Cooking Basics For Dummies

Tips for Reading Recipes before Cooking

Preparing, understanding, and completing a recipe means looking ahead and thoroughly reading the recipe before you start cooking. Save yourself from a cooking catastrophe by following these valuable tips on how to read a recipe.

• Read through the recipe at least twice to make sure that you understand the directions.

• Make sure that you can perform all the techniques.

• Check that you have all the necessary equipment and ingredients.

• Make sure that you have enough time before serving to prepare and cook the recipe.

• Check whether you can (or need to) make any part of the recipe ahead of time.

• Read through the ingredients to see whether you like them all (sea slugs anyone?), as well as whether the recipe has too much fat, sugar, or salt for your dietary needs.

• Check whether you need to use an ingredient, such as butter or oil, at different stages in the recipe so that you don’t make the mistake of using that ingredient all at once.

• Find out whether you need to preheat the oven.

• Check the yield of the recipe: Will it make enough for your purposes?

How to Cut Fat, Calories, and Carbs when Cooking

To reduce fat, calories and carbs, try these alternatives when cooking your favorite dishes. You can create healthier meals without sacrificing flavor just by trying these simple substitutions. Bon appétit!

• Substitute lowfat or nonfat dairy products for full-fat dairy products. For example, use 2 percent or skim milk rather than whole milk or cream, lowfat or nonfat cottage cheese and yogurt rather than the full-fat versions made with whole milk, or lowfat or nonfat cheese for regular cheese. In many of these products, you may not be able to taste the difference, and they won’t usually affect the quality of your recipes.

• Substitute lowfat or nonfat mayonnaise for regular mayonnaise and lowfat or nonfat salad dressing for regular salad dressing. Find brands you like so you don’t feel deprived.

• Looking for lower-fat meat options? Try ground turkey rather than ground beef, or choose ground beef that is at least 95 percent lean. Choose white meat over dark meat poultry, and cuts of beef with the words loin or round in them. These have a lower fat content.

• Choose olive oil and canola oil over butter when sautéing. These ingredients contain monounsaturated fats, a healthier option than saturated fats for heart health.

• To cut carbs, use lettuce leaves rather than bread for sandwiches or wraps. Just roll up lean meat and lowfat cheese with a dash of mustard inside a Romaine lettuce leaf.

• Decorate your salads with hard-boiled egg whites and walnuts rather than croutons and full-fat cheese.

• Avoid processed foods, especially those made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats, which are found mostly in prepared meals that come from a box or package.

Make Meals Memorable with a Great Ambiance

Make any meal memorable by improving the ambiance with music, lights, or decorations. Appealing surroundings make any meal taste better, whether dining alone, throwing a party, or cooking for the family. Casual or formal, the extra touches will make your guests (and you!) feel special.

Here are some easy ways to create a festive setting while entertaining:

• Light lots of candles. Watch out! Don’t place them near curtains or other flammable materials.

• Play music. Nothing adds depth and class to a dinner party like tasteful and appropriate background music. Consider classical, jazz, or music that fits the theme of your party, such as salsa music or Latin guitar for a fiesta, opera for an Italian dinner, or classic country for a southern barbecue.

• Display fresh flowers. You don't need anything elaborate or formal. Flowers add a touch of class or charm to any gathering. Cultivate a cutting garden to keep your vases stocked inexpensively, or buy fresh flowers at the grocery store when you pick up other items for a dinner party.

• Who says decorations are just for kids? Japanese lanterns and paper screens, piñatas and sombreros, or Hawaiian leis and artificial palm trees add instant low-cost whimsy to a party.

• Find some responsible teenage neighbors who are willing to trade party services (taking coats, serving trays of hors d’oeuvres, or busing tables) in exchange for movie passes or music downloads.

Common Cooking Conversions and Equivalents

Knowing some basic cooking conversions and equivalents can solve problems when measuring ingredients for a recipe. This handy chart offers cooking conversions for liquid and dry ingredients — keep it nearby when cooking or baking.

Liquid volume equivalents

1 cup = 8 fluid ounces or 16 tablespoons

2 cups = 1 pint or 16 fluid ounces

2 pints = 1 quart or 32 fluid ounces

4 quarts = 1 gallon

1/2 tablespoon = 1-1/2 teaspoons

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce

Dry equivalents

1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons

1/3 cup = 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 cup = 8 tablespoons or roughly 4 ounces

3/4 cup = 12 tablespoons

1 cup = 16 tablespoons

1 dry pint = 2 cups or 1/2 dry quart

1 dry quart = 4 cups or 2 dry pints

1 bushel = 32 dry quarts

1 pound = 16 ounces

Baking equivalents

1 cup sifted cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour = 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Miscellaneous equivalents

1 tablespoon prepared mustard = 1 teaspoon dried mustard

1 cup stock or broth = 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

1 square (1 ounce) baking unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon butter

1 ounce semisweet chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 2 tablespoons butter plus
3 tablespoons sugar

Food equivalents

2 slices bread = 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 stick butter = 8 tablespoons butter

1 pound butter = 4 sticks butter

1 pound confectioners’ sugar = about 4-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 pound granulated sugar = 2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 pound hard cheese = about 2 cups grated cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream = 2 cups whipped cream

1 medium lemon = about 3 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 to 3 teaspoons grated peel

1 pound apples = about 3 apples

1 large onion = about 1 cup chopped onion

1 cup raw converted rice = 3 cups cooked rice

1 large tomato = about 3/4 cup chopped tomato

1 pound all-purpose flour = about 4 cups sifted flour

1 stick butter = 1/2 cup or 4 ounces

Timesaving Cooking Tips

Save time when cooking with these handy tips. Serving up a meal is a snap with these timesaving hints. You'll cook more efficiently and enjoy more time with family and friends at the table!

• Have all ingredients prepared, measured, and set out within reach before you start cooking.

• Precook pieces of chicken, meat, or vegetables in your microwave before finishing them on the grill.

• Buy vegetables that are already washed and cut, if doing so will get you to eat more vegetables or cook more often. Prepared ingredients such as bagged salad mix, stir-fry vegetables already cut to size, and boneless cuts of meat may cost a bit more, but saving some time is worth it.

• Remove steaks and other meats from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking so that they warm to room temperature. They’ll cook faster and more evenly.

• Line the broiler pan with aluminum foil to ease cleanup when broiling hamburgers, fish, steaks, and chops.

• Don't bother chopping onion, garlic, fresh herbs, and the like for a salad dressing. Instead, use a food processor or blender to save chopping time, add your liquids, and then blend for a quick dressing.

• Place a garlic clove on a cutting board and whack it with the flat side of a heavy knife or a cleaver to make removing the skin easier. The skin should split right off.

• Roll a lemon or orange under the palm of your hand on the countertop to make extracting the juice easier.

• Clean up as you go. You’ll be glad you did when the meal is over!