Recipe- set of directions used in cooking

List the amounts of ingredients needed and tell you what to do with ingredients

Questions to ask: Does the recipe sound good?-

Consider likes and dislikes of others

How long will the recipe take to prepare? Do I have enough time?

Do I understand all the steps? Do I have the needed skills? Do I have all the necessary

equipment? Will I be able to find all the

ingredients?

Identify the measuring utensils that will be needed to make an accurate measurement

Identify alternative ways of measuring

Copy chart on pg. 474 in text book Abbreviation- short form of a word Recipes often use abbreviations of

terms to save space Some use customary

measurements ( cups and tablespoons)

Some use metric measurement (milliliters)

Use the measuring equipment that is appropriate for the recipe

It is important to know basic equivalents- amounts that are equal to each other

Example: 12 inches= 1 foot Handy when doubling or cutting a

recipe in half

Dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder

To measure ¼ c or more use a dry measuring cup

Spoon ingredients into cup Heap it a little over top Then level with a straight edge

spatula For smaller amounts, use a

measuring spoon If recipe calls for sifted flour, sift

first, then measure usual way; don’t tap the cup (tapping packs it down and will give you too much)

Liquid ingredients: water, milk, oil Measured in clear, liquid

measuring cups Place the cup on a flat surface and

read the measurement at eye level You can measure small amounts of

liquids in measuring spoons Fill the spoon to the brim Margarine and butter have

measurements on the wrapper One stick=1/2 cup If you need part of a stick, cut

through the wrapper at the appropriate marking

You can measure solid fats (shortening) in dry measuring cups

Pack it in and level it off Use a plastic scraper to remove the

fat from the cup

Stir- make circular or figure eight motions

Blend, mix, combine –use a spoon to stir two or more ingredients together

Beat- use this to smooth a mixture- over-under motion (with spoon or wire whisk)

Whip- beat ingredients very rapidly, brings in air and increases volume

Cream- combine ingredients until soft and creamy

Cut in- use blender or two knives and cutting motion to mix solid fat with dry ingredients

Fold-use rubber scraper to combine ingredients

Chop- cut food into small pieces Mince- cut food into pieces that

are as small as possible (onion) Cube- cut into evenly shaped

pieces (1/2 in) on each side Dice- cut into evenly shaped pieces

(1/4 in) on each side Pare- cut off the outside of a fruit

or veggie Grate-rub food over grater to get

fine particles Shred- cut or tear food into long,

thin pieces

Write what you think the following words mean:

Chop Mince Dice Cube Pare Grate Shred

Baste- Moisten foods such as meat, while cooking-adds flavor and helps from drying out

Brush- lightly cover surface of one food to another

Coat-cover surface of food with a dry ingredient ( flour, cornmeal)

Garnish- decorate food with a small food item

Grease- rub lightly with fat ( oil, butter, margarine)

Season- add salt, pepper, herbs, or spices

Drain-remove excess liquid by putting food in a colander or strainer

You may want to change the number of servings

You may need to substitute another ingredient for one you don’t have

Yield- amount of food or number of servings a recipe will make

If you want more or fewer you will have to alternate recipe

Use equivalent measurements Read through ingredient lists to

make sure you have all the items If you don’t have an ingredient,

you may be able to substitute Some ingredients may be used in

place of others Copy chart on page 481

Complete activity at the bottom of page 479.

Now with the recipe at your table: Double it Half it What size of pans will you need? What if you don’t have that size? How should you adjust baking and

cooking times?

At first it is good to do exactly what the recipe says

After a while, you may want to try some variations to it

May use lean ground beef or turnkey in place of regular ground beef

May add more chili powder to make it spicier

May use low fat yogurt in place of sour cream

If you use understanding of measuring ingredients, common sense, and a dash of creativity, you will be pleased with the results

Create a set of flashcards to quiz each other on units of measure and equivalents

Does your kitchen have measuring utensils for a variety of measuring tasks? Practice using the utensils to measure various types of ingredients.