Top FAQs
Forgetting things happens to the best of us. Don't worry, you can reset your password.
You will need to have access to the e-mail address you registered with. Think you might have registered under a different e-mail address, but aren't sure? Contact us with the e-mail addresses you might be registered under or your username and we will help sort it out.
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You can update your information with us on your Account Settings page. Choose the appropriate tab on the left part of the main settings page. Make your updates and don't forget to click "Save Changes"!
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No, we don't require that people prepare a recipe before reviewing it — this would be impossible to enforce. You may find a recipe that you've made before and want to review it here. 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.
Also, if you haven't made a recipe but just have a helpful suggestion, do not add a starred rating — just add comments. Usually these comments offer valuable suggestions or possible substitutions that we don't want other members to miss.
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To calculate the nutrition facts on recipes, Food.com uses the USDA nutritional information database, which classifies thousands of foods and gives their nutritional analysis.
Nutritional totals are figured on a per-serving basis, including all foods in the ingredients list. We simply total the nutritional information for all foods in the ingredients of a recipe, and then divide by the number of servings it makes to arrive at the per-serving nutritional information. Please pay attention to what the serving size is that the Nutritional Facts are calculated on. If the person who posted the recipe does not provide servings information, the Nutritional Facts will be calculated for the whole recipe.
Ingredient sizing can vary. Some recipes specify an ingredient size as simple "1 can," "1 package," etc. Obviously, the size of the can or package you use may differ from the size the recipe author used. We encourage recipe authors to explicitly specify the exact size, but not all have. In these cases, Food.com assumes a standard size for the ingredient (10 3/4 ounces for a can of soup, for example) and uses this size to compute nutritional data.
Optional ingredients or ingredients without discrete measurements are not included in the nutritional information. When an ingredient in a recipe does not have an explicit measurement, we cannot calculate nutritional data for it. We don't know if "salt, to taste" or "sour cream, to taste" means a teaspoon, a tablespoon or a cup to you. Therefore, we omit these ingredients from the nutritional computation. Likewise, if the ingredient is marked "optional," it is not included in the nutritional information.
Specialty ingredients or branded products may not be recognized. The USDA nutrition information may not be updated with details on a specific packaged product or a specialty or diet ingredient.
Our nutritional information is approximate (just like everyone else's). The USDA database is not complete and serving size information for many recipes is unknown, which leads to incomplete nutritional data. If you notice that a recipe isn't formatted correctly and that is affecting the nutrition analysis, we encourage you to submit corrections or add information to the recipe. You can do this by clicking the "Submit a correction" link at the bottom of the steps on any recipe.
Always consult a registered dietician or your physician before embarking on any diet plan which relies on these numbers and for any other dietary questions.
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We do not want duplicate recipes in our database. Duplicate recipes degrade our site's efficiency, annoy people searching for a recipe, and are unfair to the first person who posted a recipe.
Before posting a new recipe or making a private recipe public, a member should perform a search to see if the recipe is already posted on Food.com. Mistakes happen sometimes and duplicates get through. You can notify us of potential duplicate recipes by clicking on the Contact Us link and we will evaluate the recipes.
When a recipe is determined to be a duplicate, we remove it and redirect everyone to the primary recipe (usually the first one posted): (1) searches for the deleted recipe are automatically directed to the primary recipe; (2) cookbooks are updated to include the primary recipe; (3) any reviews and photos transfer to the primary recipe; (4) the person who posted the duplicate is notified.
f yours is marked as a duplicate, we understand that the recipe might have sentimental value to you. If that is the case, we encourage you to post the recipe privately, so that you can privately store and print the recipe with your name and unique description.
If you think your recipe was removed by mistake, use the Contact Us link and let us know why your recipe is not a duplicate, and we'll re-check your recipe.
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Sometimes people select the wrong categories for their recipes when they submit them. If you find a recipe in an incorrect category or wish to add categories to a recipe, please submit a request in our Customer Support forum. (Look for the "Category Requests" thread at the top.) We will review your request and update the recipe as soon as possible.
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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 directions. If you spot a typo, missing ingredients or want to break up the steps listed, feel free to edit the recipe to make the change or add information. However, only the member who originally posted a recipe can make major updates to a recipe. Your suggested change won't show up immediately, but we will review the submitted corrections and update the recipe as soon as possible.
