by compound complex 17 Replies latest social entertainment
similar to several responses....
if it is familiar, then no need to measure
if it is new and i dont know what to expect,
careful measurement according to recipe
(my grandmother couldnt pass on one of
her most favored recipes since she NEVER
measured any of it and my older cousin and
i lament to this day that we never figured
out jo-jo's recipe for "butter-roll" )
I always mess around with recipes, add extra stuff and liberally season.
I use cookbooks more for ideas than strict instructions.
food glorious food don't care what it looks like just thinking of growing fat our senses go reeling one moment of knowing that full up feeling.
Yes, I always measure. First, to get consistency so that every time I cook a dish, I can count on it's flavor and presentation. Second, baking is a science and you don't get as good results if you don't measure. Third, I'm diabetic and have to count carbohydrates. I have all of my normal recipes written out with the carb/fat/protein, etc., count written on the recipe so that I know exactly what size a serving should be for me.
But here's the biggest reason I measure: cost. People who don't measure tend to use 3 times as much of an ingredient as is needed. For something like salt, that isn't expensive. But for something like vanilla extract or butter, it is expensive. Spices cost a lot, too, and if it doesn't significantly improve the dish by adding three times the spice, it's a waste of precious money to just pour without measuring.
Measuring is a tool of the tightwad.
i guestimate,
one nan didnt use scales and taught me the tablespoon = ounce and to divide butter by sections to get the required amount, it doesnt take einstein to convert that into metric (just as well cos my math sux)
the other nan used scales
my mothers still screaming and bleeding to death on a plate, or cremated beyond recognition culinary skills taught me ...cooking for self preservation.
I measure when I'm baking, not cooking.
W
When following a new recipe, yes. When making something like potato salad or pork chops or even greens, no.
I've only in recent years developed an appreciation and joy of cooking. I started by using printed recipes and I would measure, but not to the nth degree. If it called for 1 teaspoon of something, I'd get it close but it might not be a perfect level teaspoon.
I've developed some of my own recipes for some sauces and chilis and I still measure for them, just to make sure I don't screw something up. But I will experiment by trying different amounts or adding something just to see what happens.
Dear Fellow Cooks:
Here's a lot of food for thought to digest.
I understand the differences you state between precision baking and everyday cooking. Then you make the point about new recipes, cost of ingredients and even the need to be specific in measurement if you're diabetic. I hadn't thought about its being a survivalist technique, however!
Many, many thanks for sharing!
Bon appetit!
Coq au Vin
