Organizational Question: Recipes?!


Question: I have a lot of recipes clipped from papers or books, restaurants from my travels, and family. I wonder if there is a better way to organize them so I will be sure to use them more often. (I think a big part of organizing is personal preference and the way your brain best remembers the recipes, but I am sure there are good tips out there.)

First, I have gone through my books and other recipes a few times and culled out the ones that I don't use or have out-grown.

Second, I am dividing recipes into categories like a cookbook. Q: How do you classify something that can fit into two categories--like salmon pasta, is it seafood or pasta? Or-- Morroccan Beef CousCous, is it meat or ethnic?

Third, I have some recipes that are printed as part of a meal that I like together, but are good as individual dishes, too. Q: Do you organize that in a category for combinations, or the entree, or your favorite dish on the page?


Answers: I have a lot of recipes clipped from papers or books, restaurants from my travels, and family. I wonder if there is a better way to organize them so I will be sure to use them more often. (I think a big part of organizing is personal preference and the way your brain best remembers the recipes, but I am sure there are good tips out there.)

First, I have gone through my books and other recipes a few times and culled out the ones that I don't use or have out-grown.

Second, I am dividing recipes into categories like a cookbook. Q: How do you classify something that can fit into two categories--like salmon pasta, is it seafood or pasta? Or-- Morroccan Beef CousCous, is it meat or ethnic?

Third, I have some recipes that are printed as part of a meal that I like together, but are good as individual dishes, too. Q: Do you organize that in a category for combinations, or the entree, or your favorite dish on the page?

I have a 3 ring binder that I have divided into Appetizers,salads,sides,entree's, etc. Either copy them down, glue or tape on pages. Also I have the plastic sleeves that if I have an article that is all for Christmas cooking or maybe all Easter cooking, I staple it together then slide it into the sleeve and lable for the right holiday.

Good luck, it does take time but when you get it finished it will make it easier. Also while you are going thru old recipes you will probably find that at one time they looked good by may not now, so that will lessen your load.

It's your cookbook. You decide if it is or isn't.

I would be more inclined to divide it up by meat/veg, example: pork, chicken, seafood, beef, vegetable......instead of pasta/ethnic.

i would get a 3-ring binder with color coded tabs. break it up into your usual categories like you'd see in a recipe box. you can add categories like ethnic, seafood/pasta, breakfast etc. that way you won't have double recipes under many categories. since it's your recipes you should remember after a while where you keep what. you have to decide where to put what but like in any recipe as they list the biggest ingredient first that is how i would categorize the recipe... morrocan beef cous cous would go under beef or ethnic, whichever.

3-ring binder with dividers.
if it fits in two categories put a copy in both.
i have a favorites tab sub-divided into types.
i have duplicates so i can find them in different categories.





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