recipe just a starting point for cooks

They are the emails, letters and phone calls I dread as food editor.

A reader made the recipe I wrote about and it was a disaster.

It doesn’t happen very often, but it happens.

Sometimes there’s an explanation — an incompatible substitution was made or a step in the instructions wasn’t written as clearly as it should have been — but other times it just happens. A recipe that has turned out great for me over and over again, just simply doesn’t work for someone else.

I understand the frustration and the disappointment.

For every recipe that runs in this column there are plenty that just didn’t make the cut.

And I’m not talking about recipes I created. I mean recipes from trusted sources.

Sometimes the damage is minor.

The finished dish simply didn’t live up to my expectations — bland flavor, mushy or watery texture — but it’s still edible.

Or it didn’t turn out like it was supposed to — gravy with the consistency of soup; soup so thick you can eat it with a fork; rice that remains crunchy after hours of cooking — but still salvageable with some adjustments.

Sometimes the damage is catastrophic — the food caught on fire because it was too close to the broiler for too long; bread that was brown and crusty on the outside is still raw in the center; cookies with so much baking soda you can taste it — and there’s nothing to do but toss it in the garbage.

When the latter strikes it makes me question whether the original recipe was ever tested. But it’s also a reminder to double check that my appliances are in working order. And that an in- oven broiler heats differently from a drawer broiler. And English tablespoons are not the same as American tablespoons nor are Australian tablespoons.

It also emphasizes that recipe writers need to be explicit and descriptive in outlining the steps involved in producing a dish.

I recently polled friends on Facebook about how long they consider overnight to be in a recipe.

Answers ranged from six to 24 hours.

Another food writer I know recently queried on Twitter how long is several minutes. Those answers ranged from two to 10 minutes.

One of my pet peeves is “cook ( or bake) until done.” Without any additional information how is one to know when the food is done, especially when making the dish for the first time? About how long will that take? Thirty minutes, an hour, four hours? Is done when it turns brown? Is done when it is springy? Is done when it no longer jiggles? Is done a specific temperature? Is done when the food is firm? Or is firm overdone? And is brown burnt?

As a cook and a writer, I understand why recipe writers don’t always include specific cooking times. There are simply too many factors at play — ranges and ovens vary, the type of pan ( aluminum versus castiron pan), humidity, the age of the ingredients — for a one- time- fits- all approach. On the other hand, vague directions aren’t helpful when the interpretation can be so broad.

I think sometimes experienced cooks forget how intimidating cooking can be for new cooks. The uncertainty. The fear of failure. The fear of food poisoning.

We tend to assume everyone who steps foot into a kitchen is an intuitive cook and this just simply isn’t the

case. Yes, some cooks are comfortable — and quite good at — winging it. But others need very specific, detailed instructions.

The solution is clarity. Recipe writers, whether professionals or those charged with transcribing as grandma cooks — need to be sure to use descriptive language in addition to general directions.

Let the dough rest at room temperature for eight to 12 hours or until it smells

yeasty, is filled with bubbles and takes on a spongelike appearance.

Cook the mixture without stirring for several minutes or until it is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden.

By telling cooks how the food should smell, look, sound and feel recipe writers ( or grandma transcribers) greatly improve the chances of a successful recipe.

Sure, anyone who can read a recipe can cook. But cooking is a skill and to be good at it, one needs practice and a good teacher. Well- written recipes can be excellent teachers.