Kitchen Basics

Standardized recipes
provide a list and
amounts of
ingredients, yield,
equipment needed,
cooking time,
cooking temperature,
and sometimes the
calorie count per
serving. These
recipes ensure the
same result each
time it is made. The
opposite of a
standardized recipe
is an ‘original’ recipe.

The most commonly used system of measuring in the United States is
based on standard or ‘customary’ units of measurement, which would
include ‘volume’ measures such as ounces, teaspoons, tablespoons,
cups, pints, and gallons.
Measuring spoon sets, used
for liquid and dry
ingredients, usually include
1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, ½
teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon.
Measuring cup sets,
used for dry
ingredients and solid
fats, usually include 1
cup, ½ cup, 1/3 cup,
and ¼ cup. Some sets
may include a 2/3 and
a ¾ cup measure.
1 cup, 2 cup, and 1 quart
liquid cup measures are
transparent and have
space above the top
measurement line. You
can carry a full cup
without spilling.

Metric units of measurement are based on multiples of ten, and
include milligrams, grams, kilograms, milliliters, and liters. As long
as you have the correct measuring equipment, it’s not necessary
to convert measurements from one system to another.
1 cup All Purpose Flour: 4 3/8 oz or 125 g
Any measurement by weight,
whether using customary or metric
units, is more accurate than using
measuring cups or spoons.

Brown sugar is the ONLY
dry ingredient that is
packed into the measuring
cup. Pack the sugar, level
the top, and invert. If
packed correctly, the
damp sugar should
maintain the shape of the
measuring unit.
Lightly spoon dry
ingredients into the
measuring cup,
mounding the top.
DO NOT SHAKE
DOWN OR PACK.
Using the flat side of a knife or a straight-
edge spatula, level the ingredients.
Since there is some degree of error with each measurement,
measure the fewest number of times possible.

Pack fats into a dry measuring cup, level the
top, and remove with a rubber spatula, OR use
a water-displacement method to measure.
Example: measure ½ cup of water into a liquid
measuring cup; add fat until the water level
reaches the 1 cup mark; you have just
measured ½ cup of fat.
When using a scale to measure, place the
bowl on the scale first, reset the scale to
zero, and then measure in the ingredients.
To measure liquids, set the cup measure in a level
surface. Pour in the liquid to the right line and
read it at eye-level. Food ingredients do not cause
eye damage if splashed into the eyes.

The use of abbreviations saves time and
space when writing menus and cookbooks.
Tablespoon = T. or tbsp.
Teaspoon = tsp., t., ts.
Cup = cu., c.
Pint = pt.
Ounce = oz.
Package = pkg.
Large = lge.
Calories = cal.
Medium = med.
Small = sm.
Quart = qt. Gallon = gal.
Pound = lb. or #

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
16 tablespoons = 1 cup
2 cups = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
8 fluid ounces = 1 cup
16 ounces = 1 pound
1 pinch = (what you can hold between your thumb
and your forefinger), less than 1/8th teaspoon, a
dash, a few grains

Suppose you have a standardized recipe for chocolate chip cookies that
yields 6 dozen cookies, but you only want to make 3 dozen cookies. You can
often adjust ingredient amounts to change the yield. Read amounts of
ingredients carefully, as some recipes are not well-suited for this.
2 sticks margarine
1 ½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten in one at a time
½ tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup margarine
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups chocolate chips
Cut each of these recipe ingredients in half to decrease the yield.
Which of these recipes works best for this?

Mise en place (meez ahn PLAHS)
is a French term that means “to
put in place”. It refers to any work
you do in getting ready to cook,
before you actually start cooking.
Mise en place includes
the assembling, washing,
measuring, cutting, and
preparing ingredients,
getting out equipment,
preheating the oven,
separating the eggs,
boiling the water, lining
the pan with paper, etc.
The basic elements of
mise en place include
knife cuts, herbs, spices,
and basic preparations. It
includes any steps in
food preparation that can
be done ‘in advance’,
without losing quality.

Mise en place steps that include knife
skills are an important part of pre-
preparation.
Use a ‘claw grip’, with fingertips
curled back and under, to hold
food when slicing. Choosing the correct knife for each
task is important to the success of the
effort. The hand holding the food item
is called the ‘guiding hand’.
When peeling a vegetable or fruit with a
paring knife, cut straight toward your thumb.

A batonnet (ba-tun-AY)
cut is ¼ x ¼ x ¼ x 2 ½”
Cut batonnet
pieces crosswise to
dice… this is called
brunoise
(broon-WAHZ)
Julienne (jew-lee-EN)
cuts are 1/8 x 1/8 x 2 ½”
Cut julienne pieces
crosswise to mince
The term ‘chop’
usually indicates a
simple dice in the
size of your choice.

Seasoning is very important in food
preparation. ‘Mirepoix’ (meer-PWAH) is
a combination of onion, carrots, and
celery, either raw, roasted or sautéed
with butter. It is the flavor base for a
wide number of dishes, such as
stocks, soups, stew, and sauces. Herbs (URBS) are the leaves,
stems, or flowers of an
aromatic plant, available fresh
or dried. Crumble or grind dry
herbs before adding them to
your dish to release their flavor.
When using fresh herbs, you
must use 2–3 times the amount
called for in the recipe, as the
dry herbs have a stronger
flavor. Basil, bay leaves, chives,
cilantro, dill, oregano, and sage
are examples.