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Our site understands just about every measurement and ingredient, but there are some things that will cause your recipe submission to not go through:
- Measurements and amounts must precede the ingredient.
"1 cup sugar" NOT "sugar, 1 cup"
- Food products are sold in differently sized packages — cans, boxes, containers, etc. -- around the world. Ingredients MUST include the weight or volume size of the package.
"1 (15 oz.) can tomatoes" NOT "1 small can tomatoes" or "1 can tomatoes"
- For this same reason, "cans" may not be used as measuring tools.
NOT "1 can water"
- Any included "mix" must include all items necessary to make it (so a cake mix needs the water, oil, eggs, etc. listed, too)
NOT "1 cake mix, prepared according to package"
- 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"
- 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"
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With 50-plus forums in our Community section, there is lots of talking about cooking, recipes and more happening here. In our forums, you will meet members from around the world — all with different tastes and backgrounds in the kitchen. To keep everything running smoothly, we request that all members read and accept these Forum Guidelines before posting in our forums.
Welcome to the conversation!
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Top General FAQs
Our Terms of Use Agreement is the legal document that you agree to by using the site. It is linked to from every page of the site and can be found here: Terms of Use. Basically, it says you won't do anything illegal or harmful to Food.com and its members.
Also, all members who wish to chat in our forums must read and accept our Forum Guidelines.
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Here are the specialized phrases we have developed over the years:
bump = posting in a topic to get it to "bump" to the top of the list of topics in the forum, to bring it to everyone's attention again
CC = an abbreviation for the Community Cafe Forum
elves = the "elves" are the folks that help run Food.com and pop up to answer questions and help out
newbie = a new person on the site
sticky = Forum topics that moderators stick to the top of the forum for everyone to see
Recipezaar, RZ, Zaar = our site's old name and its nicknames/abbreviations
Zaar World Tour = a community-organized cooking event, which you can learn about in our forums
RSC (Ready Set Cook) = another community-run recipe contest where the previous winner selects a set of ingredients and participants create original recipes using at least 5 ingredients
Z-mail = our private messaging system
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We are constantly improving Food.com and adding new features. We have received many great suggestions from our members over the years and always welcome new ideas.
Please share your ideas in our Suggestions & Comments Forum.
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No, everything is free — the recipes, creating personal cookbooks and menu, sending private messages, everything! You can sign up for your free account today.
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You can update stuff like this from your Account Settings page, or just click here and select the "My Notifications" area to update your subscription. Don't forget to click "Save Changes"!
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At Food.com, we are very concerned about protecting your privacy. You can read more about what we store and why in our Privacy Policy.
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Top Account FAQs
Don't worry, you can reset your password.
You will need to have access to the e-mail address you registered with. Think you might have registered under a different e-mail address, but aren't sure? Contact us with the e-mail addresses you might be registered under or your chef username and we will help sort it out.
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You can update your information with us from your Account Settings page. Choose the appropriate tab on the left part of this settings page. Make your updates and don't forget to click "Save Changes"!
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Unfortunately, we have had to do this every so often.
For serious violations of our Terms of Use Agreement, we remove your account immediately and, depending on the violation, we may turn over any pertinent information to the authorities.
For less serious violations, we like to employ a "three strikes and you are out" policy, but this is completely up to our discretion.
Occasionally, we give "time outs" as well. If someone is having trouble acting politely in our Forums, we will temporarily remove their posting privileges.
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You can update stuff like this from your Account Settings page, or just click here and select the "My Notifications" option to make changes. Don't forget to click "Save Changes"!
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At Food.com, we are very concerned about protecting your privacy. You can read more about what we store and why in our Privacy Policy.
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We're sorry to see you go! If you really do want to close your account, Contact us directly to request that. We will disable your account and unsubscribe you from site notifications.
NOTE: If you have added any public recipes, cookbooks, menus or reviews to our site, they will remain after you leave. We keep them active because other members may have saved those recipes, etc., and it would be unfair to take them away!
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Top Recipe FAQs
We appreciate everyone's help in improving the recipes here. If the recipe has been published and you spot an error, click the "Submit a correction" link at the bottom of the recipe directions. If you spot a typo, missing ingredients or want to break up the steps listed, feel free to edit the recipe to make the change or add information. However, only the member who originally posted a recipe can make major updates to a recipe. Your suggested change won't show up immediately, but we will review the corrections and update the recipe as soon as possible.
