I get requested on a regular basis how we develop the recipes that you just see on this web site. So I assumed I’d break it down for you at the moment!
Lots of you recognize that I began Downshiftology eight years in the past after I left the company world. My objective was to share the straightforward, wholesome, gluten-free recipes that I used to be making in my very own kitchen. I had no thought once I began this web site that it will evolve into what it’s at the moment – a profitable enterprise and model with workers, a YouTube channel with hundreds of 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 mother or father’s basement. However one factor stays – guaranteeing the success of my recipes in your kitchen will all the time 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 necessary to introduce you to my Social Media Supervisor, Emily Liao. Emily has been with me since 2019 and we’re joined on the hip operating 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 long run. A couple of standards we take a look at when selecting recipes are:
- Seasonality & Sourcing: are the elements “on a regular basis” objects and is the produce presently in-season? We all the time need to ensure you’ll be capable to discover the elements in your native markets. So we’ll submit 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 deal with being nutrient-dense and wholesome (minus my desserts, after all). Meaning I’ll all the time put my private contact on traditional recipes like hen salad, chili, and even in a single day oats. And whereas it’s laborious to make a one-ingredient recipe like poached eggs or bacon within the oven tremendous authentic, I all the time do my finest to supply probably the most useful suggestions primarily based on my private expertise!
- Problem 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 should you’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 Check Recipes
As soon as we’ve bought 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 necessary to me that the recipes prove first attempt in your kitchens. Particularly as sure elements 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 images my recipes in an out of doors kitchen is yet another take a look at to make sure the recipe is 100% prepared for the web site.
How We Shoot Recipe Movies
Even in spite of everything of those years I nonetheless shoot and edit all of my YouTube movies myself. Imagine me once I say, it’s a ton of labor! And I want I might convey on further assist for it. However I’ve but to seek out outsourced assist who can keep 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, normally whereas I’m concurrently capturing 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 submit them on social media.
Do You Ever Replace Recipes?
Sure, we positive do! I’m continuously reviewing older recipes on the web site to see if we have to: 1) replace the recipe in any respect primarily based on reader suggestions and/or 2) shoot new images to make the recipe look recent. Sustaining the standard of recipes, each outdated and new, is equally necessary. So that you would possibly see traditional 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 probably be! In case you have extra questions, pop them in a remark under.
