frequently asked questions

Do I have to have made the recipe to review it? If not, why not?

No. Simply, we don't require that people prepare a recipe before reviewing it because it would be impossible to enforce (we could send a private investigator to your house to find out for sure, but we don't like to do that ). If we rejected reviews where the reviewer stated that they had not prepared it, folks would just stop mentioning this fact.

Often you will find a recipe that you have made before, and will want to review the recipe even if it is not the exact one you used before. Usually these comments offer valuable suggestions or possible substitutions. That information is valuable, we wouldn't want to eliminate it just because the person didn't prepare this exact recipe.

We think it is great when folks mention whether they made this recipe or not, and anyone reading the review will use that information to decide how they treat the comments in the review. Above all, honesty is the most important quality we seek in reviews.

What does <this abbreviation> mean?

Here's a list of common abbreviations used on the forums:

BBL = be back later
BF = boyfriend
BH = better half
BIL = brother-in-law
BRB = be right back
BTW = by the way
CC = Community Cafe (the Forum of the same name on Recipezaar)
DD = dear daughter
DH = dear husband
DIL = daughter-in-law
DS = dear son
DSD = dear step-daughter
DSS = dear step-son
DW = dear wife
EE = Everything Else (an old Forum of that name on Recipezaar)
FIL = father in law
FWIW = for what it's worth
GF = girlfriend
HTH = hope this helps
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
IMHO = in my humble opinion
IMNSHO = in my not so humble opinion
IMO = in my opinion
ISO = in search of
JMO = just my opinion
LMAO = laugh my a** off
LMBO = laugh my butt off
LOL = laugh out loud
MERP = Made, Eaten, Reviewed, and Photographed (referring to a recipe)
MIL = mother in law
OAMC = once a month cooking (cooking lots of servings at one time in bulk then freezing for easy meals later)
OMG = oh my gosh
PAC = Pick a Chef (community forum event)
RAK = random acts of kindness
ROFL = rolling on floor laughing
SA = smart aleck
SAHM = stay at home mom
SIL = sister-in-law or son-in-law
SNERT = snot-nosed egotistical rude teenager
SO = Significant Other (boyfriend/girlfriend)
TIA = thanks in advance
TY = thank you
YW = you're welcome

The following sites can be helpful too: http://www.netlingo.com and http://www.acronymfinder.com

If there's any you would like to add or yours is not listed here, please ask.

Someone gave me a low rating on a recipe my family and I love. What can I do about that?

Well, everyone has different taste buds, so even though you and your friends & family may love a recipe, not everyone will feel the same. Sometimes it just boils down to a difference of taste. Take pride in the fact that your friends & family think its a winner and please don't take another person's opinion of your recipe as a personal insult. They are rating their experience with your recipe, not you personally.

Also remember that not every cook who tries your recipe will be at the same level of cooking experience, and therefore their results may vary greatly from yours. Have you checked over your recipe for any errors? Can you perhaps clarify any instructions that the reviewer may have had trouble with? You may submit a correction to a recipe at any time using the link on the recipe page. Even if there are no errors, the person who tried your recipe may have done something differently that affected the outcome - you may even have an idea what they did wrong based on their comments. Take heart in the fact that other more experienced cooks will also know this from reading the review and chances are, will still try your recipe despite the lower rating.

How do I update my name/e-mail address/password with Recipezaar?

You can update your information with us from your My Account Stuff page. You will be asked to sign in with your old data for security reasons.

Can you help me find this certain recipe I'm looking for?

We can't, but the millions of people who use Recipezaar probably can. Just post what you are looking for in our Recipe Request Forum.

What do the "chef titles" mean under the names in Forums?

They are simply cute names indicating how long you have been posting in the Forums. They are based solely on the number of posts you've made and go in this order:

Newbie Fry Cook
Regular Line Cook
Semi Experienced Sous Chef
Experienced Head Chef
Recipezaar Groupie

You move up the ladder by posting on the boards in "Talk". The more you post, the faster you move up!

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Zaar and have a wonderful time!! Happy Posting!

Formatting Guidelines for Submitting Recipes

We understand just about every measurement and ingredient, but there are some things that will cause your recipe to be rejected:

1. Measurements and amounts must preceed the ingredient.
   

   "1 cup sugar" NOT "sugar, 1 cup"



2. Differently-sized packages are sold around the world, so all packages, cans, boxes, containers, etc. MUST include the weight or volume size of the package.
   

   "1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes" NOT "1 small can tomatoes" or "1 can tomatoes"



3. For the same reason, "cans" may not be used as measuring tools.
   

   NOT "1 can water"



4. Any included "mix" must include all items necessary to make it
   

   NOT "1 cake mix, prepared according to package"



5. Only whole, decimal or fractional weight or volume measurements can be accepted (see accepted measurements)
   

   NOT "1 handful basil" or "1 heaping cup flour" or "2 servings pasta" or "1 part oil, 1 part vinegar"



6. Other recipes cannot be included as ingredients, unless they can be purchased at the store.
   

   "1 prepared pie crust (I recommend )" NOT "1 recipe of My Eggs Benedict"

Can I reprint one of the Recipezaar recipes in a cookbook/brochure/website I am publishing?

All the content on Recipezaar is protected by copyright, so you need permission, but Recipezaar generally grants free reprint permission to anyone, especially non-profit projects, as long as you follow a couple of guidelines established by our lawyers. Contact us with your proposal, and we'll get back to you with the guidelines and a release to use the recipes.

However, if the recipe is one that you posted on Recipezaar, you do not need permission.

How do I correct typos or errors in a recipe?

We all make mistakes sometimes. We appreciate everyone's help in improving the recipes here. If the recipe has been published, click the "Submit a Correction" link at the bottom of the recipe instructions. You don't have to be the chef that posted the recipe in order to suggest a change or add information. Your change won't take place immediately, but we will review and update the recipe as soon as possible.

Help, I forgot my password!

Forgetting things happens to the best of us. Don't worry, we can send it to you.

Think you might have registered under a different e-mail address, but are not sure? Contact us with the e-mail addresses you might be registered under and we will sort it out.