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I get requested on a regular basis how we develop the recipes that you just see on this web site. And the brief reply is that we have now a number of high quality requirements that recipes should meet. So I assumed I’d break it down for you at present!

A lot of you already know 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 concept once I began this web site that it might evolve into what it’s at present – 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 mum or dad’s basement. However one factor stays – making certain 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 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 take a look at when selecting recipes are:
- Seasonality & Sourcing: are the components “on a regular basis” gadgets and is the produce at present in-season? We all the time need to be sure you’ll have the ability to discover the components in your native markets. So we’ll put up 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, in fact). Which means 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 onerous to make a one-ingredient recipe like poached eggs or bacon within the oven tremendous authentic, I all the time do my greatest to offer essentially the most useful ideas based mostly on my private expertise!
- Issue Stage: are you able to simply reproduce the recipe in your kitchen with fundamental kitchen gear? I’m an enormous proponent of fuss-free cooking. So most of my recipes solely want fundamental kitchen gadgets like pots, pans, mixing bowls, baking sheets, casserole dishes, and so on. And if you happen to’d prefer to take it a step additional, there could also be some specialty recipes that require a sluggish cooker or air fryer.

How We Check Recipes
As soon as we’ve acquired 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 instances 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 end up first attempt 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 images my recipes in an out of doors kitchen is yet one more 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 may carry on further assist for it. However I’ve but to search out outsourced assist who can keep my skilled type 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 undoubtedly have a rhythm to it now. After which Emily edits these movies earlier than we put up them on social media.
Do You Ever Replace Recipes?
Sure, we positive do! I’m consistently 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 photographs to make the recipe look recent. Sustaining the standard of recipes, each previous and new, is equally necessary. So that you may 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 very best they will probably be! When you have extra questions, pop them in a remark beneath.
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