Has spring decided to stay put? This business of 70 degrees one day and 10 the next can just stop. I think we should all chip in and send Mother Nature some chocolate and wine and maybe a big bowl of pasta. These things certainly make me happy; I wonder if they’d work for her, too.

Before moving on, we need to revisit the topic of original recipes. I’ve had a couple recipes come my way recently that were either direct copies from another site/magazine or so close that there was no way to consider your version original. I can’t stress enough that if this becomes a pattern, it can mean removal from the program. I hope you know I’m willing to work with you where I can, but when it comes to plagiarism, my hands are tied. If you’re unsure about a recipe you want to submit, ask me to peek at it first. I’m happy to take a look and give you a thumbs-up or -down. Simply increasing or decreasing an ingredient, especially one like pepper or salt, isn’t enough of a change. If you’d like a refresher, you can find it in the November 2015 newsletter.

Next up: recipe reviews. We covered this back in October 2015 and again in February 2016, but I’ve been asked by a few of you to elaborate, so here we go!

When writing a review, ask yourself these questions:

Is it positive? Even if you didn’t care for the recipe, think about how to phrase your opinion in a positive way. Try “This recipe worked well, it just isn’t suited to our tastes” or “Even though this recipe worked, we didn’t care for [blah blah]”. If the recipe didn’t work at all, send me a link and a note. I’d like to take a look at it and hear your feedback.

Is it helpful? Readers want specifics! Did you like the dish? Did you change something to make it healthier? Did you freeze it for later? Did you successfully shrink the recipe to make fewer servings or double it to feed a crowd? Do you have a tip to make the prep easier? Sharing details like these can be super helpful to a new cook. Think about what you’d like to have known before diving into the recipe, and write that in your review.

Is it necessary? Many times we make adjustments or include back story to explain why we chose a specific recipe or what it reminded us of—but at the end of the day, the reader considering the recipe may not need that much information. Keep in mind that these are short, sweet recipe reviews, not blog or Facebook posts. (There’s a real difference!) Also, I’ve run across a couple reviews that say things like, “This recipe is okay, but my version is much better.” Let’s not do that; instead, let’s build each other up and celebrate each other’s successes. Positive reinforcement is the name of the game.

As always, feel free to reach out and chat with me about anything that’s on your mind. Well…almost anything. *Wink!*

Happy cooking, my friends!

Sue Stetzel

sue.stetzel@tmbi.com