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Sometimes people select the wrong categories for their recipes when they submit them. If you find a recipe in an incorrect category, please submit a request to change or remove the category our Customer Support forum. (Look for the "Category Requests" thread at the top.) We will review your request and update the recipe as soon as possible.
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Food.com uses the USDA nutritional information database, which classifies thousands of foods and gives their nutritional analysis, to compute the nutritional facts on our recipes.
Nutritional totals are figured on a per-serving basis, including all foods in the ingredients list. We simply total the nutritional information for all foods in the ingredients of a recipe, and then divide by the number of servings it makes to arrive at the per-serving nutritional information. Please pay attention to what the serving size is that the Nutritional Facts are calculated on. If the person who posted the recipe does not provide servings information the Nutritional Facts will be calculated for the whole recipe.
Ingredient sizing can vary. Some recipes specify an ingredient size as simple "1 can," "1 package," etc. Obviously, the size of the can or package you use may differ from the size the recipe author used. We encourage recipe authors to explicitly specify the exact size, but not all have. In these cases, Food.com assumes a standard size for the ingredient (10 3/4 ounces for a can of soup, for example) and uses this size to compute nutritional data.
Optional ingredients or ingredients without discrete measurements are not included in the nutritional information. When an ingredient in a recipe does not have an explicit measurement, we cannot calculate nutritional data for it. We don't know if "salt, to taste" or "sour cream, to taste" means a teaspoon, a tablespoon or a cup to you. Therefore, we omit these ingredients from the nutritional computation. Likewise, if the ingredient is marked "optional," it is not included in the nutritional information.
Specialty ingredients or branded products may not be recognized. The USDA nutrition information may not be updated with details on a specific packaged product or a specialty or diet ingredient.
Our nutritional information is approximate (just like everyone else's). The USDA database is not complete and serving size information for many recipes is unknown, which leads to incomplete nutritional data. If you notice that a recipe isn't formatted correctly and that is affecting the nutrition analysis, we encourage you to submit corrections or add information to the recipe. You can do this by clicking the "Submit a correction" link at the bottom of the steps on any recipe.
Always consult a registered dietician or your physician before embarking on any diet plan which relies on these numbers and for any other dietary questions.
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Copyright protects creative works (written or artistic). Though we think of cooking as art, that does not make a recipe copyrightable.
"A mere listing of ingredients is not protected under copyright law. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a collection of recipes as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection."
— The Copyright Office of the US Government
So, a list of ingredients cannot be copyrighted. An idea, concept, system or method of doing something cannot be copyrighted either. Only the substantially literary expression associated with a recipe can be copyrighted. To the extent there are only so many ways to say "boil water," it is not creative and therefore not protected under a copyright. If a recipe's directions or description are a wholesale copy of another person's creative literary expression, they are in violation of copyright. So even if the recipe originated elsewhere and even if the ingredients are still the same, as long as you post a recipe with your own directions and description, it is your recipe to share.
The literary expression in a recipe's directions or description may be protected — if you can prove that it's truly creative. In other words, a lasagna recipe with three basic steps (i.e., cook the noodles, make the sauce and bake for an hour) is not copyrightable because it is obvious, not creative. A collection of recipes published in the unique presentation of a cookbook is copyrightable due to the choice of the collection and its arrangement, not the individual recipes themselves. For more information, download the US Government PDF on Copyright of Recipes.
Where does Food.com stand? A list of ingredients is a list of ingredients; the government doesn't care if you make them your own and neither do we. But when it comes to other people's recipe descriptions and directions, don't copy the flowery stuff -- put it in your own words. You probably made the recipe, and you probably did it slightly differently than the original directions anyway. Describe what you did. If you copy the literary work of someone else, post it on Food.com, and they notify us with proof of the violation, we will immediately remove your recipe and you could be liable for damages. If someone else copies your recipes from our site and uses them, we would want to protect your original work and demand they be removed. So don't copy.
However, we encourage our users to try recipes from other places, and post them to Food.com in their own words or with their own variations. We don't mind if you include information about where you got the recipe from as long as the description and directions are in your own words ("giving credit" is always the right thing to do). For more information, see our Terms of Use Agreement.
