Cooking is a science, and like baking, a recipe acts as a chemical formula. Your cooking knowledge and expertise grow by leaps and bounds once you understand the language of recipes. It is important to note that there is a big difference between baking and cooking. While baking, one must adhere to precise formulas, but with cooking, there is a lot of flexibility. It is possible to alter or even substitute some ingredients to your preference without ruining the recipe when cooking.
The cooking terms used are, at times confusing, and you will realize that most cookbooks are usually very shallow. But if you learn the art of reading a recipe, you will be able to do classic, impressive and delicious meals and also avoid common mistakes people make when cooking. Below are some tips for reading a recipe when doing the home cook basics.
Go through the entire recipe
Whether the dish appears too simple to prepare or not, you must ensure that you go through the recipe from the beginning to the end before you start cooking. Doing so helps you to ensure all the tools and ingredients are in place while at the same time, you get to know how to proceed from one step to the next. Some recipes provide a list of ingredients that should be divided as well as the portions to use when separating them in the cooking process. Reading through the recipe will, therefore, help you avoid making mistakes. You also get an opportunity to familiarize yourself with terms that are new to you.
Understand the list of ingredients
In a well-written recipe, all ingredients are listed at the beginning in the order they are used. For instance, in a spaghetti recipe, the first ingredient is the olive oil, followed by the onion and then garlic. This is because when preparing spaghetti, you start by heating the olive oil, and then you add the onion followed by garlic.
When you see ingredients listed with the word “divided” after, know that those ingredients will be used more than once in your recipe. However, when the list is divided into various sections, an identical ingredient can be listed more than once in the list.
Follow the measurements
Although some flexibility is allowed when cooking with certain ingredients, the published measurements are usually the ideal amounts for one to get a successful outcome. When the list specifies one tablespoon, ensure that you use a tablespoon and not a teaspoon.
Another thing worth noting is the difference between a wet and dry measurement. For the sake of accuracy, you require both wet and dry measuring tools since they measure different amounts. For instance, when measuring 1 cup flour, always use a dry cup, but for a liquid ingredient, you can use a wet cup.
Another aspect to note is the order of words since they also influence the preparation methods used. For instance, there is a difference between “1 cup chopped nuts” and “1 cup nuts, chopped”. In the first case, you chop the nuts before measuring while in the second case, you first measure one cup then you cut them.
Gather everything you need
Before you start cooking, ensure that you have all the ingredients in the proper amounts, the pans, pots, bowls, and all the necessary cooking tools. This will avoid silly mistakes, lie burning the garlic as you run all over the kitchen to get the next ingredient. If the initial step is to preheat the oven, then be diligent in adhering to this before you start cooking. Also, you should carefully double-check the ingredients to make your cooking experience smooth and continuous.
Test for doneness
In all recipes, you will find a time range along with with a clear description of the way your food should appear, or the expected texture when you are done with cooking. For instance, in a fish recipe, you will come across a statement like “bake between 10 and 15 minutes or until fish can easily flake”. Notice that these time ranges are usually tested using tolerance techniques used in test kitchens; the provided range caters for the variation in the behavior of oven and stove tops in different homes. You should, therefore, test for doneness at the minimum minutes provided in the time range.
The bottom line
Cooking begins when reading a recipe. This phrase should always run in your mind if you want to do classic meals that will leave people licking their fingers. The above steps are a sure guide when reading a recipe for any meal you want to prepare.