I enjoyed the essay! I’m pretty much a stickler. I subscribe to NYT Cooking and always read the comments, many of which are like you describe….”I subbed this for this and this for that” until practically nothing is the same. I also get frustrated by all the people who want to cut back the sugar, and as some of the follow up commenters say, “ Make a different recipe!”
I love this, Paula. After a few years now of writing recipes with my own evolving style guide, I do think you need to strike that balance, and to give them _advice_ as much as instruction, and somehow distinguish between the two. And also not scare them away or bore them. Doing that well is HARD!
I enjoyed the essay! I’m pretty much a stickler. I subscribe to NYT Cooking and always read the comments, many of which are like you describe….”I subbed this for this and this for that” until practically nothing is the same. I also get frustrated by all the people who want to cut back the sugar, and as some of the follow up commenters say, “ Make a different recipe!”
I love this, Paula. After a few years now of writing recipes with my own evolving style guide, I do think you need to strike that balance, and to give them _advice_ as much as instruction, and somehow distinguish between the two. And also not scare them away or bore them. Doing that well is HARD!
Agreed! It's so hard to meet a wide range of people where they are, both in terms of skill level and interpretation. But it's fun trying. :) :) :)