State of the art
Recipes are almost always presented in steps with a lot of explanation. I tend to lose track of the process due to the detached steps, which do not seem to follow the order of operations. Having multiple parallel tasks is inherent in cooking, but is not straightforward to present in text. This problem is further amplified by the strict design guidelines of some mealkit providers, which compresses the recipe in six steps. It is therefore required that the cook prepare themselves by reading the full recipe before starting … but I will never comply. Following recipes is hence a frustrating experience, as it tends to become a chaotic exercise in time management. (Let’s ignore the often ridiculous ingredient lists with bogus units … for now.)
What is an appropriate solution?
Flowcharts! They can present material or ingredient flow graphically, making it quite straightforward to keep an overview of the current state of the process and ingredients. Let’s forego any further introduction and jump straight into examples from Belgian cuisine.
Flemish beef stew (NL. Stoofvlees, FR. Carbonade flamande)
Brussels Waffles (NL. Brusselse wafels, FR. Gaufre de Bruxelles)
Conclusion
At a glance, the whole recipe becomes clear as all operations are highlighted, providing an overview of the process. This presentation requires more knowledge of basic cooking techniques than text-based recipes, but I don’t care. Cooking is not a skill one can learn from text anyway as it should be practiced, not read.
The style of flowchart used is exemplary and should not be followed as dogma. The recipes can be improved by indicating the passage of time (cooking times, rise times, etc.), using more descriptive process labels, and so on. Colour can be added if it proves beneficial to legibility, more linestyles can be used. The style above works for me.