Kitchen Math Made Easy

By LadyRev-2

Converting, substituting, exchanging

Ingredients

• 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 oz 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 cheese 8 ounces cheese
• 1 cup egg whites 6 or 7 large eggs
• 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.

Preparation

Step 1

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 Tbsp
1 stick 1/2 cup or 8 Tbsp
1 pound 4 sticks or 2 cups



Cheese 8 ozs cream cheese 1 cup
8 ozs cottage cheese 1 cup
4 ozs Parmesan 1 1/4 cups grated

Chocolate Chips one 12-ounce package 2 cups

Cookies 1 cup crumbs 19 choco 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 Tbsp fresh 1 tsp dried



Pasta 8 ozs elbow macaroni 4 cups cooked
8 ozs fettuccine 3 3/4 cups cooked
8 ozs angel hair 5 1/2 cups cooked
8 ozs 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 #granulated 2 cups
1 #brown, firmly packed 2 1/4 cups
1 #confectioners' 4 1/2 cups



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




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 Tbsp prepared mustard 1 tsp dry mustard + 1
Tbsp water

2 Tbsp flour 1 Tbsp cornstarch
(for thickening)

1 tsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp white vinegar
(not balsamic)

1 square unsweetened 3 Tbsp unsweetened
chocolate cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon butter

1 cup buttermilk 1 Tbsp 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 Tbsp all-purpose
flour

1 clove garlic 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups tomato sauce 3/4 cup tomato paste
+ 1 cup water