- What is a Recipe Extension Template?
- Viewing Existing Extension Templates that are Available for Use
- Creating a Recipe Extension Template
- Copying an Existing Recipe Extension Template
- Unpublishing a Recipe Extension Template
What is a Recipe Extension Template?
In a recipe extension grid, menu item extension grid, or fluid extension grid, an extension cell may have a template available as an option to quickly create a recipe for the designated texture (i.e., a therapeutic recipe). For example, if extending a recipe that belongs to the entrée category, then in the puree cells of the extension grid, there is Create Substitute from Template option.
A recipe extension template contains common details applicable to the texture type or fluid type. For example, recipes for the puree texture always contain the same preparation steps, have the same portion size, and might even add the same amount of liquid. Therefore, by using a template, a recipe can quickly be created that contains those common details.
Once the substitute recipe is created from the extension template, then there is the ability to edit the existing information in the substitute recipe. By creating a substitute recipe from an extension template, the user does not have to create a substitute recipe from scratch.
An extension template can be created by corporate accounts users and above. Facility account users do not have the ability to create extension templates. See Creating a Recipe Extension Template for instructions on creating a recipe extension template.
Viewing Existing Extension Templates that are Available for Use
To view the existing extension templates that are available for use in your account, complete the following steps:
- From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Recipe Tools. The Recipe Tools screen appears with its various tabs.
- Select the Extension Templates tab. The Extensions Templates screen appears, listing any existing templates.
- To view details of a template, click its name, and the extension template slide-out panel appears with information display in the Information tab and the Ingredients and Preparation Step tab.
Editing an Extension Template (only if created by your account)
If your account created the extension template, then it can also be edited. To edit an extension template, click its Name link, and the extension template slide-out panel appears for you to make your edits as needed.
Note: If your account did not create the extension template, then your account cannot edit it.
Creating a Recipe Extension Template (Corporate Account Users and Higher)
What to Know Before Starting
A recipe extension template can be created by corporate accounts users and above. Facility account users do not have the ability to create extension templates.
When an account creates a substitute recipe from a recipe extension template, the substitute recipe will be created with a yield of 1, and will have as its ingredient the regular recipe. All other fields in the substitute recipe are populated from the template, such as cooking and temperature info, additional ingredients and preparation steps that are required to create the substitute recipe.
When creating a recipe extension template, you will need to associate it with a recipe category (i.e., entrée, soup, vegetable, etc.). A recipe extension template will only be available for selection from a recipe extension grid, menu item extension grid, or fluid extension grid if the recipe and the recipe extension template share the same recipe category. For example, if the recipe is associated with the "starch" category, and the recipe extension template is associated with the "starch" category, then the recipe extension template will be available in the extension grid for that recipe.
Having extension templates for different recipe categories offers the flexibility needed by the MealSuite system to meet different recipe details (e.g., preparation steps, amount of liquid, etc.) for the various texture type/recipe category combinations or fluid type/recipe category combinations.
First Steps
To get started on creating a recipe extension template, complete the following steps:
- From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Recipe Tools. The Recipe Tools screen appears with its various tabs.
- Select the Extension Templates tab. The Extensions Templates screen appears, listing any existing templates.
- Click Add New button. The New Recipe Extension Template slide-out panel appears.
- In the Name field, enter an identifiable name for the template that contains the texture type or fluid type abbreviation and the recipe category. Some example names are shown in the screenshot below.
- If the template is for a texture type, select Texture. If the template is for a fluid type, select Fluid.
Completing the Info Section
In the Info section, enter or selection the following:
- Texture Type (available if Template Type is Texture) - select the texture type the extension template is associated with.
- Fluid Type (available if Template Type is Fluid) - select the fluid type the extension template is associated with.
- Recipe Box - select the appropriate therapeutic label for the recipe (e.g., Texture Puree). Note that if a facility account uses this extension template to create a substitute recipe, the label for Recipe Box will automatically change to the My Recipes label (see What is a "My Recipes" Recipe? for information about the My Recipes label). If a system or corporate account uses this extension template to create a substitute recipe, the label for Recipe Box remains as to what is in the template.
- Prefix (optional) - enter the texture type or fluid type abbreviation (e.g., Chp/SB6). When a user creates a substitute recipe from the template, the prefix will automatically be entered in front of the substitute recipe name.
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Categories - select the recipe category that the extension template is associated with. As noted above, a recipe extension template will be available for selection from a recipe extension grid, menu item extension grid, or fluid extension grid if the recipe and the recipe extension template share the same recipe category (i.e., entrée, soup, vegetable, etc.).
Note: The system will not allow a duplicate recipe extension template to be created. If another recipe extension template exists for the same texture type or fluid type selected above and is currently published, then the recipe category from that existing recipe extension template will not be available for selection from the Categories field for a new recipe extension template. - Tags (optional) - select apply IDDSI tags, diet order tags, and custom tags to be applied to a recipe created from this template.