If you suspect there is a violation of your copyright on our site, please contact us with the recipe ID # and/or a link to the recipe.
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Some of our Dietary categories are set by the person who posts the recipe (Diabetic-Friendly, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Kid-Friendly, Kosher, Vegetarian and Vegan), but most are set automatically by Food.com after we have done the nutritional analysis on the recipe. See our standards for each category.
Keep in mind that certain ingredients might be optional or there are other things with the recipe which affect the nutritional analysis.
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Brand name products are often protected in the United States by registering the name of the product with the US Trademark Office. If a name is trademarked (e.g. Food.com), the trademark can only be used in certain ways.
You can always say that a recipe calls for a certain trademarked product in the ingredients list or directions, e.g. "1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman's)." This is basically free advertising for the company's specific product.
You should not title or otherwise imply that your recipe is the same as a particular brand name's product, e.g. "Hellman's Mayonnaise Recipe." This would create confusion as to whether your recipe is the secret formula and endorsed by that company. However, you may include your opinions in your description for the recipe as long as it is clear it is your opinion, e.g. "I think this tastes as good as Hellman's."
We do occasionally edit recipes to remove trademarked names used inappropriately at the request of the trademark owner.
NOTE: Putting the "tm" next to the trademark name does not mean you have permission to use the name.
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We do not want duplicate recipes in our database. Duplicate recipes degrade our site's efficiency, annoy people searching for a recipe, and are unfair to the first person who posted a recipe.
Before posting a new recipe or making a private recipe public, a member should perform a search to see if the recipe is already posted on Food.com. Mistakes happen sometimes and duplicates get through. You can notify us of potential duplicate recipes by clicking on the Contact Us link and we will evaluate the recipes.
When a recipe is determined to be a duplicate, we remove it and redirect everyone to the primary recipe (usually the first one posted): (1) searches for the deleted recipe are automatically directed to the primary recipe; (2) cookbooks are updated to include the primary recipe; (3) any reviews and photos transfer to the primary recipe; (4) the person who posted the duplicate is notified.
f yours is marked as a duplicate, we understand that the recipe might have sentimental value to you, and you might feel let down that your name is no longer on the recipe. If that is the case, we encourage you to post the recipe privately, so that you can privately store and print the recipe with your name and unique description.
If you think your recipe was removed by mistake, use the Contact Us link and let us know why your recipe is not a duplicate, and we'll re-check your recipe.
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Top Posting Recipes FAQs
Does the recipe you are submitting reflect the traditional type or style of cooking in a particular region? If so, then select that category. If not, then skip the regional cuisines -- you do not have to select a category if none are appropriate.
You do not have to check off every region under a main region. Example: If a recipe fits under UNITED STATES but doesn't really reflect any one particular region of the US, don't select any of the specific US regions. Only select UNITED STATES. This way, someone looking for only Southern US recipes will be better able to find recipes that really represent the Southern US (or whichever region).
You should not check off a regional cuisine category solely based on where you live. If the recipe is made in a special way that is unique to the area you live in, well then, of course, you can select the appropriate cuisine category, if we have it listed. But don't check off a cuisine just because you live in that region. The cuisine should be based on the recipe's origins only.
You should not check off a regional cuisine based solely on your ancestry. Only select a particular region if the recipe has been passed down in your family and your family is from a particular region and that recipe reflects that region's style of cooking. However, if you happen to be Irish and Czech, don't automatically select Irish and Czech cuisines for all of your recipes -- only select regions appropriate to the particular recipe at hand.
You should not check off a regional cuisine just because one ingredient is identified with a particular region. Certain ingredients may bring to mind certain locations and cultures but just because they are included in a recipe, that does not make the recipe appropriate for a regional cuisine.
A note about the NATIVE AMERICAN category:
Native American refers to recipes that were created by indigenous peoples and tribes native to North America, such as Iroquois, Seminole, Cherokee, Cree, etc. Another commonly used term in the past would be American Indians. There is also a First Nations category for recipes from such tribes indigenous to Canada.
Recipes that are just generally American or Canadian can be place under the heading of America, Canada, or if they apply to both, simply North America. If they are historical recipes, there is also a separate category you can check off for that when appropriate.
