[Nobody]

...Of the PDF cookbook I'm working on. Useful criticism will be appreciated.

Note: All photos will be replaced before this becomes ready for distribution, but the basic layout and structure will be along these lines, I'm thinking...

In the final setup, there will be step-by-step images for just about everything, plus hyperlinks to other references in each page/chapter/etc.

...and page 2...

toodles.

n.

 

[narlus]

it's a bit too white, the background that is...just my two cents.

 

[Nobody]

it's a bit too white, the background that is...just my two cents.

Well, it's supposed to just print out as needed, and i've been tossing around the idea of a watermark background that won't print with most software.

I'll see what happens when i start re-shooting the pictures.

 

[Toshi]

1. please don't use that font for "Ingredients", "Beef", etc.
2. be consistent with abbreviations. don't use "pounds" then "lbs" later. also, 1.25inch should most definitely be 1.25"
3. the layout looks awfully "square", in a literal sense. try wrapping the text around photos (using non-square-border photos), not having this checkerboard photo-text/text-photo layout up top.
4. don't have full width text at the bottom of the page. hard to read, too wide imo.

 

[Nobody]

1. please don't use that font for "Ingredients", "Beef", etc.
2. be consistent with abbreviations. don't use "pounds" then "lbs" later. also, 1.25inch should most definitely be 1.25"
3. the layout looks awfully "square", in a literal sense. try wrapping the text around photos (using non-square-border photos), not having this checkerboard photo-text/text-photo layout up top.
4. don't have full width text at the bottom of the page. hard to read, too wide imo.

#1 - Agreed. Changed. Will fiddle with that for a while. Now using 125% wide-scaled Arial.

#2 - Also agreed. Changed.

#3 - will depend on what the next set of photos looks like and how many i'll be using, but I also prefer a more organic approach.

#4 - Prolly right on the money with that, so I changed things around. I'll pose updates after lunch.

 

[Nobody]

And yeah, i'll be doing a lot of little 'fitting' edits before it's over...

pg.1:

pg.2:

 

[OGRipper]

This is really cool, I like the down-to-earth approach. Looks like a good balance between explaining absolutely everything for novices, and not making more experienced cooks feel like they are reading a beginner's book.

Rchly marbled? (Got a typo there, might run a spell check.)

Strange use of caps. Why capitalize "Large Saute Pan" and "Olive Oil" (for just two examples)?

In the list of equipment, you use periods for some, not others - better to be consistent one way or the other.

"In about 5 minutes, the center will likely be about....?"

 

[valve bouncer]

Th pic of the meal from a 180 top view is wrong, that's not how we view food. From a proper viewing angle will make it look more appetising.
Later you show the raw steaks from a better angle, that works better I reckon.

 

[narlus]

nice, the first edit is looking loads better, even though there were just small tweaks done here and there.

 

[OGRipper]

A couple thoughts on the recipe:

I usually take meat out of the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking so it's not so cold when it hits the pan.

I think you need to work on the part about how the meat will keep cooking once off the heat. I understand what you mean but a novice might not. How about:

Remember that the temperature of the meat will rise after you take it out of the oven - usually another 5 or 10 degrees for relatively thin cuts like these. If you want it medium-rare, you want an internal temperature of about 145F at the most, so take it out of the oven at around 135 or 140F, then cover and let rest. After a few minutes the temp will be where you want it.

(Or something like that. You might also discuss how letting it rest helps redistribute the juices if you agree.)

 

[SkaredShtles]

A couple thoughts on the recipe:

I usually take meat out of the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking so it's not so cold when it hits the pan.

Althought often it'll be out for alot more than 10 minutes.

 

[Toshi]

i agree with narlus that it's looking much better, but still have the following comments:

1. agreed with VB on the picture angle point. also, if shooting a round plate, make the text wrap around it as a round object!

2. kerning still bugs me. i tend to favor a larger font with closer spacing, whereas you have gone for the opposite approach. example of what i like in terms of text/spacing:

3. alignment also bugs me. like Ingredients on the first page looks like it should be a few pixels to the left, just because of how the I is as opposed to the numbers and such.

4. use superscript 1, 2, 3, or i, ii, iii (or a, b, c) instead of the *, **, ***

5. try to minimize whitespace. use color (in the background maybe? text boxes?) or line instead.

6. i'm also in agreement with OGRipper on the use of caps. initial caps is all you need for most sentences and fragments...

see attached for a sample (from apple's Pages.app built in templates) for how color might be used.

 

[Toshi]

ok, the attachment didn't work. take 2

 

[Nobody]

This is really cool, I like the down-to-earth approach. Looks like a good balance between explaining absolutely everything for novices, and not making more experienced cooks feel like they are reading a beginner's book.

Rchly marbled? (Got a typo there, might run a spell check.)

Strange use of caps. Why capitalize "Large Saute Pan" and "Olive Oil" (for just two examples)?

In the list of equipment, you use periods for some, not others - better to be consistent one way or the other.

"In about 5 minutes, the center will likely be about....?"

Got most of that. Will work on 'logicalizing' the caps for the Equipment list, etc.

 

[Nobody]

Th pic of the meal from a 180 top view is wrong, that's not how we view food. From a proper viewing angle will make it look more appetising.
Later you show the raw steaks from a better angle, that works better I reckon.

Oh i know the pics are at the low end of the 'good to krap' spectrum - just FYI - these were shot with a mini-cam or a digital phone while I was plating up to serve people i was catering for, so there's no setup on most of them.

ALL of them will be re-shot to show a 'normal eye view.'

Thanks for your input, tho.

