I’m in the “what else are you going to do with it camp” as far as “set aside” goes. As for serial commas, I never used them when I was a magazine and newspaper editor, because we wanted people to read quickly. Funny how camps are set up.

The above paragraph has two issues that could start a “discussion” with my editor for the recipe. First is the use of “set aside.” Some editors (and recipe writers) hate that phrase, arguing “Well, what are you supposed to do with it?” I use it because I do think it helps the cook keep track, especially in recipes with many components. The second is whether or not to use a serial comma. Most of my publishers use it, so I do, too.

When you have a blog, you can do whatever you want. When you are working for a publisher, they often have an established recipe style sheet that has to be followed, so all talk about whether or not water is included in the ingredient list is moot. I recently had a publisher who insisted on using two numerals in sequence in the ingredients list (“1 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut up”), something is anathema in every recipe writing guide.

One other trick: When you have a long ingredient list (for example a curry with a long list of spices and vegetables in the same step), copy, cut, and paste the entire list into your recipe directions. Then, just cut the details you don’t need (“2 large onions, chopped” becomes “onions” in the directions.) This way you won’t accidentally drop an important ingredient from the lineup.