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We really want you to share your recipes — that helps make Food.com a bigger and better recipe resource for everyone. Here are some key benefits:
- Your recipes will be permanently accessible and, if published publicly, you can easily share them with friends.
- We calculate the nutritional information for all of our recipes.
- We can automatically scale your recipe to the servings you need.
- Food.com has a handy shopping list tool for you to add to and print from.
- You can save all your favorite recipes in one spot instead of you having to search through 10 different cookbooks or lots of bookmarks.
- You can track the popularity of your recipes. Get feedback from other members as they review them and add suggestions.
- It's free!
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Our site understands just about every measurement and ingredient, but there are some things that will cause your recipe to be rejected:
- 1.Measurements and amounts must precede the ingredient.
"1 cup sugar" NOT "sugar, 1 cup"
- 2.Food products are sold in differently sized packages — cans, boxes, containers, etc. -- around the world. Ingredients 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 this 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 (so a cake mix needs the water, oil, eggs, etc. listed, too)
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"
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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 directions. If you spot a typo, missing ingredients or want to break up the steps listed, feel free to edit the recipe to make the change or add information. However, only the member who originally posted a recipe can make major updates to a recipe. Your suggested change won't show up immediately, but we will review the submitted corrections and update the recipe as soon as possible.
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We review and publish public recipes on a first come, first served order from Monday through Friday. We review recipes before they are published publicly to be sure they meet our formatting guidelines. This review process can take up to 48 hours or longer if you submit over a weekend or holiday. You will receive e-mail when your recipe is published.
Recipes that you add for private use are added to your account as soon as you click submit.
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Food.com uses the USDA nutritional information database, which classifies thousands of foods and gives their nutritional analysis, to compute the nutritional facts on our recipes.
Nutritional totals are figured on a per-serving basis, including all foods in the ingredients list. We simply total the nutritional information for all foods in the ingredients of a recipe, and then divide by the number of servings it makes to arrive at the per-serving nutritional information. Please pay attention to what the serving size is that the Nutritional Facts are calculated on. If the person who posted the recipe does not provide servings information the Nutritional Facts will be calculated for the whole recipe.
Ingredient sizing can vary. Some recipes specify an ingredient size as simple "1 can," "1 package," etc. Obviously, the size of the can or package you use may differ from the size the recipe author used. We encourage recipe authors to explicitly specify the exact size, but not all have. In these cases, Food.com assumes a standard size for the ingredient (10 3/4 ounces for a can of soup, for example) and uses this size to compute nutritional data.
Optional ingredients or ingredients without discrete measurements are not included in the nutritional information. When an ingredient in a recipe does not have an explicit measurement, we cannot calculate nutritional data for it. We don't know if "salt, to taste" or "sour cream, to taste" means a teaspoon, a tablespoon or a cup to you. Therefore, we omit these ingredients from the nutritional computation. Likewise, if the ingredient is marked "optional," it is not included in the nutritional information.
Specialty ingredients or branded products may not be recognized. The USDA nutrition information may not be updated with details on a specific packaged product or a specialty or diet ingredient.
Our nutritional information is approximate (just like everyone else's). The USDA database is not complete and serving size information for many recipes is unknown, which leads to incomplete nutritional data. If you notice that a recipe isn't formatted correctly and that is affecting the nutrition analysis, we encourage you to submit corrections or add information to the recipe. You can do this by clicking the "Submit a correction" link at the bottom of the steps on any recipe.
Always consult a registered dietician or your physician before embarking on any diet plan which relies on these numbers and for any other dietary questions.
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No. Unfortunately, we cannot accept recipes via e-mail.
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Some of our Dietary categories are set by the person who posts the recipe (Diabetic-Friendly, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Kid-Friendly, Kosher, Vegetarian, Vegan), but most are set by Food.com after we have done the nutritional analysis on the recipe. See our standards for each category.
Keep in mind that certain ingredients might be optional or there are other things with the recipe which affect the nutritional analysis.
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Brand name products are often protected in the United States by registering the name of the product with the US Trademark Office. If a name is trademarked (e.g. Food.com), the trademark can only be used in certain ways.
You can always say that a recipe calls for a certain trademarked product in the ingredients list or directions, e.g. "1 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellman's)." This is basically free advertising for the company's specific product.
