KITCHEN MATH MADE EASY
Whether you're a novice or pretty well
seasoned, you'll want to keep these charts handy.
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How to Know What You Need
Making a shopping list can be tricky if
you don't know how many beans to buy to yield 4 cups cooked. Here's our guide:
When the recipe calls for:
You need:
4
cups shredded cabbage 1
small cabbage
1
cup grated raw carrots 1
large carrot
2
1/2 cups sliced carrots 1
pound raw carrots
4
cups cooked fresh green beans 1
pound green beans
1
cup chopped onion 1
large onion
4
cups sliced raw potatoes 4
medium-sized potatoes
1
cup chopped sweet pepper 1 large
pepper
1
cup chopped tomato 1
large tomato
1
cup diced canned tomatoes 14 1/2
ounce can, drained
4
cups sliced apples 4
medium-size apples
1
cup mashed banana 3
medium-size banana
1
teaspoon grate lemon rind 1 medium-size lemon
2
tablespoons lemon juice 1
medium-size lemon
4
teaspoons grated orange rind 1
medium-size orange
1
cup orange juice 3
medium-size oranges
4
cups sliced peaches 8
medium-size peaches
2
cups sliced strawberries 1 pint
strawberries
1
cup soft bread crumbs 2
slices fresh bread
1
cup bread cubes 2
slices fresh bread
2
cups shredded Swiss
or
Cheddar cheese 8 ounces cheese
1
cup egg whites 6 or 7
large eggs
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Safety First
Before you start cooking, scrub your hands
with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Rinse well, dry with paper towel, then use
the towel to turn off the faucet.
After handling uncooked fish, poultry,
meat or raw eggs, use hot, soapy water to wash work surfaces and utensils.
Be sure to refrigerate food within 2 hours
of cooking -- or, on hot days, no more than 1 hour.
Don't overload the fridge; air should have
room to circulate.
Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator,
never on a countertop.
Keep the refrigerator temperature at 40º
F. and the freezer should register 0º F.
To eliminate cross-contamination:
Store meat, fish or poultry in well-sealed packages or on
plates to catch dripping juices.
Rely on one container to carry raw meat or poultry to the
grill, another for serving.
Boil marinate or basting liquid for 3 minutes before consuming.
Use one spoon for stirring, a separate one for tasting.
Occasionally sanitize cutting boards by soaking the surface
in a solution of one teaspoon bleach per quart of
water. Let
stand several minutes, the rinse and air-dry.
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Measure for Measure
Quick, how much cooked white rice does one
raw cup yield? Answer: three cups. We unravel this and other mysteries cooks
face time and time again:
Food Amount Measure
Butter/Margarine 1/2 stick 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons
1 stick 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
1 pound 4 sticks or 2 cups
Cheese 8 ounces cream cheese 1 cup
8 ounces cottage
cheese 1 cup
4 ounces Parmesan 1 1/4 cups grated
Chocolate Chips one 12-ounce package 2 cups
Cookies 1 cup crumbs 19 chocolate wafers
22 vanilla wafers
14 graham cracker squares
Cream 1 cup heavy cream 2 cups whipped
Dried Beans & Peas 1 cup 2 1/4 cup cooked
Herbs 1 tablespoon fresh 1 teaspoon dried
Pasta 8 ounces elb ow macaroni 4 cups
cooked
8 ounces fettuccine 3 3/4 cups cooked
8 ounces angle hair 5 1/2 cups cooked
8 ounces spaghetti 4 cups cooked
Rice 1 cup white 3 cups cooked
1 cup converted 4 cups cooked
1 cup instant 1 1/2 cups cooked
1 cup brown 3 to 4 cups cooked
Sugar 1 pound granulated 2 cups
1 pound brown,
firmly
packed 2 1/4 cups
1 pound confectioners' 4 1/2 cups
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Easy Exchanges
Measure twice, cut once is the carpenter's
code; it works well for cooks, too. This
chart will help you figure out equivalents:
1/8 teaspoon or less = a pinch
3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
4 tablespoons = 1/4 cup
5 1/3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons = 1/2 cup
10 2/3 tablespoons = 2/3 cup
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
4 cups = 1 quart
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
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In-a-Pinch Substitutions
It can happen to the best of us: Halfway through a recipe, you find you're out
of a key ingredient. Here's what to do:
Recipe calls for: You may substitute:
1 cup corn syrup 1 cup sugar + 1/4 cup additional
liquid used in
recipe.
1 tablespoon prepared mustard 1 teaspoon dry mustard + 1
tablespoon water
2 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch
(for thickening)
1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
(not balsamic)
1 square unsweetened chocolate 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
powder + 1 tablespoon butter
1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon
juice + milk to equal 1 cup
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar 1 cup sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup cake flour 1 cup less 2 tablespoons
all-purpose
flour
1 clove garlic 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups tomato sauce 3/4 cup tomato paste + 1 cup
water
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source:
Family Circle magazine
May 2006 - pages 208-209
http://www.familycircle.com