1. RECIPES AND COSTING
HOW TO STANDARDIZE A RECIPE AND COMPUTE COST PER PORTION FOR A VARIETY OF MENU ITEMS.

2. OBJECTIVES Develop standardized recipes
Develop a cost per portion for recipe items & items with loss due to waste, trimming & cooking
Identify common menu pricing formats
Calculate the Q factor and Spice Factor for your operation

3. STANDARDIZED RECIPES WHY HAVE THEM?
Consistency of product - quality
Consistency of cost
Production
Control: portion, costs, purchasing
You won’t have to close down if the chef leaves
Without a doubt – the most important tool you have in your operation’s toolbox
Controls the quantity & quality of what the kitchen will produce.

4. MORE REASONS TO INCORPORATE A STANDARIZED RECIPE SYSTEM INTO YOUR BUSINESS!
Accurate purchasing
Dietary concerns are addressed-ingredients identified
Accuracy in menu laws-ingredients identified
Matching food used to cash sales
Accurate recipe costing and menu pricing
New employees can be better trained
Computerization of a foodservice operation depends on them

5. HOW TO STANDARDIZE A RECIPE FOR YOUR PRODUCTION:
Work on 1 recipe at a time.
Weigh/measure each ingredient
Write down & follow all directions.
Check times for precision.
Make the item using the recipe.
Modify/fix recipe: ingredients, measurements, times, instructions]
Test for yields: accurate, portion size OK
Test 3 times or until product comes out as desired for taste, presentation, cost

6. STANDARD RECIPE FORMAT WHAT DOES ONE LOOK LIKE?
Standardized formats are available with many software packages
Design your own
Recipes from outside sources must be tested and adjusted for your operation
A recipe is standardized when it fits for your operation – portion size, taste, cost, production, guest AND includes all necessary information.

7. INFORMATION ON A STANDARDIZED RECIPE – (The LIST OF 18)
Name & file code
Recipe yield – VIP! GOTTA HAVE IT!
Prep time & cook time
Holding temperatures & times
Equipment
Food safety statement
HACCP notations – CP, CCP
List of ingredients
Weight & Measure columns
Quantities of ingredients
Method of prep
Plating instruction
Garnish
Cutting instruction
Cooling/storing/leftovers
Nutritional info
Alternatives to reduce fat/calories
Photo

8. RECIPE YIELD THE MOST CRITICAL PIECE OF INFORMATION
THE YIELD MUST BE PROPERLY EXPRESSED
(# 1 & 2 are non-negotiable. #3 is subjective.)
THIS IS THE COST CONTROL LINE OF THE DOCUMENT
# OF SERVINGS
SERVING SIZE
TOTAL QUANTITY THE RECIPE PRODUCES
EXAMPLE:
CHICKEN SOUP
YIELD: 2 GALLONS
32 SERVINGS
8 OUNCES EACH

9. DESCRIBING PORTION SIZES:
ACTIVE METHODS:
Exact weight
Exact measure
Exact count
Even division
PASSIVE METHOD:
Even Fill Container
Imprecise descriptions on recipes
DON’T LEAVE PORTIONING TO CHANCE. BE PRECISE IN DESCRIBING
HOW MUCH TO PUT ON A PLATE.

10. PLATE CARDS
Used in kitchen to describe one dinner as management wishes it to be served
Describes the portions, portion sizes, the placement/positioning of the food, the garnish, the plate & other serving utensils needed, heating/chilling of wares
Picture of finished plate
Safeguards against mistakes in BOH. Provides consistency on the line

11. MENU ITEM:
BAKED MEATLOAF
TABLEWARE FOR THIS ITEM:
9” Dinner plate
Dinner plate will be warmed
INGREDIENTS:
AMOUNT:
DIRECTION:
Meatloaf
6 oz.
6 o’clock on plate
Gravy
2 oz.
1 oz. over meatloaf
1 oz in a nappy dish
Smashed potatoes
5 oz.
9 o’clock on plate
Butter pat
1 each
Centered on top of potato
Glazed carrots
4 oz.
3 o’clock on plate
Parsley, chopped
As needed
Sprinkled lightly over potatoes
Garnish
2 pickle spears
Between carrots & meatloaf
Steak knife
On right side of plate,
facing in