 

[Nobody]

A couple thoughts on the recipe:

I usually take meat out of the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking so it's not so cold when it hits the pan.

I think you need to work on the part about how the meat will keep cooking once off the heat. I understand what you mean but a novice might not. How about:

Remember that the temperature of the meat will rise after you take it out of the oven - usually another 5 or 10 degrees for relatively thin cuts like these. If you want it medium-rare, you want an internal temperature of about 145F at the most, so take it out of the oven at around 135 or 140F, then cover and let rest. After a few minutes the temp will be where you want it.

(Or something like that. You might also discuss how letting it rest helps redistribute the juices if you agree.)

Thanks, for that. The 'third page' that's not even scribbled in yet will have pull-quotes or such for each point to help the novices understand the WHY CHIT HAPPENS etc.

I will also add a 'Let the meat rest to allow the juices to re-center into the meat. Cutting too soon will allow these 'super-heated juices' to run out, leaving the steak drier and tougher than you want...etc.

 

[Nobody]

i agree with narlus that it's looking much better, but still have the following comments:

1. agreed with VB on the picture angle point. also, if shooting a round plate, make the text wrap around it as a round object!

2. kerning still bugs me. i tend to favor a larger font with closer spacing, whereas you have gone for the opposite approach. example of what i like in terms of text/spacing:

3. alignment also bugs me. like Ingredients on the first page looks like it should be a few pixels to the left, just because of how the I is as opposed to the numbers and such.

4. use superscript 1, 2, 3, or i, ii, iii (or a, b, c) instead of the *, **, ***

5. try to minimize whitespace. use color (in the background maybe? text boxes?) or line instead.

6. i'm also in agreement with OGRipper on the use of caps. initial caps is all you need for most sentences and fragments...

see attached for a sample (from apple's Pages.app built in templates) for how color might be used.

Thanks, as always, Toshi, for your input.

#1 - we have consensus. see my previous reply vis-a-vis shooting new pics.

#2 and #3 - those concepts will likely be addressed in the final drafts, since I don't quite have all the text figured out and i don't want to do a lot of duplicate work on such specific items if i can avoid it.

#4 - done. The original recipe was written in HTML so it's only been just today that i've been doodling with superscript text.

#5 - okay, there may be problems with the whitespace - this is going to be purely a PDF distributed book and people will have to print it out when they get around to wanting to cook something.

I know that I could create 'Printer Friendly' pages for each item, and then make the 'deluxe' pages more like what a Macintosh User [me] would expect from a Mac User [also me]. I still haven't decided how i'm going to accomplish that yet.

#6 - See above.

 

[Nobody]

I took into account most of what you-all pointed out and this is where it's sitting for now.

Page One:

Page Two:

Second Draft may take into account Toshi's ideas about background colors...

My Thanks to you all...

 

[Toshi]

i like this one a lot better! current nitpicks: careful with the text wrapping! that whole "Heat Skillet" (which should be "Heat skillet" ) line should be at the top of the following column imo. seeing a line begin with "-gin" is confusing. also, the large, background 1, 2, 3 numbers could stand to be a whole lot lighter as well.

 

[Nobody]

i like this one a lot better! current nitpicks: careful with the text wrapping! that whole "Heat Skillet" (which should be "Heat skillet" ) line should be at the top of the following column imo. seeing a line begin with "-gin" is confusing. also, the large, background 1, 2, 3 numbers could stand to be a whole lot lighter as well.

yeah, i'm hacking away at the text layout. I admit, it's usually the last thing i fiddle with, once i get the basics dialed in.

Text wrapping WILL be finalized to maximize simplicity and readability - I'm trying to keep enough room to move things here and there in the long run.

The background numbers will be lightened up as much as possible once i get a few Windows/Mac computers to print out samples.

Someone suggested that i set them to yellow as they'd be lighter in color and print out in a nice light greyscale on a laser, but the look was, shall we say it? Bilious.

Thanks much, y'all.

 

[Nobody]

Although I admit, I have a long way to go before I get these to where we're all happy to see 'em...

Again, Thanks for the Input.

 

[Toshi]

use a tripod. don't use on-camera flash. lower angle. less depth of field (but don't go wild).

 

[SuperBad]

Looks good, but from a cook's standpoint wouldn't it make a better sauce to use the pan that you cooked the steaks in?

 

[Nobody]

Looks good, but from a cook's standpoint wouldn't it make a better sauce to use the pan that you cooked the steaks in?

Sometimes things don't work out the way people plan... But take a look at the options...

You'd best look at the problems of one thing vs. another - take the steaks out of Pan A to use for 'de-glazing' and put them in Pan B - which would have to be hot and oven-safe.

Also, some of the dry ingredients that seared off of the steaks are too powerful for the sauce, and might lead to over-salting or whatever...

Try one way or the other, whatever works. I'm just trying to reduce the variables that can make the novice have a really bad day in the kitchen...

 

[SuperBad]

I make a dish similar to this, in fact I made it last friday and it was awesome, of course. I serve it with belgian fries. I cook the steaks in a single pan, sear on stove top, then finish in a 500 degree oven. When I pull the steaks out of the pan to rest, I toss in a tablespoon of unsalted butter, a tablespoon-ish of diced shallots, and cook for about a 30 seconds. I then add about a half cup of Merlot and the mushrooms. Cook for about one to two minutes until reduced. I plate the steaks, and top with the mushroom sauce. I try to have this finishing as the last batch of fries are finishing up. It comes out very good. As it stands your recipe looks great and I hope the cookbook thing works out.

*edit* I also only season the meat with Salt/Pepper