What’s in a name? Well, when you’re looking through hundreds of recipes, everything! A few of you have reached out to me in frustration because you’ve been submitting recipes and it seems like they’re being passed over. First, I get it: In today’s rapid-response world, the lack of an immediate answer can make it feel like we’re talking to a wall!

Right off the bat, I should clarify that the recipes I call for in this newsletter are typically meant for the following year. This being the January 2017 newsletter, my requests are for the December 2017 and February/March 2018 issues. James and Peggy will start reviewing submissions in March, and they’ll select the recipes to be tested in May or June. Final selection happens sometime in July, provided our Editors don’t change their minds about the feature, which does happen from time to time.

As Peggy and James review submissions, the first things they notice are the recipe names. To give you an example, I looked at a contest callout from several years ago. (None of these belong to any of you!)

As you read through the list, you’ll see many ordinary names: Savory Sausage Bites (there are eight different recipes for sausage bites on the website), Easy Quesadillas (we have 89 quesadilla recipes) and Stuffed Mushrooms (49 of these have been published). The Food Editors may well scroll past these names—not because the recipes aren’t wonderful, but because their eyes (and stomachs) will be drawn to those Crab Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.

When choosing a name, think about what makes your recipe unique—and be descriptive! Instead of Vegetable Soup, yours is Root Vegetable Soup with Beans. Rather than Slow-Cooked BBQ Beef, yours might be Smoky Maple Beef on Ciabatta. See what I mean? Go for a name that says, “Hey! Stop and look at me!” If you’re having trouble coming up with something, shoot me a message and we’ll brainstorm it together. I don’t know about you, but my best ideas come from talking it out with someone else. (Well, except for my husband. He really doesn’t care what we call a recipe as long as he gets to eat it before it’s cold.)

Who else is trying to eat healthier now that we’ve stuffed ourselves silly for 6 weeks? We’re looking for lightened-up comfort food recipes—ideas for indulging without feeling deprived. I’m one of those gals that can’t just sub apple sticks for french fries. If it’s what my brain wants, nothing that doesn’t taste like a fry will do. I love mashed cauliflower, but you won’t trick me into thinking it’s potatoes. So put your thinking cap on and give me your best healthy version of something you love.

On that note….

Happy cooking, my friends!

Sue Stetzel

sue.stetzel@tmbi.com