Assignment Paper

Writing Assignment #3
Instructions – Writing a Recipe
Summary of the Assignment:
• Task: In this assignment, you will write a set of instructions for Elise, a friend of yours.
The scenario for this situation is described below.
• Length: There is no minimum or maximum word count. However, your instructions
must have 15 or more steps.
o This does not mean that you need 15 main steps. Some steps can be nested under
other steps. More information on this strategy is given in the resources provided
in the class on writing steps for instructions.
• Graphics: You must include at least 7 original graphics.
o No graphics may be borrowed from other sources. All graphics must be original.
o No screen captures are allowed. All graphics must be original pictures taken by
you to illustrate your recipe.
o All graphics should be labeled
The Scenario
Your friend, Elise, has contacted you for help.
Elise lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is engaged to be married in two months. Her fiancé,
Tony, lives in New York City.
Tony’s parents live in Salem, Oregon, and have never met Elise.
Next week, Tony’s parents are coming to Minneapolis for a work-related meeting. Elise has
arranged to have Tony’s parents over to her apartment for dinner while Tony’s parents are in
Minneapolis.
When Tony’s parents visit Elise in Minneapolis, Tony will not be there. The dinner will be
only the three of them—Elise, Tony’s father, and Tony’s mother.
Elise is a bit nervous about the visit. She wants to impress her future in-laws with a dinner she
will cook. However, Elise does not typically cook. She usually goes out for food when she
needs to have a meal.
Elise has asked you for help. She would like you to write a recipe that she can follow, a recipe
for a dish that she would feel confident serving Tony’s parents during their visit.
Brief Description and Strategies to Follow:
You must include the following:
• A brief introduction to Elise about why she would want to make this dish for her fiancé’s
parents.
• A list of ingredients
o Remember, this is a meal for three people. You want your instructions to be
specific for approximately three people.
o Note that Elise does not typically cook. She might not understand what certain
terms mean (e.g., the difference between tablespoon and teaspoon, the meaning of
au gratin, etc.).
• The instructions
o Number all of the main steps, as the resources for the class indicate
o Provide a graphic for steps of the instructions that need a graphic
o Remember that Elise does not typically cook. She might not understand what
certain terms mean (e.g., broiling, baking, roasting, al dente, sauté, etc.)
• Warnings or statements of caution integrated throughout the set of instructions.
o Remember that Elise does not typically cook. She might not know basic safety
tips involved in using an oven, handling a chopping knife, etc.
Helpful Guides and Resources:
• The Tech Writing Handbook by Dozuki, which is one of the resources listed in our class,
has the following:
o an appendix that provides tips in writing instructions and incorporating graphics
into instructions.
o chapter 6, “Photographing the process.”
o chapter 7, “Using Other Visuals.”
• The Mayfield Handbook, which is also one of the resources listed in our class, features
excellent tips on writing instructions.
o Section 2.8.3 of the handbook, Instructions and Procedures, will be particularly
helpful.