Spices are the bark, roots,
seeds, buds, or berries of an
aromatic plant, purchased
whole or ground in dry form.
Whole spices should be
added early during the
cooking process to release
their flavors. Cut or ground
spices should be added later
in the cooking process.
Each herb or spice has its
own distinctive flavor. Using
a combination of herbs and
spices can reduce the
amount of salt needed for
flavor.
Heat, light, and air speed the
loss of flavor and color from
herbs and spices. Store
carefully.
Examples of common spices are
caraway, cayenne, chile pepper,
cinnamon, cloves, curry, ginger,
nutmeg, paprika, peppercorns, and
sesame seeds.

Barding also adds flavor to
dry heat methods. It is a
technique that involves
wrapping a very lean food
with a piece of fat during
cooking, to impart flavor
and juiciness. Shown here
is a filet of beef wrapped in
bacon… commonly called
filet mignon.
Marinating is one way of
adding flavor to dry-heat
cooking methods. You
literally soak the meat in
a seasoned liquid to
impart flavor; it may
tenderize some meats.
To roast, place
food on a rack
in the pan, so it
doesn’t sit in
its own juice.
No lid.
Cook slowly in the middle of the oven
to achieve a golden brown exterior
and moist, tender inside.

Broiling is done on one
of the top racks of the
oven, directly under the
coils or flame. The food
is turned halfway
through the baking time.
The oven door is left ajar,
so the hot air can
escape. This is a rapid
cooking method.
Grilling is often accomplished on a
piece of outdoor cooking equipment.
The food is placed directly over a heat
source, such as gas flames or
charcoals. The crosshatch marks on
the food’s surface are visually
appealing. The food is turned halfway
through the cooking process.
The food is highly
flavored on the
outside,
somewhat smoky,
depending on the
type of heat
source (i.e.
burning hickory
or mesquite
woods)

Barbecuing is the same as grilling,
only during the cooking process the
food is ‘basted’ with a seasoned
sauce. To baste the food, you brush
on a sauce or drippings or other
liquid to keep the food moist.
Baking is cooking food in an oven,
surrounded by dry, hot air. No
liquid is added to the food; no lid
traps the steam that escapes from
the food. Food placed too high or
too low in the oven browns on the
top or bottom before the center is
cooked. Food is normally placed
on the center rack.

Microwaving food is a dry heat method. You do NOT get the same
results as a conventional or convection oven. The food is cooked
with ‘waves’ of energy, which pass through the food. As they do, they
create friction… and heat. The food cooks from the inside out. Foods
that work best in the microwave have a somewhat higher moisture
content. Foods cook in about ¼th the time as they would in a
conventional oven.
Foods must be placed in
cookware that the micro-
‘waves’ can pass through…
such as glass, paper,
plastic, etc. Microwaves
cannot pass through metal,
so it is not used for
cookware, but IS used to
line the appliance cooking
compartment and to contain
the microwaves.

Sautéing
(saw-TAY-ing) cooks
food rapidly in a
small amount of fat,
releasing juices.
Foods cooked by pan frying are
often coated first with flour,
crumbs, or batter. The hot oil
seals the natural juices inside,
and leaves a crisp exterior. Only
naturally tender food should be
cooked by dry heat methods.
Deep fat frying or French frying is similar to frying,
only food is totally submerged in hot grease.
When stir-frying, food
is kept in constant
motion over a large,
hot surface.

Boiling and simmering are moist heat cooking methods.
Boiling means to cook food in a
liquid that has reached 212ºF.
Rolling bubbles appear on the
surface. Boiling is used for
vegetables and starches, but
toughens protein of meat, fish,
and eggs. Rapid boiling breaks
apart delicate foods.
Simmering is similar to boiling, only
temperatures are kept just below
boiling. Only small bubbles break
the surface. Simmering for long
periods of time is effective in
melding flavors, such as in the
spaghetti sauce at the right.

Steaming, like poaching and
blanching, are gentle
methods of cooking in
liquid. Cooking foods in
steam OVER, but not in
boiling water, retains color,
shape, and flavor.
Poaching is
when food is
allowed to
sit and cook,
partially- or
fully-
covered in
very hot (but
not boiling)
liquid.
Blanching foods are only boiled briefly,
then immersed in ice water to halt the
cooking process. This is called ‘shocking’.
Blanching loosens skins of fruits or
vegetables, so they can be peeled easily.

Braising combines dry and moist heat. First the meat is ‘seared’ or
fried over high heat to seal in the juices. It is then transferred to the
oven for slow cooking that softens the tougher, connective tissue.
3 types of braising include:
Daube (DAWB) is made with
red meat and red wine.
Estouffade (ess-too-FAHD) is a
French term for the braising
method or the dish.
Pot roasting is a common
American term for braising, and
is the name of the meat,
potatoes, carrots, and onion
dish.
Some liquid is added to the pot
during cooking.

Stewing is similar to braising, but food is cut into bite-size pieces
before searing and cooking. When stewing, food is covered in liquid
while simmering. Types of stews include:
Blanquette (blahn-KETT) is chicken,
veal, or lamb with mushrooms and
onions in a white sauce.
Bouillabaise (BOO-yuh-base) is a
Mediterranean fish stew.
Fricassée is a white stew made with
veal, poultry, or small game.
Goulash is a beef, veal, or poultry dish
seasoned with paprika and generally
served with potatoes or dumplings.
Ragout (ra-GOO) is a French term for
stew that means ‘restores the appetite’.
Matelote (ma-tuh-LOAT) is a fish stew
made with eel.

Kitchen Basics

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