You cannot title or otherwise imply that your recipe is the same as a particular brand name's product, e.g. "Hellman's Mayonnaise Recipe." This would obviously create confusion as to whether your recipe is the secret formula and endorsed by that company. However, you may include your opinions in your description for the recipe as long as it is clear it is your opinion, e.g. "I think this tastes as good as Hellman's."
We do occasionally edit recipes to remove trademarked names used inappropriately at the request of the trademark owner.
NOTE: Putting the "tm" next to the trademark name does not mean you have permission to use the name. For more information about trademarks, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark
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We do not want duplicate recipes in our database. Duplicate recipes degrade our site's efficiency, annoy people searching for a recipe, and are unfair to the first person who posted a recipe.
Before posting a new recipe or making a private recipe public, a member should perform a search to see if the recipe is already posted on Food.com. Mistakes happen sometimes and duplicates get through. You can notify us of potential duplicate recipes by clicking on the Contact Us link and we will evaluate the recipes.
When a recipe is determined to be a duplicate, we remove it and redirect everyone to the primary recipe (usually the first one posted): (1) searches for the deleted recipe are automatically directed to the primary recipe; (2) cookbooks are updated to include the primary recipe; (3) any reviews and photos transfer to the primary recipe; (4) the person who posted the duplicate is notified.
If yours is marked as a duplicate, we understand that the recipe might have sentimental value to you, and you might feel let down that your name is no longer on the recipe. If that is the case, we encourage you to post the recipe privately, so that you can privately store and print the recipe with your name and unique description.
If you think your recipe was removed by mistake, use the Contact Us link and let us know why your recipe is not a duplicate, and we'll re-check your recipe.
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Top Review FAQs
No, we don't require that people prepare a recipe before reviewing it because it would be impossible to enforce. You may 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..
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.
Also, if you haven't made a recipe but just have a helpful suggestion, please do not add a starred rating — just add comments.
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Five stars is the highest rating and one star is the lowest. Everyone has their own thoughts on what each star represents, and the law of averages will make the overall rating generally accurate. But here are some guidelines for what ratings should mean:
- 5 Stars = Outstanding!
- 4 Stars = Loved it
- 3 Stars = Liked it
- 2 Stars = Just okay
- 1 Star = Didn't like it
- No Star = Posting a comment only
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No, but they are definitely preferred. Surely, you have some information to share, such as how easy it was, any changes you made, etc. People who post the recipe will appreciate the feedback, and by sharing your experience, you will help make Food.com a better place for future visitors as well.
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They allow you to tell us and other users which reviews you find helpful. Reviews on recipes are sorted by most helpful, so that the most helpful reviews are most visible to people.
Please click on the reviews that you find helpful. We keep your votes completely private.
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Well, everyone has different preferences, so even though you and your friends and family may love a recipe, not everyone else will. Take pride in the fact that your friends and family think it's 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, not every cook who tries your recipe has the same level of cooking experience -- therefore their results may vary greatly from yours. Have you checked over your recipe for any errors? Could you clarify any instructions that the reviewer may have had trouble with? You may submit a correction to a recipe at any time using the "Submit a Correction" link on the recipe page.
Even if there are no errors, the reviewer 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 know this from reading the review.
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Yes, if you are looking for suggestions on how to make a recipe better. But please be polite and respectful — do not name the reviewer specifically or provide any information that would allow others to identify the recipe you referring to. Personal attacks are against our site rules. Please don't vent in the forums about negative reviews. This only discourages others from posting honest reviews elsewhere on the site.
NOTE: You may publicly discuss how you choose to offer reviews �such as what things you look for in a good recipe, how you personally interpret the meanings of the star values, etc. Just do not publicly discuss and/or analyze how others rate recipes.
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New to writing reviews? Here are some tips on sharing helpful reviews:
- Remember to select the stars.
5 stars is for highest rating, 1 star for the lowest. If you just want to leave a comment without any stars, then select "no stars." This is allowed and does not count as a zero star rating.
- Leave some comments about the recipe.
Whether you loved the recipe, hated it or just thought it was okay, we want to know what you liked or disliked and how the recipe can be improved.
Things you might mention would be:
- How did it taste to you?
- Did your family like it?
