Recipe Advice

[MrKhay]

Knowing how to follow and read your recipe will help make your cooking or baking experience a success. Properly preparing your ingredients, using proper cooking times and temperatures, and proper bakeware or cookware all assist in the success of your end product.

Reading the Recipe
Before you begin cooking or baking, read the recipe completely through to the end. Read through the ingredient list and read all instructions. This will allow you to be prepared for any special steps that must be taken. Some of the recipe details that will affect the process, preparation and timing are listed below:
# Several of the ingredients may have to be prepared in a certain manner, such as melting or softening butter, melting chocolate, chopping and dicing of ingredients, precooking, or an ingredient may need to be precooked and then cooled before adding to other ingredients.
# A number of the ingredients may need to be added together and mixed or baked before other ingredients can be added. Such as the ingredients for a crust to a dessert may be mixed and baked before anything is produced with the other ingredients or parts of a salad may be mixed together and then require refrigeration overnight before other ingredients are added.
# Some ingredients need to be added quickly at a critical point in the process. Be sure these ingredients are measured and ready to add ahead of time.
# The ingredient list may indicate the entire amount needed for one ingredient but the instructions may indicate that a portion of the ingredient is used in one step and the remainder in another.
# Read the ingredient list and make sure you have all the necessary ingredients and the quantity required before you start. If you do not have an ingredient, check the Food Substitution chart to see if you have a substitution that would work in place of the original ingredient.
# Read the recipe carefully for any special indicators stated about doneness. Such as "cook until golden brown," or "bake until sides loosen from edge of pan." Use the cooking time stated as a guide to how long to cook but use the doneness indicators as a true sign of proper doneness.

[pk]

the Food Substitution chart

Somewhere in one of my many cookbooks (I have a huge collection of cookbooks, antique to new)...I have a really good chart that showed all the different substitutions for ingrediants if you didn't have something you needed. It was really great to look up what was good to use instead of something you don't have. I have no idea which book I saw that in and really don't have the time to go through them looking for it.

Is there a website that has something like this that you know of?

pk

[MrKhay]

http://www.wrenscottage.com/kitchen/tips/ingredientsub.php or for a PDF, http://members.core.com/~mmj1123/cooks/substituteingredients.pdf
These are fine ingredients substitution charts.

[pk]

Hey great! thanks! This is very close to what was in the book.

I will have to book mark these. In fact everyone should check this out and bookmark it!

pk

[MrKhay]

Originally Posted by MrKhay

http://www.wrenscottage.com/kitchen/tips/ingredientsub.php or for a PDF, http://members.core.com/~mmj1123/cooks/substituteingredients.pdf
These are fine ingredients substitution charts.

I just checked those links, and they go to a "404" error message. I then copied and pasted the link into a new browser, and the link worked...so...daer ya go.

[dgridley]

Always useful to be able to refer to a chart like this.. often I'm caught short on an ingredient and it's nice to know what I can substitute with.

This Google search may help as well:

ingredient substitution chart - Google Search

ingredient substitution chart - Google Search

Originally Posted by MrKhay

I just checked those links, and they go to a "404" error message. I then copied and pasted the link into a new browser, and the link worked...so...daer ya go.