Let it be known that I don’t throw the word perfect around casually. In this digital era, everyone’s fighting for attention with headlines like “the best chocolate cake” and “10 life-changing chicken recipes” and plenty more that don’t deliver on the promise.

Not only does this come across as disingenuous, but it makes me trust those publications less. The fact is that there are many excellent recipes out there—it all depends on what you’re after. But if we’re narrowing the scope to something really specific and comparing a collection of very similar recipes—for say, flourless chocolate cake or blueberry muffins—then I think we can start tossing the word “best” around. “Best” means the one that yields the ideal version of said food: a blueberry muffin with a tender crumb, tons of juicy berries in every bite, and a slightly sugared crackly domed top.