It's mostly SEO and "engagement" but also possibly copyright law (at least that's the case with cookbooks that include non-recipe fluff content) From the US Co

It's mostly SEO and "engagement" but also possibly copyright law (at least that's the case with cookbooks that include non-recipe fluff content) From the US Copyright Office: "Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds, or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, when a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection.”