1. Recipes and Measuring

2. Choosing a Recipe 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?
Choosing a Recipe

3. Identify the measuring utensils that will be needed to make an accurate measurement
Identify alternative ways of measuring
Math Activity

4. Abbreviations and Equivalents
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
Abbreviations and Equivalents

5. Measuring Dry Ingredients
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)
Measuring Dry Ingredients

6. Measuring Liquid Ingredients and Fats
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
Measuring Liquid Ingredients and Fats

7. Understanding Recipe Mixing Terms
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
Understanding Recipe Mixing Terms

8. Cutting Terms 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
Cutting Terms

9. Language Arts Write what you think the following words mean: Chop
Mince
Dice
Cube
Pare
Grate
Shred
Language Arts

10. 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
Other Cooking Terms

11. Altering Recipes 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
Altering Recipes

12. Activity 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?
Activity

13. Making Creative and Healthy Changes
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
Making Creative and Healthy Changes

14. Create a set of flashcards to quiz each other on units of measure and equivalents
Teamwork Activity

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