Being a Good Cook doesn't just happen. It starts with knowledge. And that knowledge must run deeper than just a recipe on a page, no matter how much or how little cooking experience you have.
Successful cooking starts with knowing the ingredients you work with and understanding the tools and equipment you use. Good cooking techniques bring those two factors together, and recipes offer the ideas you need to blend it all into great food.
Let's start with some advice on saving money as you set up or improve your kitchen. To help avoid expensive mistakes let's start with kitchen tools and equipment. This will allow you to identify which items are most practical and versatile and which items are worth investing in for the long term.
*Processing Tools*
It is essential to use the right tool for the job - a cliche, but a concept that is very important in the kitchen. The wrong tools will only cause frustration and waste valuable time.
Processing by Hand...Good ingredients deserve good treatment. Having the right tools means wasting less of the food you buy. Here are the basic items every cook should have.
*Box Grater*
*Potato Masher*
*Pepper & Salt Mills*
*Nutmeg Grater*
*Lemon Squeezer*
*Mortar & Pestle*
*Garlic Press*
*Processing by Machine*
Equipping your kitchen with the full range of small appliances is costly and wastes storage space. When buying, think carefully about what you cook, how often, and the quantities involved. These are the tools I would want in my kitchen.
*Blender*
*Handheld Mixer*
*Food Processor*
*Handheld Blender*
*KNIVES*
Buy good quality knives and keep them in a block or on a wall-mounted magnetic strip. Knives kept in a drawer get blunt and are a danger to your fingers.
These are the knives that area must in my kitchen...
*Chef's Knife*
*Serrated Knife*
*Paring Knife*
*Bread Knife*
*Carving Knife*
Conversions & Equivalencies
U.S. Weights and Measures
1 pinch = | less than 1/8 teaspoon (dry) |
1 dash = | 3 drops to 1/4 teaspoon (liquid) |
3 teaspoons = | 1 tablespoon = 1/2 ounce (liquid and dry) |
2 tablespoons = | 1 ounce (liquid and dry) |
4 tablespoons = | 2 ounces (liquid and dry) = 1/4 cup |
5 1/3 tablespoons = | 1/3 cup |
16 tablespoons = | 8 ounces = 1 cup = 1/2 pound |
16 tablespoons = | 48 teaspoons |
32 tablespoons = | 16 ounces = 2 cups = 1 pound |
64 tablespoons = | 32 ounces = 1 quart = 2 pounds |
1 cup = | 8 ounces (liquid) = 1/2 pint |
2 cups = | 16 ounces (liquid) = 1 pint |
4 cups = | 32 ounces (liquid) = 2 pints = 1 quart |
16 cups = | 128 ounces (liquid) = 4 quarts = 1 gallon |
1 quart = | 2 pints (dry) |
8 quarts = | 1 peck (dry) |
4 pecks = | 1 bushel (dry) |
Approximate Equivalents
1 quart (liquid) = | about 1 liter |
8 tablespoons = | 4 ounces = 1/2 cup = 1 stick butter |
1 cup all-purpose pre-sifted flour = | 5 ounces |
1 cup stoneground yellow cornmeal = | 4 1/2 ounces |
1 cup granulated sugar = | 8 ounces |
1 cup brown sugar = | 6 ounces |
1 cup confectioners' sugar = | 4 1/2 ounces |
1 large egg = | 2 ounces = 1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons |
1 egg yolk = | 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon |
1 egg white = | 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons |
Temperatures: °Fahrenheit (F) = °Celsius (C)
| -10°F = | -23.3°C (freezer storage) |
| 0°F = | -17.7°C |
| 32°F = | 0°C (water freezes) |
| 50°F = | 10°C |
| 68°F = | 20°C (room temperature) |
| 100°F = | 37.7°C |
| 150°F = | 65.5°C |
| 205°F = | 96.1°C (water simmers) |
| 212°F = | 100°C (water boils) |
| 300°F = | 148.8°C |
| 325°F = | 162.8°C |
| 350°F = | 177°C (baking) |
| 375°F = | 190.5°C |
| 400°F = | 204.4°C (hot oven) |
| 425°F = | 218.3°C |
| 450°F = | 232°C (very hot oven) |
| 475°F = | 246.1°C |
| 500°F = | 260°C (broiling) |
Cooking Equivalents and Substitutions
| Spaghetti: | 8 ounces uncooked = 4 cups cooked |
| Macaroni: | 1 cup uncooked = 2 1/2 cups cooked |
| Rice: | 1 cup uncooked = 3 cups cooked |
| Crumbs: | 1 slice bread = 1/2 cup crumbs |
| Popcorn: | 1/4 cup unpopped = 5 cups popped |
| Cheese: | 4 ounces = 1 cup shredded |
| Herbs: | 1 teaspoon dried = 1 tablespoon fresh |
| 1 square chocolate: | 3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon butter |
| 1 tablespoon cornstarch: | 2 tablespoons flour (for thickening) |
| 1 cup buttermilk: | 1 cup yogurt |
| 1 cup milk: | 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water |
| 1 cup sour milk: | 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar |
| 1 cup cake flour: | 1 cup all-purpose less 2 tablespoons |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder: | 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| 1 cup sugar: | 1 cup honey (use 1/2 cup less liquid in recipe) |
| 1 cup brown sugar: | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| 1 cup oil: | 1/2 pound butter |
| 1 tablespoon prepared mustard: | 1 teaspoon dry mustard |
No comments:
Post a Comment