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Portion size - enter the portion size to be served for the recipe based on your facility standards. For example, for a soup recipe, the portion size could be 180 ml or 6 fluid ounces. The portion size accepts numbers up to two decimal points and fractions.
Note: If a standard unit of measure is not applicable for the recipe, then you can create a special unit of measure (SUoM), such as “each” or “slice”. See Entering Special Unit of Measure (SUoM) for Portion Size for specific instructions. - Portion Size Description (optional) - enter a description of what the portion size consists of, which can be useful in a production kitchen.
- Serving Utensil (optional) - if there is a serving utensil required for the recipe, then select it from the Serving Utensil field.
Entering Cooking and Temperature Info
As noted above, when an account creates a substitute recipe from a recipe extension template, the substitute recipe will contain the regular recipe as its ingredient. The regular recipe contains its own cooking and temperature info. Additional cooking and temperature info to make it a substitute recipe are populated from the template. To add cooking and temperature info to the template, enter the following
- Cook Method
- Cook Temp
- Cook Time
- Cook End Temperature - enter as per HACCP. This is the temperature that food must reach at the end of the cooking process to ensure it is safe for consumption.
- Holding Temperature - enter as per HACCP. This refers to the temperature at which food should be maintained after cooking to keep it safe and palatable until served.
- Holding Time - enter as per HACCP.
Adding Ingredients to the Template
As noted above, when an account creates a substitute recipe from a recipe extension template, the substitute recipe will contain the regular recipe as its ingredient. Additional ingredients to make it a substitute recipe are populated from the template. Rather than repeat the instructions here, the same instructions are found in the existing Creating a New Recipe article in the Adding Ingredients section.
Adding Preparation Steps to the Template
As noted above, when an account creates a substitute recipe from a recipe extension template, the substitute recipe will contain the regular recipe as its ingredient. The regular recipe contains its own preparation steps. Additional preparation steps to make it a substitute recipe are populated from the template. Rather than repeat the instructions here, the same instructions are found in the existing Creating a New Recipe article in the Adding Preparation Steps section.
Click Save
With all of the above template steps completed, click the Save button at the top right of the slide-out panel (screenshot below) to save the template.
Copying an Existing Recipe Extension Template
Instead of creating a recipe extension template from scratch, you can copy an existing recipe extension template and modify it as needed. To copy an existing recipe extension template, complete the following steps:
- From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Recipe Tools. The Recipe Tools screen appears with its various tabs.
- Select the Extension Templates tab. The Extensions Templates screen appears, listing any existing templates.
- Click the name of the template that you want to copy. Its slide-out panel appears.
- Click the Save As button. The Save As Template pop-up appears.
- In the Name field, enter an identifiable name for the template that contains the texture type or fluid type abbreviation and the recipe category. Some example names are shown in the screenshot below.
- From the Categories field, select the recipe category that the extension template is associated with. Note that a recipe extension template will be available for selection from a recipe extension grid, menu item extension grid, or fluid extension grid if the recipe and the recipe extension template share the same recipe category (i.e., entrée, soup, vegetable, etc.).
Note: The system will not allow a duplicate recipe extension template to be created. If another recipe extension template exists for the same texture type or fluid type selected above and is currently published, then the recipe category from that existing recipe extension template will not be available for selection from the Categories field for a new recipe extension template.
- Click the Save button. The recipe extension template is created.
- Modify the template as needed.
Unpublishing a Recipe Extension Template
A recipe extension template by default is automatically published in the system, meaning it is available for use by the account owner (i.e., the account that created the recipe) and any child accounts.
A recipe extension template can be unpublished in the system, which means it will not be available for use in your account and any child accounts. If a substitute recipe was created from the recipe extension template, that substitute recipe is not affected (i.e., remains in the system).
To unpublish a recipe extension template, complete the following steps:
- From the left navigation sidebar, select Tools & Setup > Recipe Tools. The Recipe Tools screen appears with its various tabs.
- Select the Extension Templates tab. The Extensions Templates screen appears, listing any existing templates.
- Locate the template that you want to unpublish (use the Search field at top right of screen if needed).
- In the Actions column, click the gear icon and click Unpublish.
- The recipe extension template is unpublished.
Republishing a Recipe Extension Template
To republish a recipe extension template that was previously unpublished, complete the following steps:
- Select Tools & Setup > Recipe Tools. The Recipe Tools screen appears with its various tabs.
- Select the Extension Templates tab. The Extensions Templates screen appears, listing any existing templates.
- Locate the template that you want to publish (use the Search field at top right of screen if needed).
- In the Actions column, click the gear icon and click Publish.
- The recipe extension template is published.
Note: The system will not allow duplicate recipe extension templates to be published. A duplicate is identified if a template has the same texture type/fluid type and recipe category combination as another template. If attempting to publish an extension template and there exists a duplicate template already published, the following message appears.