- Were the instructions clear or vague and what did you do?
- Did you feel the need to make any changes? What were these changes?
- Would you make the recipe again?
NOTE: You don't have to answer all of those questions and you don't have to write a lengthy review. Even just a few words can be very helpful.
- Be polite and tactful!.
No one likes to hear that you "fed this to the dogs it was so bad" or that the finished dish "wasn't even fit for the garbage." You can say the same thing politely and still get your message across, such as: "I did not enjoy the taste of this recipe and would not make it again" and "I thought the dish looked very unappetizing."
- Always be HONEST.
Don't be afraid to write your honest comments and rate the stars according to your particular experience with this recipe. You are not rating the recipe submitter but the recipe itself.
- Don't deliberately over-rate or under-rate a recipe.
Leaving a bunch of inflated reviews for recipes your friends have posted really isn't helpful. Definitely feel free to rate recipes your friends or family members have shared but be honest. Also, reviews are NOT the place to "get even" or start feuds with other members. If you have an issue with someone, contact us or that person directly.
- Note any changes you made.
Many chefs like to play with the ingredients of a recipe or choose to make substitutions due to cost, ingredient availability, dietary needs and personal tastes. Please remember that changing the ingredients or method may be successful or unsuccessful. If your changes affect your overall impression of the recipe, it might be helpful to leave a no-star comment explaining what you did, and you won't falsely lower or raise the star rating of the "as directed" version of the recipe.
- Reviews are not the place to ask questions.
If you want to ask the recipe poster a question or just to let them know that you think their recipe sounds great, you can do this two different ways. Either select the "Contact This Chef" link on the recipe description box or you can post a question in our forums (often a speedier option).
- You can revise or edit reviews.
f you would like to re-write an old review or update your star rating, you can. Simply click the "Rate it!" link again and re-enter the stars and/or write new comments in the review box. This new review will replace the old one. You can fix typos this way, too.
- You may not review your own recipe.
If would like to address a point made by a reviewer, submit a correction and update your description, ingredients or steps.
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If you question the legitimacy or content of any review, you should contact us privately using the Contact us form (link at the links at the bottom of every page) and include the recipe ID number and your question in the message. We are happy to investigate issues.
You may also try contacting the review privately via our messaging system. Do this to answer a question posed about your recipe, to discuss any substitutions they might have made that affected the outcome or to thank them for trying your recipe.
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Top Cookbook & Menu FAQs
Every member has the opportunity to save any recipe on our site in what we call "cookbooks" — all for free! Everyone starts out with a Main Cookbook, where you can save everything, but if you would like to organize saved recipes into different groups, you can create personalized cookbooks. Create as many as you want.
You can add and edit new cookbooks by visiting the My Cookbooks page or create a new cookbook by using the "Add to Cookbook" button on an individual recipe.
Your Main Cookbook and all custom cookbooks are private by default and only you can see them. To publish any book publicly, so you can share them with other members or family, visit the My Cookbooks page and select Edit Cookbook on the appropriate cookbook. Then select the option to make the cookbook public. Don't forget to click "Save"! Your Main Cookbook is the only cookbook you can't make public.
NOTE: To create and edit cookbooks, you must be a registered member of Food.com and be signed in to view them.
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You can view and edit your full list of cookbooks and the recipes saved in them on the My Cookbooks page. You can also access your list of cookbooks by opening the Cookbooks tab next to Recipes and Menus at the top of every Food.com page.
NOTE: You must be signed in to view and edit your personal cookbooks.
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To delete saved recipes from any of your cookbooks, first you need to view the full cookbook recipe list. To access the cookbook, choose the specific cookbook from the Cookbooks menu at the top of any Food.com page or from the My Cookbooks page.
Then, review the list of recipes and click the "Select" box on any recipes that you want to remove or move to another cookbook. Choose the "Remove" button to delete them or the "Add to Cookbook" to move them to another cookbook in your collection.
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To edit the name, cover image and description on a cookbook, visit the My Cookbooks page and select the "Edit Cookbook" button for whichever cookbook you want to update. Make your changes and then click "Save Changes."
All cookbooks are private by default, but you can make them public and share them with other members or family members — just select the "Make Public" option on the cookbook editing page. Your cookbook will now show up in search results and you can share it with anyone by sending them the link.
