"So how does the user actually find the best recipe for a particular dish?" Users may have better luck finding quality recipes by going to curated sites Cooks

"So how does the user actually find the best recipe for a particular dish?" Users may have better luck finding quality recipes by going to curated sites Cooks Illustrated rather than mob-rule sites like RecipeZaar. As with social sites (Digg, Reddit, HN), the chemistry of the community and the influence of the admins can have a powerful effect on the quality of the content. It also depends on what you're looking for. If all you want is cheesy enchiladas, recipes from the popular sites will work just fine. There are many sites (not to mention books and periodicals) which have thought and care put into their recipes, often with supplementary material which helps you understand what you're doing and become a better cook, rather than just an ingredient-assembling automaton. Another aspect to consider is that many people like to read (or watch) things about food but don't actually cook much. That's why the Food Network has become so popular (ever notice how all their commercials are for ready-made products?). A pet peeve of mine is to see 5-star reviews with a comment like, "Looks delicious! Will try making it sometime." Pretty annoying, but some people just like to watch. Maybe that's why recipes with pictures get higher ratings.