Pinch:
- A measurement used on dry ingredients that is the amount you can pinch between your forefinger and thumb. It is less than a dash and equivalent to approximately 1/16 teaspoon.
Dash:
- A small amount of an ingredient equivalent to over 1/16 teaspoon but less than 1/8 teaspoon when measuring dry ingredients. A dash used to measure liquid ingredients equals approximately 3 drops.
Jigger:
- A measurement equivalent to 3 tablespoons or 1 ½ fluid ounces.
Scant:
- A scant measurement indicates that you should use slightly less than the actual measure.
Heaping:
- A term, used when measuring dry ingredients, indicating that enough ingredient should be added in the measure so that it heaps over the rim of the measuring cup or spoon.
Measuring Tips:
- When measuring ingredients, never measure over the mixing bowl containing the other ingredients. You may accidentally tip the measuring device or over pour the ingredients and excess ingredients would fall into the mixture. This could ruin the whole batch, depending on the ingredient and how much was spilled. Measure over the sink, another bowl, or a sheet of wax paper to catch any excess spillage. Spillage caught on wax paper can be returned to that ingredient's container.
- If you do not have two sets of measuring cups or spoons that can be used separately for the dry and liquid ingredients, measure the dry ingredients first and then use the measuring cups and spoons for the liquid ingredients.
- Store loose dry ingredients, such as salt, in a lidded container. The ingredient can then be spooned out and leveled, rather than trying to pour it into a measuring spoon and having it spill over the edges.
- To help you keep track of which ingredients you have measured and added in the mixing bowl, place all the ingredients on one side of the mixing bowl and once you have measure and add an ingredient, move its container to the opposite side of the bowl.
- When cooking, learn to estimate the small measurements of ingredient to save time. Pour the measured amount of an ingredient into the palm of your hand. Observe the look and feel of the quantity and then try to pour that same amount into your palm without measuring first. Measure the amount you poured out to see how close you are to the actual measure. Practice doing this and soon you will be able to measure the ingredients by look and feel. This will greatly reduce your prep time when cooking. Do not use this technique when measuring ingredients for baking. When baking, it is more critical to that all ingredients are measured accurately.
- Do not mistake fluid ounces for ounces. Ounces measure weight and fluid ounces measures volume.
When baking with butter:
- Butter must be below 68°F to trap air molecules and build structure. Otherwise, the fat will liquefy and the cake will be flat.
- To obtain cool butter, cut the chilled butter into chunks and let it sit in a bowl for 5 minutes before beating.
When mixing cake batter:
- Don’t over beat the eggs, sugar and butter. Beat the flour just until there are no visible signs of dry flour, but not until the batter is completely smooth.
Cake flour:
- Cake flour is obtained from soft wheat (by milling) that has lower gluten and higher starch contents than all purpose flour. It helps to ensure a fluffy texture in cakes and pastries. You can use all-purpose flour for cake making by reducing the amount by two tsp per cup.
- To make bread, protein rich flour is required in order to get a decent rise out of the loaf.
- All purpose flour is useful to make biscuits (cookies), muffins, quick breads, cakes pie crusts, etc. However, for regular baking of cakes and breads, using appropriate flour is recommended.
- To hydrate the flour, adjust the amount of water that is added. Use more water if whole wheat flour is added to a recipe, less if bread flour is substituted for whole wheat.
- Don't add any leavening agents to make quick breads, biscuits, muffins, and pancakes if self rising flour already contains baking powder.
- Cuisine: a style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country or region
- Crockery: plates, dishes, cups, etc., made of earthenware or china
- Cutlery: knives, spoons and forks used for eating or serving food
- Gelatine: a colourless and tasteless water-soluble protein used in food preparation
- Ambience: the atmosphere of a place
- à la carte : (of a menu) food which can be ordered as separate items, rather than part of a set meal
- Hors-d’oeuvres: a savoury appetiser
- Tacos: a Mexican dish with a meat/vegetable filling
- Sushi: a Japanese dish
- Kebabs: a dish of pieces of grilled/roasted meat, fish or vegetables
- Pita bread: flat, hollow unleavened bread
- Beverage: a drink other than water
- Patisserie: pastries and cakes
- Canapés: a small piece of bread or pastry with a savoury topping
- Purée: a smooth pulp of liquidised or crushed fruit or vegetables
- Espresso: strong black coffee
- Cappuccino: coffee made with frothy milk
- Latte: a drink of frothy milk to which a shot of espresso is added
- Rancid: (of foods containing oil) smelling or tasting unpleasant as a result of being stale
- Mousse: a smooth, sweet/savoury dish made of cream/egg white
- While frying, preheat the pan to remove possible presence of water or moisture before adding oil.
- To retain or improve the flavor of fruits, allow them to ripe at room temperature before preserving in refrigerator.
- To remove the bitterness from bitter gourd, add a few pieces of raw mango while cooking.
- To cook cauliflower white, add lemon juice.
- Wash the fruits just before serving to have better advantage.
- To avoid hardening of milk and to avoid difficulty while washing the milk container, rinse it in cold water before washing.
- To obtain better taste, cook fish in earthenware.
- Fresh eggs shells are rough. Old egg shells are smooth.
- Large knives, forks, spoons, spatulas, etc. can be placed in a vessel, filled with hot detergent water after use, to wash them quick for reuse.
- To turn the newly prepared hard gulab jamuns soft, pressure cook them for a whistle or less.
- Use standard measuring instruments while cooking, to save time and to avoid confusion.
- To get white and separated cooked rice, add a few drops of lemon juice while boiling.
- To whip an egg white quickly and to increase the quantity, add a teaspoonful of cold water.
- To cook lentils well easily and to avoid spill while boiling, add a few teaspoonful of oil.
- To keep away worms and insects from rava (suji), green gram, semolina (semiya), etc., slightly roast and store in an airtight container.
- To make thick curd (Yogurt), let the coagulation takes place in a mud pot.
- To get rid of bad odour (odor) from refrigerator, Place inside a teaspoon of baking powder.
- To remove the dirt and kill insects from cauliflower, soak it in water mixed with a little vinegar for some time and rinse in water before cooking.
- Adding a few grains of rice with table salt will make it free flow.
- While boiling potatoes, add a little salt. This makes the peeling work easy.
- To remove raw banana (Plantain) stain from the palms, clean with lemon juice.
- To remove food stains from the hands, rub a potato slice and wash the hands.
- Apply oil on eggs to preserve for a little long time.
- To make the mixing of sugar quick while preparing cool drinks, powder it using mixer.
- Keep the gasket of pressure cooker in refrigerator when not in use. This prolongs its life.
- To preserve green chilies for long time, remove the stalks, put them inside a polythene bag, close and keep in the refrigerator.
- To eliminate fish smell from the utensil, boil leftover tea for some times by using the utensil.
- Clean your pressure cooker thoroughly after each use by washing and drying.
- Avoid using abrasives or metal scouring pads.
- Use soap and water with a plastic scouring pad for cleaning.
- Store your pressure cooker with the lid slightly open.
- Replace gasket at the first sign of cracking, flaking or tearing.
- Ensure all handles and knobs are securely fastened before using pressure cooker.
- Tighten nuts or screws if required.
