Here’s the thing: what makes a recipe good? How do you tell when Google brings up hundreds, if not thousands of recipes for one dish? How do you prevent wasting ingredients on a horrible recipe? How can you tell without doing just that? 

These are the questions I aim to answer as a home cook myself. It took me a loooong time to get to where I am. I aim to cut that time in half or even more! 

Walk with me.

Step one: Do some research on the dish. This is where Google can actually be helpful! When you look up the dish, notice the ingredients. There are base ingredients that every dish has. A good recipe will have these at LEAST, without wildly deviating. Sure, there might be an extra ingredient or two, but they should still sound like they would enhance the flavor, not change it altogether! 

For example, say you were making osso bucco with saffron risotto. First, I would look up the dish to see what it is usually made with. So if I see a recipe that has red wine, beef shank or veal, and orzo, it’s reasonable to assume that those would work together. Especially after looking up the dish and seeing what the base ingredients are.

So if I come across an osso bucco recipe that has taco seasoning or grapes in it (an exaggeration, but you get the point), then it’s safe to assume that recipe is not worth trying. There’s adding pizzazz or something interesting, then there’s… being a menace. 

Don’t get me wrong, everybody has their own tastes, and what’s awful to us can be wonderfully delicious to someone else. So I’m all for experimenting, but if you’re trying to keep it authentic, don’t overdo it. 

Step two: The amount of an ingredient. If a recipe calls for half a cup of chicken bouillon, then most likely, it’s going to be very salty. 

At the start of my cooking journey, I came across a gumbo recipe that called for ½ cup of chicken bouillon powder. Since I had never made gumbo before, I trusted the recipe, despite my gut telling me that it didn’t sound right. 

Ya’ll.

Sure enough, the gumbo was quite inedible due to the extremely salty taste. The disappointment was palpable because I absolutely love gumbo!

Step three: Ingredients aside, there are a few key things a good recipe will have. They will have not just the complete ingredient list and measurements, but they’ll also have the tools and supplies you’ll need. Like a 12” cast iron skillet. Or a 6-quart enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven. Or a handheld mixer, mixing bowl, egg white separator, etc. 

They will also have the serving size, adjustable yield, and nutrition facts. You’ll also want pictures of each step so you know what you’re looking for during the whole process.

Throughout my cooking journey, I have definitely made some recipes that didn’t sound right or were missing information. For example, I bought a cookbook from a “cook” I adored. His cookbook was missing key things, like the yield, serving size, what size and shape of baking pans, and even what heat to use on the stove.

Of course, I couldn’t have known these important details were missing before buying the book.

BUT, it was by the same cook who had the super salty gumbo. I should have known better, hence my emphasis on common sense! Needless to say, I didn’t attempt another recipe from him. But I also gained a ton of experience, which is why I’m able to write this blog today!

Finally, and maybe most importantly, the reviews! The reviews are often the deciding factor for me. If I see a recipe has a lot of reviews AND 4.5+ stars, it feels like the vetting has already been done! The recipe has been tried, tested, and approved. They also usually have really useful tips, insights, and answered questions, especially when it comes to substitutions.

Nowadays, I still cook from recipes I find on Google. But it is so much easier deciding between the thousands of results! I especially love being able to filter out the results based on reviews and relevancy. So, knowing what you know now, enjoy looking up recipes! But without the stress, doubt, and the salt gumbo incident. (we will never speak of this again)

Happy eating!