I get requested on a regular basis how we develop the recipes that you simply see on this web site. So I believed I’d break it down for you immediately!
A lot of you understand that I began Downshiftology eight years in the past after I left the company world. My purpose was to share the simple, wholesome, gluten-free recipes that I used to be making in my very own kitchen. I had no thought after I began this web site that it could evolve into what it’s immediately – a profitable enterprise and model with workers, a YouTube channel with thousands and thousands of subscribers, and a bestselling cookbook!
As you may think, issues have modified a bit from these early days as a one-woman present photographing recipes in my guardian’s basement. However one factor stays – making certain the success of my recipes in your kitchen will at all times be my high precedence. So right here’s what goes into that.
How We Select Recipes
Earlier than we dive into the recipes, it’s vital to introduce you to my Social Media Supervisor, Emily Liao. Emily has been with me since 2019 and we’re joined on the hip working the day-to-day of Downshiftology and producing the recipes and movies you see.
Emily and I’ve a gathering each Monday morning to debate our content material calendar, which we plan weeks and months into the longer term. Just a few standards we have a look at when selecting recipes are:
- Seasonality & Sourcing: are the components “on a regular basis” objects and is the produce at the moment in-season? We at all times wish to ensure you’ll be capable of discover the components in your native markets. So we’ll publish asparagus recipes in spring and butternut squash recipes in fall, when produce is in peak-season.
- Originality: will the recipe have our personal distinctive spin? All recipes on the web site are gluten-free and refined sugar-free with a concentrate on being nutrient-dense and wholesome (minus my desserts, after all). Which means I’ll at all times put my private contact on basic recipes like hen salad, chili, and even in a single day oats. And whereas it’s arduous to make a one-ingredient recipe like poached eggs or bacon within the oven tremendous unique, I at all times do my greatest to supply probably the most useful ideas based mostly on my private expertise!
- Issue Stage: are you able to simply reproduce the recipe in your kitchen with primary kitchen tools? I’m a giant proponent of fuss-free cooking. So most of my recipes solely want primary kitchen objects like pots, pans, mixing bowls, baking sheets, casserole dishes, and many others. And if you happen to’d prefer to take it a step additional, there could also be some specialty recipes that require a gradual cooker or air fryer.
How We Take a look at Recipes
As soon as we’ve received a plan for recipes, I personally draft every recipe. Then, I get to work within the kitchen testing them! Most recipes are examined 3 to 4 occasions earlier than posting on the web site.
I’m all about foolproof, no-fail recipes and it’s actually vital to me that the recipes end up first strive in your kitchens. Particularly as sure components like prime rib, turkey, or beef tenderloin could be fairly costly.
Moreover, I now outsource pictures (as of this yr!) and having a meals stylist {and professional} meals photographer who makes and pictures my recipes in an out of doors kitchen is another take a look at to make sure the recipe is 100% prepared for the web site.
How We Shoot Recipe Movies
Even in any case of those years I nonetheless shoot and edit all of my YouTube movies myself. Consider me after I say, it’s a ton of labor! And I want I might deliver on further assist for it. However I’ve but to search out outsourced assist who can preserve my skilled model and save me time.
By way of social media movies like Reels, TikToks and Shorts, Emily shoots these on an iPhone in my kitchen, often whereas I’m concurrently taking pictures the YouTube video. It makes for busy days within the kitchen, however we positively have a rhythm to it now. After which Emily edits these movies earlier than we publish them on social media.
Do You Ever Replace Recipes?
Sure, we positive do! I’m always reviewing older recipes on the web site to see if we have to: 1) replace the recipe in any respect based mostly on reader suggestions and/or 2) shoot new pictures to make the recipe look recent. Sustaining the standard of recipes, each previous and new, is equally vital. So that you may see basic reader-favorite recipes like guacamole or golden milk pop to the entrance of the web site once more if we’ve given them a current replace.
I hope that solutions some questions on how we develop, take a look at, and guarantee recipes on Downshiftology are the perfect they will presumably be! You probably have extra questions, pop them in a remark beneath.
