Recipe Disclaimer
This Recipe Disclaimer explains what to keep in mind when you cook from The Recipes Table: how our recipes are prepared for publication, why results can vary, and where food safety, allergens, diet labels and nutrition call for your own judgment. It works alongside our Terms & Conditions.
- Home kitchen guidance: Written for home cooks with visual checkpoints; no guaranteed outcomes or certified chef claims.
- Food safety responsibility: Verify doneness with a digital food thermometer and observe proper storage and refrigeration rules.
- Estimated nutrition & labels: Nutrition figures are static estimates; diet tags are editorial guidance, not certifications.
Table of Contents
1. General Information and Editorial Approach
The Recipes Table is an independent recipe publication for home cooks. Our recipes, guides and recipe collections are published under The Recipes Table Kitchen byline and are meant as general home cooking information. You can read more about how we work on our About page.
Before a recipe is published, we review it for consistency and clarity. The quantities in the steps should match the ingredient list, the recipe card should match the post, total times should include resting and chilling, and each recipe should give practical doneness cues. These are editorial checks of the written recipe. They aren’t laboratory testing, professional test-kitchen certification or a guarantee of results.
The Recipes Table Kitchen is our editorial byline. We don’t claim professional chef credentials, culinary school affiliation, or any medical, nutritional or religious certification.
2. Cooking Results and Kitchen Variations
Times and temperatures in our recipes are guides. Your results can differ because of:
- Appliances: Ovens can run hotter or cooler than their setting, convection and conventional modes cook differently, and stovetop burners and air fryers vary in output.
- Cookware: Cast iron, stainless steel, nonstick, glass and ceramic heat at different rates, and pan size changes how quickly food cooks.
- Ingredients: Brands, the size and ripeness of produce, moisture content and fat levels all affect texture and timing.
- Environment: Altitude changes boiling points and how baked goods rise, and humidity and room temperature affect doughs, frostings and candy.
- Changes you make: Substitutions, doubling or halving a recipe, and using a different pan size can all change cooking times and results.
Start checking a little before the time given, and rely on the doneness cues in each recipe, such as color, texture or how a cake springs back. For meat, poultry, seafood, egg dishes and casseroles, use a food thermometer, since appearance alone isn’t a reliable test of safety.
3. Food Safety, Handling, Storage and Internal Temperatures
You’re responsible for food safety in your own kitchen. The guidance below summarizes general recommendations from U.S. food safety agencies, including FoodSafety.gov and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service. It isn’t a substitute for their current guidance or for professional food safety training.
Clean and separate
Wash your hands, cutting boards, utensils and counters before and after handling raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs. Keep these raw foods and their juices away from ready-to-eat foods, and use separate cutting boards when you can. Don’t eat raw dough or batter made with raw flour or raw eggs.
Cook to safe minimum internal temperatures
Check the thickest part of the food with a food thermometer, away from bone. Cooked meat can stay pink even when it has reached a safe temperature, so color isn’t a reliable test.
| Food | Safe Minimum Internal Temperature |
|---|---|
| Poultry, including whole birds, parts, ground poultry and stuffing | 165°F (74°C) |
| Ground beef, lamb and other ground meats (not poultry) | 160°F (71°C) |
| Beef, veal, lamb and goat steaks, roasts and chops | 145°F (63°C), then rest 3 minutes |
| Fish | 145°F (63°C), or until the flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork |
| Shrimp, crab, lobster and scallops | Until the flesh is pearly or white and opaque |
| Clams, mussels and oysters | Until the shells open |
| Egg dishes, such as quiche and frittata | 160°F (71°C) |
| Casseroles and reheated leftovers | 165°F (74°C) |
Eggs cooked on their own should be cooked until the yolk and white are firm. These are minimums, and you can cook food to a higher temperature if you prefer.
Chill and store
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the air temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Bacteria grow fastest between 40°F and 140°F (4°C and 60°C). Keep your refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below, and divide large batches into shallow containers so they cool quickly.
Use refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them. Food kept frozen at 0°F (−18°C) stays safe, though its quality declines over time. Reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). For more detail, see the USDA’s leftovers and food safety guidance.
Baked goods, fillings, and desserts containing real cream cheese, fresh dairy, custards, whipped cream, or eggs (such as cream-cheese-frosted sweet rolls, poke cakes, or layered puddings) are perishable. In line with USDA and FDA food safety recommendations, these items must be kept refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below and should not be left at room temperature for extended periods or beyond the standard 2-hour window.
