A Guide to Using TLP Recipes

Everyone who loves to cook has their own style in the kitchen. Here at the Local Palate, we know our readers rely on us for accurate recipes with clear steps and a consistent format, which is why we want to share some of our basic preferences in this recipe guide to help you understand how to read and use our recipes.

Building The Recipe

When a recipe has two or more distinct parts, we list ingredients for each part under its own section within the main recipe.

When a recipe requires significant prep time, we include a note at the beginning of the recipe.

If a Recipe…

…contains an element for another standalone recipe…

…contains directions to make more of something than the recipe calls for…

…makes from scratch an ingredient that can easily be purchased already prepared…

we usually create a subrecipe that follows the main recipe.

In Our Ingredient List

Unless otherwise specified:

• Sugar is granulated. 
• Flour is all-purpose.
• Salt is kosher.
• Pepper is freshly ground black pepper.
• Butter is unsalted.
• Onion is yellow.
• Chile is whole chile or a powder derived from just peppers.
• Chili is a blend of chiles with herbs and/or salt.

We only include “to taste” in the ingredient list when tasting is possible, such as if we’re tasting soup or a vinaigrette, but not when we’re seasoning a roast, fish, or vegetables before they go into the oven.

Measurements

For most ingredients, we default to teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups, including baked goods. If exactness is especially important, we include grams or ounces in parentheses following these measurements.

For prepackaged items, meats, and certain necessarily specific amounts, we use ounces and pounds.

For cocktails, we use ounces. For batched cocktails, we may include some amounts in milliliters, as most bottles are measured this way.

In Our Method

We don’t include water in the ingredient list unless it requires preparation, like boiling or adding ice. If a specific amount of water is called for, we include that in the method.

We strain something if we want to keep the liquid (broth); we drain something if we want to keep the solids (noodles).

We include cooking length description before approximate time: “Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes”; “Bake until set, 25 to 30 minutes.”

Equipment

These are the tools we recommend for home cooks—while not all are required, they provide a solid place to start.

• Set of kitchen knives
• Cutting board
• Set of pots and pans including a stockpot, sauté pan, and 4-quart saucepan with lids. A smaller saucepan is also useful.
• Dutch oven or other heavy- bottomed pot
• 12-inch cast-iron skillet (this can double as a nonstick pan)
• Quart mason jars with lids
• Casserole or baking dishes in various sizes
• Rimmed baking sheets
• Fine-mesh strainer
• Colander
• Measuring cups and spoons and a measuring glass for liquids
• Mixing bowls
• Stand mixer with whisk, paddle, and dough hook attachments, or  an electric hand mixer
• Gas grill or stovetop grill pan
• Blender, preferably with food processor attachment, or immersion blender
• Set of kitchen utensils (slotted spoon, wooden spoon, whisk,  rubber spatula)
• Rolling pin
• Pie dish and loaf pan
• Biscuit cutter and ice cream scoop (these can double as cookie cutter/cookie scoop, respectively)
• Roasting pan
• Wire rack

Bar Tools

If you’re an at-home bartender, we recommend the following basics:

• Cocktail tin
• Hawthorne strainer
• Barspoon
• Jigger
• Muddler
• Set of rocks glasses
• Punchbowl 

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