On the formatting of recipe ingredients
When shopping from a recipe’s ingredient list I find it bothersome if each line doesn’t begin with the ingredient — the first thing I care about is what the ingredient is, followed by the quantity.
For example, consider the following list of ingredients:
- 2 medium onions
- 1 large carrot
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
Rearranged ingredient first, the following is much more readable:
- Onions, 2 medium, diced
- Carrot, 1 large, cubed
- Garlic, 3 cloves, minced
In addition, by adding the preparation the reader is able to prepare all the ingredients in advance, before the cooking takes place — helping create a mise en place.
Ingredient, Quantity, Preparation.