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Formatting Recipes for the List

The recipes posted to this group are uploaded as submitted, without content editing. Any editing changes made are for uniform formatting to our archive, or for clarity.

The recipes are not kitchen-tested in any way. We assume readers are familiar with cooking/baking techniques and the appropriateness of ingredients to make their own judgments about the potential success of a recipe. The nutritional values, when given, are not guaranteed to be accurate and we encourage a reader/user to consult their health professional about the suitability of any particular recipe if a specialty diet is necessary.

While we do not have any hard-and-fast rules on the list per se, we do try to encourage list members to pre-format their recipes so as to be consistent with one another; and make our website archiving job go just a little bit easier.

Please Note: While the archivists endeavor to be as minimally restrictive as possible, it's probable that recipes submitted in wide variance to these Guidelines may take a long time to show up in the collection or not be archived at all.

Also note, that we ask members not to "kosherize" a recipe--that is, if the recipe isn't kosher as has been prepared, please do not submit it in a form we can accept. It is not necessary to keep kosher to subscribe to the list, but we ask that members take responsibility for their choices.

Here is a typical recipe the way we would PREFER it look:

Baked Fish and Vegetables (P, TNT)
Source: "The Art of Jewish Cooking," by Jennie Grossinger
Serves: 6

1/4 cup salad oil
6 slices carp, pike, or whitefish
3 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 tomatoes, diced
1 14-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables, defrosted
3 potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 onions, sliced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

(NOTE: Submitting TNT recipes is NOT necessary; it's just that some people new to cooking feel more comfortable trying something they know someone else has. TNT means "Tried 'n True," a recipe the poster has prepared themselves.)

Heat the oil in a baking pan. Sprinkle the fish with half the salt and pepper and place in the pan. Bake in a 425 degree oven 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, mixed vegetables, potatoes, onions, garlic powder, and remaining salt and pepper. Cover.

Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 40 minutes, removing the cover for the last 15 minutes.

Style Notes:
Notice a distinct recipe title in Mixed Caps; a source citation (so-and-so's cookbook, my own recipe, newsgroup or mailing list, etc.); and the number of servings.

Notice the ingredients in a single column aligned on the left (a major-league big help). And, finally, the procedure--which may be broken up into paragraphs for ease in following.

Notice that we use numerals and NOT fraction symbols. This is because many people use mail readers that do not render fraction symbols properly.

All these small details add up to a simple, easy-to-read recipe which can be saved and archived quickly. Since the archivists are volunteers, any time saving we can provide them will be a big help.
Please try to check your spelling.

One last help ... in your posting SUBJECT header, please include the recipe name as follows:

REC: Baked Fish and Vegetables

This way our readers quickly know your post is a recipe.

You are welcome to include (D), (M), (P) and/or (KLP) in the body of the message. There's also the "new" code "TNT" for "Tried-n-True" recipes you yourself have made. We'll repeat here. It is not necessary to submit only TNT recipes (although non-TNT submissions may not be archived). We just want to distinguish those that have actually been made or are heirloom recipes handed down from those that are interesting but just copied from another source.

Last updated: May 13, 2008