Rating Recipes
One thing that is unusual about my food blog is that I try to rate all the recipes I try. My rating system:
- A: perfect, a “best of” recipe
- A-: excellent, a well-polished recipe
- B+: very good, needs tweaking
- B: good, but needs work
- B-: acceptable, not unpleasant
- C: mediocre, very boring or odd
- D: bad, will toss the leftovers
- F: inedible
I don’t believe in grade inflation, so a grade of B+ for example, is quite good! Here is the longer explanation for those of you who are interested. I tried to base my ratings on how I feel about the leftovers. Of course, occasionally a recipe is great fresh but just doesn’t work as leftovers, but in any case it gives you the basic idea.
- F (*) Inedible. A few bites and it’s going in the trash. These recipes are irredeemable. I will never attempt to fix this recipe. (I probably won’t bother posting many of these, because what’s the point?)
- D (*1/2 or **) Bad. This recipe just tastes terrible, or does not work at all. I will try the dish when I make it but will toss the leftovers. I will never try this recipe again, but I may use this recipe for inspiration, if there was something particularly intriguing about it.
- C (**1/2) Mediocre. Not unpleasant, although they may be boring or have something that’s a bit “off”. I will often eat the leftovers because they’re there and I don’t want to waste them, but I may have to force myself. I will probably never make these recipes again.
- B- (***) Okay/Acceptable. I won’t really look forward to eating the leftovers but won’t really mind it. They’re going to need a lot of work to turn them into a really good dish. I may not make these recipes again.
- B (*** 1/2) Good. I’ll enjoy these foods, both the first time around and as leftovers, but they’re not quite ready to be given out to friends. They have potential, but they may be a little too simple, or need some non-trivial adjustments. But I will make these recipes again.
- B+ (****) Very tasty. We will fight for the leftovers. These are typically standbys that I make over and over, but the recipes are imprecise or need tweaking. Alternatively, these may be excellent recipes that I’ve only tried once, or recipes that I have trouble making consistently: sometimes they’re great and other times only okay.
- A- (****1/2) Excellent. These are recipes I have made many times and always love. Although I will give an A- recipe out to friends, and the ingredients and technique are nailed down, the instructions still require some refinement. Sometimes these are solid recipes that are tasty but will never make it to super stardom.
- A (*****) Perfect. These are well-polished and perfected recipes, that I make over and over again. Everyone loves these recipes. They have to be not only delicious, with perfect instructions, but have a little something extra that makes them unusual.
