Recipe Trial and Rating Log

Who this is for

A record of every new recipe tried. Each one gets a line for where it came from, how long it really took, what the household thought, what you changed and whether it earns a place in the regular rotation.

Home cooks trying new recipes who want a reliable repertoire, and households fed up with forgetting which cookbook that good curry came from.

What this helps you track

• Where each recipe came from, down to the book and page
• How long it took in practice, not what the recipe claimed
• The household's rating and the changes that improved it
• Which recipes to make again and which join the rotation
• A short list of this year's keepers

How to use it

1. Write your name and the year at the top.
2. After cooking a new recipe, fill in the date, the recipe, its source and the time it actually took.
3. Ask the household for a rating on whatever scale you use and note any changes you made or would make.
4. Mark whether to make it again and tick if it has joined your regular meals.
5. Copy the ones worth keeping into the keepers table; page two carries on the log.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

What rating scale should I use?

Any scale that suits the household: marks out of five or ten, thumbs up or down, or a score from each person. Use the same one all year so the ratings can be compared.

Why record the time it took?

Recipe timings are often optimistic. Knowing how long a dish really took you decides whether it belongs on a weeknight or a weekend, and helps plan a menu that works.

What goes in the source column?

Enough to find the recipe again: the book and page number, the website and recipe name, or the person who gave it to you.

What is the rotation?

Your regular set of meals, the ones you cook often and plan menus around. Ticking the column marks the recipes that have made it that far.