Note taking system

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas or recommended approaches to making notes on techniques and so forth.

I feel like there is so much information out there and I have tried things like evernote but never found a seamless approach to logging the info.

I was thinking by category is good...poultey, chocolate, pastry etc. but just wondering what you guys do and also what the Chef Steps team does to log all their recipe notes and adjustments, trials and so forth.

Thanks!

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tshewman

I find it hard to do on technology as my hands are usually a bit dirty. So for me, a keypad doesn't work well. I end up with hand written notes that get transferred to a single recipe later on with any notes related to the technique. From a measurement stand point, sometimes I end up not knowing how much I need to add to something to get the texture or taste I want. So, when possible, I weigh an amount in excess of whet I think I will need and then weight the remainder when done so I know how much went into the recipe itself. This is a topic near and dear to many of us on CS. We're given the tools to think development here and it would be great to keep in contact with those who have similar goals.

JasonWirth_68226

This is a very good question. Most home cooks probably don't make as many notes as they should.

@Todd_Shewman_38102 have you tried voice to text? I've been using a lot on my cell phone. It's much easier to enter in Long bits of text and then typing on the keyboard. It's not perfect, but the technology has really come a long way.

tshewman

That's a great idea Jason. Something I rarely use for anything really. Not that I shouldn't, but I just forget it's there. I'd have to adjust the settings so that it doesn't go to sleep as quickly as now that's for sure. Otherwise, i'll be waking the phone (or ipad or PC) with my nose and I suspect the swipe isn't likely to leave an attractive trail.

wolfiegirl

I've been keeping notes in a binder for several years. It's old school...pen & paper notes or copies of recipes I've typed out and printed. I like it for the very simple reason it's right there in front of me and with the swipe of a pen I can make any changes, additions, whatever is needed while it's fresh in my mind. Some pages become so scribbled on with crossed out stuff and arrows directing a new process on what little space might be available left on that piece of paper. Solution: yank out the page and retype with all the changes & updates.

There are several categories: Sous Vide (of course!), Mains (I really need to streamline that one!), Charcuterie, Drinks, Sweets, Breads & Pasta, and finally Soups, Sauces & Stocks. It has the look of it being a jumbled mess but it's really not. I know exactly where everything is and for the frequent 'go to', I use strands of ribbon as a 'bookmark'. It ain't pretty but I'd be lost without it! YEARS of recipes with notes of what worked or didn't work....a living, constantly changing tome.

Here's the page of notes I kept as I tried to narrow down the perfect sous vide coddled egg...

It might not be high tech, but it works!

barrybibby

Good feedback here guys, thanks. I think I may need to go old school like @byrdie and then begin to transcribe as I go along.

wolfiegirl

I'd like to hear how it goes for you! Like I said, it's not high tech but it works very nicely. Your journey in keeping your recipes, jotting notes, changing this and that, will become your diary of what works and what doesn't work. Irreplaceable and a very valuable tool.