Cooking Tips
Lots of Free Recipes
Cooking TipsLots of Free Recipes |
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The new cook is often bewildered by what goes on in the kitchen. When an experienced cook begins to explain how they do something, even the language is foreign. My mother and grandmother used measurements like a "pinch" of this or "cream" these together. My husband can pick up a lot more salt in a "pinch" than I can which can lead to some very salty foods, and how do you "cream" something that doesn't contain cream? I ran into the same problem when teaching my grown sons how to cook. I hope these tips help remove some of the mystery from your cooking experience.
Weights and Measurements |
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| 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon | 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces |
| 4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup | 1 cup = 1/2 pint |
| 5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup | 2 cups = 1 pint |
| 8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup | 4 cups = 1 quart |
| 10 2/3 tablespoons = 2/3 cup | 4 quarts = 1 gallon |
| 12 tablespoons = 3/4 cup | 8 quarts = 1 peck |
| 16 tablespoons = 1 cup | 4 pecks = 1 bushel |
| 1 ounce = 28.35 grams | 1 quart = 946.4 milliliters |
| 1 gram = 0.035 ounces | 1 liter = 1.06 quarts |
Cooking classes advise taking out all of the ingredients for a recipe before beginning. However, some times you get in a hurry and find you are short of an ingredient after you have started. Experienced cooks have found there are ways to continue without making a fast trip to the store.
Emergency Recipe Substitutions |
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| 1 cup cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour | 1 whole egg = 2 egg yolks (in custard) |
| 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour or 4 teaspoons quick-cooking tapioca. | 1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa (regular type, dry) plus 1 tablespoon butter or margarine |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (to replace 1/2 cup of liquid called for in recipe) | 1 tablespoon fresh snipped herbs = 1 teaspoon dried herbs |
| 1 cake compressed yeast = 1 package or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast | 1 teaspoon dry mustard = 1 tablespoon prepared mustard |
| 1 clove garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder | 1 small onion = 1 tablespoon instant minced onion rehydrated in water |
| 1 cup tomato juice = 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water | 1 cup catsup or chili sauce = 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons vinegar (for use in cooked mixtures |
| 1 cup whole milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water or 1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk plus 1 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine | 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk = 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus sweet milk to make 1 cup (let stand for 5 minutes |