The 10 Day Joy of Food Series - Day one: How to Organize Your Recipes

In this series, I will attempt to discuss ways to help you get more enjoyment out of the foods you cook and eat each day.

I know how easy it can be to get stuck in a rut, and have the same old meals day after day. If you know the number off hand of all your favorite restaurants or pizza joints, or you’re constantly staring into the your fridge trying to figure out what you should cook, then let me tell you – it’s time for some inspiration so you can begin to broaden your recipe / food horizons.

This is where being able to organize your recipes come in.

This is step #1 of the series.

If you’re stuck in a rut, then I’m left to conclude that you are not a talented or creative chef; therefore, you’re going to need to use recipes to get your new joy of food initiative underway.

Cookbooks

Some people love to collect cookbooks; and you may already have many of them sitting on shelves gathering dust. If that’s the case, it’s time to put them to work. Grab a pad of sticky notes and a pen. Print out a blank calendar and start planning breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts as needed.
Make notes about each recipe you cook. For the ones you don’t like, just put an X on the Post-it, with a comment as to what was wrong with it. For those you did like, make comments on what could have been better. Create a spreadsheet with the names of the recipes on them for each book, and the page number. Invest in a clear lucite cookbook stand to hold your books open to the right place without them getting splashed.

Online Recipes

Some people have digital cookbooks. In this case, go through the same process as above - only this time, bookmark your favorite recipes and make a note in your spreadsheet.

Saving Recipes in Folders

There are many free recipe sites online, some with better recipes than others. Aim for the ones with 4 or 5-star ratings. Read the comments as well for additional advice. Save them in folders on your computer. It might help to sort them by category, such as soups, desserts and so on.
My personal favorites include: https://www.foodnetwork.com/; https://www.yummly.com/ and http://allrecipes.com/.

Tagging Your Recipes

You might also collect individual recipes online. In this case, taking the trouble to tag them can help you sort them more easily. Use keywords related to the main ingredients, such as shrimp, or the style of cuisine, such as Indian, Chinese or Creole.

Pinning Them

We love Pinterest because you can find so many recipes on the boards, often with great photos to inspire you. In some cases, the recipes will be very unhealthy and fattening, but you can use them as inspiration for your own healthier versions. In this case, create a Pinboard for courses, foods, cuisines and so on.

Now that you’re more organized, it will be time to deal with food boredom.

Hope you enjoyed this article!

Until next time!