CHAPTER TWO

About Recipes
Learning Objectives:
 Explain the purpose of standardized recipes and plate cards in
a foodservice operation.
 Identify the elements of standardized recipes.
 Develop Standardized Recipes and Plate Cards for menu
items.
 Correctly express a recipe yield.
 Recognize the role of the recipe yield in controlling portion
sizes and portion costs.
 Recognize the difference between weights and measures in
relation to recipes, portion costs and purchasing.
 Calculate multipliers to size recipes for a range of sales levels.
 About those recipes
The concept can be stated simply as follows:
 If the management cannot control how much food is
served each time the item is produced, the
management cannot control the cost of producing the
item.
 If management cannot control the portion cost, then

management does not have a sound basis on which to

compute the selling price.
Recipe
Producing something from variety of ingredients.
What is a standardized recipe
 A recipe that has been tested, adjusted, and retested
again and again until it produces a menu item as
management wants the item produced.

 It has to fit the managements’ plan for quality, taste,

portion size, cost, selling price, purchasing, production,
profitability, appearance.
 How to standardize a recipe
1. Work on one recipe at a time.
2. Produce the item exactly as the recipe is written,
without changing or adjusting anything.
3. Analyze the outcome for the following:
 Overall taste (ingredients, seasoning)
 Appearance (color, texture, overall appearance)
 Methods of prep
 Portion size
 Cost per portion for the item as prepared
 Menu fit
4. Adjust the recipe according to the evaluation.
5. Produce the item again and analyze according to the same
criteria.
6. Analyze the item again as in step 3, recording all changes
and modifications.
7. Produce the item again.
8. Analyze and record again. Repeat until satisfied with
results.
The Nuts and Bolts of a Standardized HACCP Recipe

 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

 Developing recipe into a standardized HACCP recipe is a

major investment of time and energy.

 What is important is that the recipe is:

Consistent.
Easy to use.
Developed with easy-to-follow, written instructions.
Comprehensive-it includes all necessary information.
Readily available at all times.
Correct.
 NONSTANDARDIZED RECIPES
 Cause confusion because they leave out essential information.
 Bury time and temperature setting and other important details

of the methods of prep.

 Neglect to specify the size of pots and pans or list other

equipment needed for the quantity of food being prepared.

 Neglect to specify portion size, leaving employees to guess

how much to serve on a plate.

 Use unfamiliar terminology.
 Have a poorly written method of prep that could lead to

inconsistent product.
 Wastes employee’s and management’s time
 Realize that the impact of this mistake radiates to
people and places beyond the kitchen door, through:
Increased labor cost and food cost.
Inconsistent product.
Inaccurate recipe yields.
Inaccurate portion costs.
Server confusion.
Guest dissatisfaction.
Potential health code violations and fines.
 Standardized Recipes and Plate Cards
 Plate cards describe one complete menu item as
management wishes it to be served.
 Operations that prepare items from scratch and

thus use traditional recipes also use plate cards as

a control tool on the line for servers and cooks.
 These cards serve as a plating guide and do not

include any preparation information .

A Standard Recipe Or Plate Card Includes
 The recipe name and file number.
 The recipe yield.
 Equipment.
 Prep time.
 Cook time.
 Hot and cold holding temperatures and times.
 Food safety statement.
 The ingredients, including garnish.
 The quantities of ingredients in both weight and measures.
 The method of prep, using HACCP terminology.
 Cutting instructions.
 Cooling and storage of leftovers.
 Nutritional analysis.
 Alternatives to reduce fat and calories.
 Photos of the item plated.
Elements of a standardized HACCP Recipe
and Plate Card
 Recipe Name and File Number
◦ Recipe file system are organized by menu category
(appetizers, soup, salads, entrées), and recipes are filed
alphabetically or numerically within the group.
◦ Depending on the complexity of the menu selection and
the number of items on the menu, categories can be
further expanded to include subgroups.
◦ Sub recipes: these recipes for products used within a
number of other recipes.
 (Sauces, stocks and thickeners)
 Recipe Yield
 The most important information on the recipe card
is the recipe yield, because it is the control for
portion size and portion cost.
 A recipe yield is the standard number of servings

and the serving size.

 HOW TO EXPRESS A RECIPE YIELD

1. Number of servings
2. Serving size
3. Total quantity the recipe produces
Expressing serving sizes Correctly Using
Active and passive portioning Methods
 Active portioning: measures are so named
because they leave little or no room for error or
employee interpretation as to the correct amount to
serve.
 Active expressions of portion size are as follows:

1. An exact weight
2. An exact measure
3. An exact count
4. Even division or pan cuts
Passive Portioning: methods are ambiguous
description of how much to serve and are to
be avoided at all costs.
Finding the portion size When its is not Given
 Produce the recipe as is and serve the portion
size you think is correct.

Or

 Put your cost-control skills to work!

 Food safety statement.
 This is a statement used to outline basic
sanitation, procedures employee must carry out
before commencing production.
 It should include:

◦ Hand washing instructions

◦ Tool sanitation instructions
◦ Work station set-up and sanitation procedures
◦ Any other information the employee may need for
particular item
 The World of Weights and Measures
 Weights and Volume- those Two Infamous
Units of Measure
◦ Weight: measures density and heaviness.
 The standard unit of measure for weight is
Kilos
◦ Volume: measures space:
 Tablespoons
 Teaspoons
 Liters
Are common units of measure for volume
Plate cards: Another form for a “Recipe”
 Plate cards is used to describe one complete menu item
as management wishes it to be served.
 It breaks down a specific menu into a plate presentation.
 What is included on a plate card?
1. Each item on a plate
2. The portion size of each item on the plate
3. The placement and positioning of the food on
the plate
4. The garnish
5. The service ware
6. A photo
7. The cooking and preparation instruction
8. Any other detail needed
 The Goal is to control exactly
◦ What goes on the plate
◦ How it looks
◦ How it tastes
◦ How its prepared
◦ How much it costs to produce
 Sizing Recipes
 Its necessary to size or convert recipes for a different number of
serving.

◦ Steps to size the recipes

1. Determine the recipe multiplier.
◦ New Recipe Yield/Original Recipe Yield= Recipe Multiplier
15 serving/25 serving = .6 (recipe multiplier)

2. Convert each ingredient’s recipe amount into grams.

3. Multiply each recipe ingredient’s quantity by the multiplier to get the
new recipe amount needed.
4. Convert to a common unit of measure.