Rules for uploading recipes onto CookingBites.com

1. Uploading a Recipe - It is the CookingBites.com site policy that all recipes are to be uploaded into a new thread. There is no exception to this rule and recipes found within other threads are subject to deletion without warning (but generally, first time around, we will create a new thread for you and ask you not to do it again!)


2. Location of a Recipe - Choosing the correct forum to add your recipe is no different to choosing where to create any other thread. Where more than one forum could apply, we recommend you select the forum most appropriate for the main ingredient or your main audience for this dish/drink (vegan or gluten-free for example). Sometimes more than one forum will be applicable and under these circumstances you can only use your best judgement. If you later decide that you have uploaded the recipe to the incorrect forum, just use the report button to let the moderator team know and ask that the recipe be moved to a more suitable thread. Where more than one forum is applicable, it is essential that you use the tags system correctly so that the recipe will be easily found in a search. More information regarding tags can be found here.


3. Recipe Prefix - To set any recipe (recipe, retro recipes or recipes & videos) aside from general discussions within the same sub-forum, CookingBites has the prefixes "Recipe" ("Retro Recipe" or "Recipe & Video") that all recipe threads are required to have. One great advantage of this system is that you can go to a sub-forum, click on any of the prefixes and you will filter out all other discussions, so that you can see just a list of recipes (or retro recipes or recipes & videos). If your recipe thread does not have a prefix, it won't show in the list! More information can be found here.


4. Formatting a Recipe or Retro Recipe - Whilst we have no formal template, and we do have set rules for the formatting of a recipe. We require that you follow the internationally recognised format defined below.


• Recipe Introduction - optional but appreciated
• Photograph of finished dish - optional but always appreciated
• Ingredients - a mandatory list of ingredients with quantities. You can choose to follow imperial or metric measurements, or provide both. We don't mind, but we request that you are consistent. If you want, you can use the old-time English weights and measures for "Retro Recipes".
• Method - mandatory. We ask that this is clear and easy to follow, ideally using numbered or bulleted points. It is essential, to avoid copyright issues, that all methods, as well as the recipe description, are written in your own words. If you have photographs that clarify any step, please add them to that step. Again, due to copyright issues, the photographs must be your own or free of copyright and referenced appropriately. Any recipe description, method or photos not meeting these requirements will either be editted, deleted or removed from public view until edited accordingly.
• Credits - mandatory. CookingBites asks that you respectfully and credit the source of your recipe. If it is inspired by a recipe, please say so and cite that recipe. If it is of your own making, again it is nice if you say so. It saves embarrassment later on, if it is made clear now.
• Comments/Feedback - optional but nice. What did you think of the finished dish? Would you change it if you cooked it again? Did the method actually work? All of it is really useful for anyone cooking the dish.


5. Video Recipes - It is the CookingBites site policy that all recipes with videos are uploaded as a standard written recipe in a new thread. We ask you to remember that not everybody has access to, or likes to follow recipes contained within videos and prefer ingredients and method to be written out. Our policy regarding recipes with videos is no different to that of ordinary recipes/retro reipes and as such it is expected that the same format be followed with the link to the video at the end of the method.


• Recipe Introduction - optional but appreciated
• Photograph of finished dish - optional but always appreciated
• Ingredients - a mandatory list of ingredients (with quantities) even if it is contained within the video. You can choose to follow imperial or metric measurements, or provide both. We don't mind, but we request that you are consistent. If you want, you can use the old-time English weights and measures for "Retro Recipes".
• Method - mandatory even if it is contained within the video. We ask that this is clear and easy to follow, ideally using numbered or bulleted points. If you have photographs that clarify any step, please add them to that step. The same copyright advice for non-video recipes applies to video recipes.
• Credits - mandatory. Here is where life gets fun. Basically the creditation should reflect what is on your own site if you are a foodblogger. If the recipe is truly an original and your's, then your credit link may link directly to your foodblog, but if your blog/site references any other site, then the link on CookingBites should be the same (directly to that third party site).
• Link to Video - obviously mandatory. Currently CookingBites does not host videos, so you'll need to link to a video hosting service such as YouTube.
• Comments/Feedback - optional but nice. What did you think of the finished dish? Would you change it if you cooked it again? Did the method actually work? All of it is really useful for anyone cooking the dish.