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All members can create personalized menus — as many as you want and all for free!
You can add and edit your menus by visiting the My Menus page or create a new menu while browsing recipes by using the "Add to Menu" button on an individual recipe's page.
All menus you create are private by default and only you can see them, but you can publish them publicly to share with other members and family and friends. To publish a menu, visit the My Menus page and select the menu's title to edit it. Then, click the link just under the menu's title that says "Make Public" and be sure to save your changes. Your menu will now show up in searches on the site and be available for all members to view and review .
NOTE: To create and edit menus, you must be a registered member of Food.com and be signed in to view them.
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You can view and edit your full list of menus on the My Menus page. You can also access your list of custom menus by opening the Menus tab at the top of every Food.com page.
NOTE: You must be signed in to view and edit your personal menus.
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Top Community Forum FAQs
Food.com encourages our members to talk about their culinary loves and experiences in our many different forums. Everyone is welcome to share their opinions in polite and respectful conversation as long as they stick to the topics at hand. We do not allow pornography, hateful or harassing speech, personal attacks, political or religious promotion or attacks, unsolicited self promotion or spamming, and all members must follow our Forum Guidelines.
Except in extreme cases, we never delete or edit other users' contributions to our forums. We may move a thread which has become inappropriate, disrespectful, wildly off-topic, etc. to The Frying Pan or delete it altogether. This is up to the discretion of the moderators.
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Unfortunately, we do have to do this on rare occasions. For serious violations of our Terms of Use, your account will be suspended immediately and, depending on the violation, we may turn over any pertinent information to the authorities.
For less serious violations, we employ a "three strikes and you are out" policy, but this is up to our discretion. Occasionally, we give "time outs" as well. If someone seems unable to act politely, we will temporarily remove their posting privileges.
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Let us know by clicking the "Notify us of inappropriate posts" link at the bottom of the particular thread. This is the best way to alert us. Often the worst thing you can do is "attempt to put them in their place."
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This is the forum where forum hosts and moderators send problematic threads — spam, inappropriate posts, off-topic conversations or any content that otherwise violates our Terms of Use Agreement. Once a thread is moved to the Frying Pan, the thread is locked to new posts and eventually moved completely off the site by the moderators. Often forum hosts or moderators will add a note explaining why a thread was moved or issue a public warning.
Having a thread moved to the Frying Pan is not a punishment, but if your forum threads are moved there often, you will be warned and may lose your forum privileges.
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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
- Food.com Groupie
The more you post, the faster you move up!
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Here are the specialized phrases we have developed over the years:
Here are the specialized phrases we have developed over the years:
bump = posting in a topic to get it to "bump" to the top of the list of topics in the forum, to bring it to everyone's attention again
CC = an abbreviation for the Community Cafe Forum
elves = the "elves" are the folks that help run Food.com and pop up to answer questions and help out
newbie = a new person on the site
sticky = Forum topics that moderators stick to the top of the forum for everyone to see
Recipezaar, RZ, Zaar = our site's old name and its nicknames/abbreviations
Zaar World Tour = a community-organized cooking event, which you can learn about in our forums
RSC (Ready Set Cook) = another community-run recipe contest where the previous winner selects a set of ingredients and participants create original recipes using at least 5 ingredients
Z-mail = our private messaging system
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Here's a list of common abbreviations used on our 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 Food.com)
- DD = dear daughter
- DH = dear husband
- DIL = daughter-in-law
- DS = dear son
- DSD = dear step-daughter
- DSS = dear step-son
- DW = dear wife
- 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 = laughing my a** off
- LMBO = laughing my butt off
- LOL = laugh out loud
- MERP = made, eaten, review 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
- SO = significant other (boyfriend/girlfriend)
- TIA = thanks in advance
- TY = thank you
- YW = you're welcome
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Millions of people read Food.com and our Forums and not all participate. Although you may feel it is a small community, you never know who is watching and you will want to take steps to protect your personal information. Do not post an email address on your profile page or in a forum thread. All members have access to our private internal messaging system so contact fellow users through that. This protects your identity and keeps spammers from getting your email address and sending you unsolicited messages.
You should never post your home address in the Forums (or anywhere publicly). The best idea if you want to swap something with another member is to provide that user with a post office box.
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