The title of a recipe gives the first impression of the dish and the author. Recipe titles are printed in special, large type, memorable as the official label. The title can be simply a word, “Oatmeal,” a more elaborate phrase, “Bountiful Blueberry Pie with Spiced Whipped Cream,” or almost a paragraph, a format more typical of earlier recipe titles. One from 1608: “To Make a Walnut, That When you Cracke It, You Shall Find Biskets, and Carrawayes in It, Or a Prettie Posey Written.”
Recipe titles vary in the way the dish is described. Recipes like “Chocolate Ice Cream” get straight to the point, highlighting the main components of the dish. Others include the cooking method, such as “Stir-fried rice.” Some refer to locations, which lend themselves to authenticity, or conjure up thoughts of an exotic locale. Some recipes go as far as promoting that they’re the “Best Ever Buttermilk Pancakes,” and on the opposite side of the spectrum, recipe titles can be self-deprecating: “Ugly but Good Hazelnut Cookies.”
Some titles credit the creator (“Bubba’s Gumbo”) as a way to remember the person. It also adds credibility to the dish if the person is known for his or her culinary skills. The personality of the author may be indicated, such as humor (“Hokey Pokey”) and creativity (“Meatzza”).
A good, unique title can make the recipe stand out among the rest and be selected and ultimately cooked or baked from. Whether the recipe intrigues, puzzles or amuses, the title makes the prospective recipe reader want to know more. Titles may be a play on words: For instance, “Meatzza” – what is it? (A meat-based pizza dish sans the crust.)
Thus, a recipe title is a signpost of information of both the dish and the author. The best ones are distinctive and memorable and keep in mind the recipe’s promise to readers.
[A version of this story ran on page 12 on 7/17/2014 under the headline "Recipe titles: Does a recipe by any other name taste as good?"]
