What is not one of the purposes that recipe cards serve?

Recipe cards serve several essential purposes in culinary contexts. One of their primary functions is to ensure consistent preparation of dishes by detailing ingredient quality, which is important for maintaining the standard of flavors and textures in food. They also help in managing portion sizes, ensuring that dishes are served in controlled quantities, which is crucial in both home cooking and food service to meet nutritional guidelines and cost management.

Additionally, recipe cards are invaluable for training. They provide a clear, step-by-step guide for new staff or learners in a kitchen, helping them understand the process and expectations involved in preparing a dish. This aspect is vital in professional settings where adherence to specific recipes maintains quality and consistency across meals.

While improving time management is beneficial in kitchen operations, it is not a direct purpose of recipe cards themselves. The focus of a recipe card is more on the consistency of the finished product and the adherence to culinary standards rather than on streamlining time efficiency for cooking processes. Thus, the correct answer highlights the distinction between the functional roles of recipe cards and the broader concept of time management in culinary practices.