Recipe Contrast...

There seem to be nearly as many templates for recipes as there are recipes. Well, obviously not that many...but you get the point. A wide variety of layouts exist, each one presenting (often, but not always) similar information in a slightly different way. For example, take a look at these two recipes for the same dish: potato pancakes.

The first:

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Finely grate potatoes with onion into a large bowl. Drain off any excess liquid.
2. Mix in egg, salt, and black pepper. Add enough flour to make mixture thick, about 2 to 4 tablespoons all together.
3. Turn oven to low, about 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
4. Heat 1/4 inch oil in the bottom of a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Drop two or three 1/4 cup mounds into hot oil, and flatten to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer to paper towel lined plates to drain, and keep warm in low oven until serving time. Repeat until all potato mixture is used.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-Pancakes-I/Detail.aspx

And the second:

6 lg. potatoes, grated
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. flour

Stir ingredients well. Have the grease in the pan well heated before pouring the dough in the form of a pancake. Fry until edges begin to get crisp. Fry both sides.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1850,159167-254203,00.html

Ignore the obvious differences in ingredients and focus on the presentation and language. Personally, I would much prefer the first, since I have relatively little experience in the kitchen. The preparation directions are divided into enumerated steps, each with clear instructions. In fact, I would've liked even more detail. But when compared to the second recipe, it's certainly more explicit. The second seems to assume prior knowledge on the part of the cook. It just uses simple sentences (no numbers), each sentence with a different command. It doesn't even give temperatures for the cooking, instead presuming that I'll know how to "fry." No mention is made of the "grease" (I'm guessing this is synonymous with the oil?) in the ingredients list. Nor are there specific details as to exactly how to prepare everything prior to the actual frying.

These are merely two examples from a myriad of possibilities. Some recipe formats have a conversational tone. Others read like stereo instructions. Some detail the specific tools you need, an addition especially suited for the novice. Others are written for professional chefs who don't need such superfluous detail. One of my mother's old cookbooks didn't even have ingredient lists per se. It just bold-faced each ingredient as it was used in the process. I wonder which is "optimal" from a learning acquisition point of view. As with most things, I think it'll depend upon the reader's specific preferences, learning style, and cognitive framework, not to mention his or her expertise in the kitchen.