Extra care for higher-risk groups
People who are pregnant, older adults, young children and anyone with a weakened immune system face a higher risk from foodborne illness and may need extra precautions. Check current guidance from FoodSafety.gov or ask a healthcare provider.
4. Allergens and Ingredient Label Verification
Our recipes often use common allergens such as milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, fish and shellfish. If you or anyone you cook for has a food allergy, celiac disease or another reason to avoid certain ingredients:
- Read every label, every time: Manufacturers change ingredients and production facilities without notice, so a product that was safe last month may not be now.
- Watch for cross-contact: Products made in shared facilities can carry traces of allergens, and so can shared cookware and surfaces at home. Pay attention to “may contain” statements on packaging.
- Check your substitutions: Swapping one ingredient for another can add an allergen the original recipe didn’t have.
We can’t guarantee that any recipe or ingredient is free of allergens or traces of them. If you have a severe allergy, follow the advice of your doctor or allergist.
5. Dietary Labels and Religious Dietary Considerations
Some recipes carry labels such as “Vegetarian,” “Gluten-Free,” “Dairy-Free” or “Halal-friendly.” These are editorial descriptions of the recipe as written. They aren’t medical, dietary or religious certifications, and they depend on the specific products you use. A gluten-free recipe, for example, only stays gluten-free if ingredients like oats, broth, soy sauce and spice blends are certified gluten-free.
Our approach to pork and alcohol
Our editorial direction is to write recipes without pork and to leave out wine, beer and spirits. When a traditional version uses bacon or cooks with wine, we use a swap such as turkey or beef bacon, stock or juice.
Some everyday ingredients need individual checking, because what’s in them varies by brand:
- vanilla extract, which is made with alcohol
- Dijon and some other mustards, which are often made with wine
- cheese, which may be made with animal rennet
- gelatin and foods that contain it, such as marshmallows
- store-bought pastry, shortening and baked goods, which may contain lard
- sauces, flavorings and seasoning blends, which may contain wine or other alcohol
“Halal-friendly” is our editorial note that a recipe’s ingredients, as written, are intended to fit common halal practice. It isn’t a halal certification, and we can’t confirm how every brand sources or processes its products. If you follow halal, kosher or other religious dietary rules, check product labels and look for certification you trust. If a label on our site looks wrong, please let us know.
6. Nutrition Information and Estimated Values
Recipe pages may include nutrition information per serving, such as calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates. These figures are approximate estimates included with each recipe as a general guide. They haven’t been checked by laboratory analysis or certified by a dietitian, and recipe pages show a limited set of values rather than a complete nutritional breakdown.
Actual values will differ depending on:
- the brands and exact products you use
- ingredient sizes and how they’re measured
- substitutions and optional ingredients
- how much fat, liquid or salt is absorbed, drained off or discarded during cooking
- how you divide the servings
If you need precise nutrition figures for a health reason, calculate them using the exact products you buy, or work with a registered dietitian.
7. Medical and Professional Advice
Nothing on The Recipes Table is medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and our recipes aren’t designed for any medical condition. If you have a health condition that affects what you eat, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, celiac disease or a food allergy, or if you’re pregnant or following a medically prescribed diet, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian before relying on a recipe or its nutrition figures.
If you think you’re having a severe allergic reaction or have serious symptoms of food poisoning, seek medical care right away.
8. Brand Names, Trademarks and Copycat Recipes
Some recipes mention brand names to identify an ingredient or describe a dish, and our copycat recipes recreate the flavor of restaurant or store-bought favorites, such as Dutch Bros drinks. All trademarks belong to their owners. The Recipes Table isn’t affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by these brands, as our Terms & Conditions explain.
Copycat recipes are our own versions. We don’t have access to the brands’ official recipes, so the taste, ingredients, allergens and nutrition of our versions can differ from the original products. If you’re choosing a copycat recipe because of an allergy or dietary need, check every ingredient yourself rather than relying on what you know about the original.
9. Advertising, Affiliates and Sponsored Content
The Recipes Table doesn’t currently run any advertising network, use affiliate links or publish sponsored posts. When a recipe names a product or brand, that’s an editorial choice, not a paid placement.
We may add advertising, affiliate links or sponsored content in the future. If we do, we’ll clearly disclose affiliate links and sponsorships in the posts where they appear, and we’ll update this Disclaimer and our Privacy Policy.
10. Corrections, Questions and Contact Information
If something in a recipe looks wrong, such as a quantity, time, temperature or step that doesn’t add up, please tell us. Include the recipe link and what happened, and we’ll review it and update the recipe if needed. We’re happy to answer general questions about our recipes, but we can’t give medical or individual dietary advice.
For more about the site, see our About page, Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.