do you need the visual appeal of a photo in order to cook a recipe?

[~Kim~]

I wouldn't say I can't cook without it, but picture definitely influence the cookbooks i buy and the blogs i follow.

[ss_storm]

I can/will cook a recipe without a photo, but I do prefer to have one. At least then I have an idea of what it's supposed to look like at the end! I probably wouldn't buy a cookbook that didn't have photos in it, after all what else are they good for except flicking through and looking at all the lovely pics Lol

[boomba]

Yes and no...I love flicking through to have something catch my eye...but like Onyx i dont like it wheh my meal doesnt lok the same so som,etimes having no pic is good too!

[Fleur]

If it doesn't have a picture, I dont usually bother reading the recipe

- I did say usually

[april86]

im exactly the same.
If the recipe dosen't have a picture then I'm not interested at all in cooking it !

[Daydream Believer]

If it doesn't have a picture, I dont usually bother reading the recipe

- I did say usually

ditto, generally the exception is if I ask for a recipe off someone or someone has told me its a really good recipe

[Just Me]

It depends ... if I am looking for a recipe and I know what I want to make then no I don't need a visual picture but if I am looking for inspiration or new ideas for cooking then I tend to look at the picture before I even read what it is. I grew up learning to cook from my Mum's Day to Day Cookery book and there are no pictures in that. I don't use it much anymore, but I think it taught me to cook without a picture of the end product.

Having said all that, I do far prefer recipes with pictures even when I am looking for something particular because recipes can vary so much for the same food so I like to check that the colour and texture of the end product is the same as what is in my head. I can do it a bit by checking the ingredients and method list but it still sometimes turns out different to what I expect if I don't have a picture of what it is to start with.

[Asparagus and Lemons]

It does help.. but if the recipe sounds nice enough then I will make it when it has no picture. BUT I prefer a picture for sure!