12. WHAT’S NEXT?
THE PORTION COST!

13. CALCULATING COST PER PORTION
A COST PER PORTION IS CALCULATED FOR ALL MENU ITEMS:
1. RECIPE ITEMS – menu items with multiple ingredients & little or no shrinkage or trim
2. PLATE CARD ITEMS – menu items consisting primarily of preprepared items (hot dogs)
2. BUTCHER TEST ITEMS – menu items with trim loss. This item can be portioned and cooked – or – roasted
3. COOKING LOSS ITEMS – menu items that will be cooked after trimming and will experience further loss

14. PLATE COST CARDS
Cost card developed for 1 complete plate of a particular menu item
Useful when there are static items always served on the plate
Works very well for operations with simple menus and limited choices; used with preprepared food items.

15. MENU PRICING FORMATS A-la-carte = all items priced separately
Semi-a-la-carte = some courses included with the meal
Table d’Hote = all courses included for a set price. Prixe Fixe

16. Q FACTOR – SMASHED POTATO FACTOR use with semi-a-la-carte pricing
COST PER PORTION OF SURROUNDING ITEMS OFFERED WITH A MEAL
All selections have standard recipes and cost cards
Select the most expensive selections and add up – this becomes the Q.
Q is added to entrée cost to get plate cost

17. Q CARD EXAMPLE Q CARD Q = $1.32 STARCH SALAD:
French fries Mixed Green .25
Baked Potato Caesars .19
Rice Pilaf
DRESSINGS:
VEGETABLES Balsamic .18
Broccoli Blue Cheese .29
Glazed carrots Ranch .10
Seasonal mixed .28
ROLL & BUTTER .20
Q = $1.32

18. SPICE FACTOR % added to every menu item to account for cost of:
Spices, herbs, seasonings
Garnishes
Waste factor
Expensive items skewing CPP
Ingredients too small to cost out
Whatever else management wants

19. CALCULATING SF %
Identify those items in this category via recipes, inventory & invoices
Calculate cost of purchasing these items over time showing usage
Calculate cost of purchasing all food items over same period of time
Cost of Spice Factor items = SF %
Cost of all food items

20. SPICE FACTOR Evaluate periodically for accuracy
Recalculate when invoice costs change or menu changes
Add to all menu items – communistic approach to sharing the cost of these items!

21. LET’S SIZE OR CONVERT A RECIPE! YEAH!
When adjusting recipes for quantity (total yield), two general methods may be employed.
They are:
Factor Method (Multiplier)
Percentage Technique (We won’t use this one!)

22. HOW TO FIND THE MULTIPLIER OR CONVERSION FACTOR:
NEW AMOUNT / OLD or ORIGINAL AMOUNT = THE MULTIPLIER
NEW
OLD = MULTIPLIER

23. We need soup for 325 folks. Find the conversion factor: NEW AMOUNT
EXAMPLE:
CHICKEN SOUP
YIELD: 2 GALLONS
32 SERVINGS
8 OUNCES EACH
We need soup for 325 folks. Find the conversion factor:
NEW AMOUNT
OLD AMOUNT = ??
325
32 = 10.15
(This means you will have to make the original recipe times to have enough)
SO WHAT? NOW WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE MULTIPLIER???????????????

24. USING A MULTIPLIER:
Each ingredient in the recipe is converted into ounces and multiplied by the conversion factor.
This new amount is than converted back into a useful quantity for the chef’s and cook’s to work with

25. EXAMPLE: 2 gallons of stock are needed for the original recipe
2 x 128 ounces = 256 ounces
256 ounces x = ounces
ounces / 128 = 20 gallons quart