One
of two formats
for recipe
instructions
will be
determined
by the editor
and art
director
at the beginning
of each
magazine
or book
project:
Style 1. Begin instruction in each step with the action word. Italicize key words if desired. Boldface key words at the beginning of recipe steps.
Combine soy sauce and lemon in a small bowl.
Style 2. Start each sentence with vessel or utensil
In a small mixing bowl, combine...
Italicize or place in opposite typeface any ingredients in instructions that aren’t listed in the ingredients list, including water, salt, pepper, and nonstick cooking spray, except water that is only to cook in or soak an ingredient. Subrecipes
are an exception.
add 1 teaspoon salt to the mixture
add pepper to taste
Drained, undrained, cooked, etc., should be included in materials list. If not (for space reasons), italicize in the instructions text.
1 16-ounce can tomatoes, undrained (ingredients list)
Add undrained tomatoes to sauce (instructions copy, if not in ingredients list).
Don’t break a fraction or a single-digit number and its measurement at the end of a line.
When an asterisk and some other mark of punctuation occur together within a sentence, the asterisk follows the punctuation mark, with no intervening space.
Use the degree symbol (option-shift-8) and “F” for Fahrenheit after the oven temp (no spaces, no periods). In recipe method, indicate when to preheat only when preheating is important (such as for baked breads). Preheating is not necessary for casseroles, etc.
Bake in a 350ºF oven.
Use Dimension X with measurements. (To get Dimension X in InDesign: Select text, then navigate to Window/Automation/Scripts and select "Convert Characters." If this script is not installed on your computer, see a staff copy editor.)
8x10-inch
pan
Don’t use en dashes between numerals in instructions copy.
Bake cookies 7 to 9 minutes. (not 7–9 minutes)
Use the word “until” (not “till”) when used to describe a doneness test.
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp.
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