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: a “best of” recipe
• A-: excellent; may need a few tweaks
• B+: very good; may need some work but will definitely make again
• B: good; has definite potential
• B-: okay; not unpleasant, but not exactly tasty
• C: mediocre; very dull or odd tasting
• F: bad

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 (no stars) Bad.  A few bites and it’s going in the trash.
• 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 (*) Mediocre.  Very dull or odd tasting. I will usually eat the dish when I make it but will toss the leftovers.  I will probably never make these recipes again.
• B- (**) Okay/Acceptable.  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.  These are sometimes solid recipes that are just not to my taste, and sometimes interesting recipes that have some serious problems.  I probably won’t make these recipes again, but I may use them for inspiration.
• B (***) Good. I’ll enjoy these foods and I won’t mind eating the leftovers.   These may be solid recipes that just aren’t that exciting, an interesting idea that’s not quite a recipe yet, or a recipe with definite potential, but that needs work.  I will probably make these recipes again.
• B+ (****) Very tasty.   We will eat the leftovers happily.  These may be tasty recipes that I’ve made many times, but don’t quite love, or they may be new recipes that I’ve tried only once or twice.  But I will make these recipes again.
• A- (****1/2) Excellent. These are recipes I have made many times and always love, but the recipe may still need some tweaking. We will fight for the leftovers.  Sometimes these are solid recipes that are very tasty but not special enough to be an A, and sometimes they’re recipes that I love but others don’t.
• A (*****) “Best of”. These are well-polished recipes that I make over and over again. Everyone loves these recipes. They have to be not only delicious, with clear instructions, but have a little something extra that makes them unusual.