The Importance of Measuring in Cooking - Know Your Sizes!

Are measuring cups or spoons important? Perhaps you might know of someone who is a cooking fanatic, and to you it looks like he or she just throws ingredients left and right and ta-da! It results in something simply scrumptious. You wonder if it is magic or not, and that makes you ponder about the importance of accurate measuring during cooking. The answer to the question is surprising: extremely important. If you cannot measure, expect your results to turn out average to terrible. Cooking is science. From mixing batter to stir-frying vegetables, you are creating delicious chemical reactions. An accurate balance of carbohydrates, fats, and liquids results in a masterpiece.

Too much salt or putting in too much baking soda in cookies can destroy the flavor. Muffins will taste bland and tasteless. If you are a beginner, extra attention must be paid to measuring. Your future success and satisfaction depends on the exact replica of the recipe.

When you are comfortable with your skill to cook, you probably will be motivated to try different things out. You might want to drop in a few chocolate chips into a regular peanut butter recipe, or replace cranberries with nuts in oatmeal cookies, or replace pecan with peanuts. All of these methods are innovative and fine, but first you must acquire and perfect the skill of measuring.

First of all, you will need some measuring equipment. An easy start for beginners can be learning how to use measuring spoons. Measuring spoons often comes in a set of four to six spoons, each having a size from a fourth of a teaspoon to one tablespoon. When measuring liquids, fill up the spoon to the brim for an accurate measurement. For dry ingredients such as flour, scoop it up and scrape the brim of the spoon with a knife or flat object until it matches the same level as the brim. Measuring cups comes in two types: graded and glass. Graded measuring cups contain about 4 to 6 cups in a set and are used to measure dry ingredients, such as shortening. Glass measuring cups comes with one, two, or four cups and is used to measure liquids. When using a measuring a thick liquid such as corn syrup, the inside of the cups should be sprayed with cooking greases so it would not stick to the insides and will be easier to remove.

One method to measure dry ingredients is to transfer the ingredients onto a spoon a scoop it into the cup. Afterward, take a utensil with a flat surface n level it off. This will give you an exact measurement of one cup. However, if the recipe tells you to add one heaping cup, you should not level it off and add the ingredient along with the extra mound on top. When measuring a liquid, always be sure to use a glass measuring cup. To read the liquid ingredients accurately, put the cup to a flat surface and read the measurement at eye level.

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20 Things the Beginning Cook Needs in the Cupboard (Plus One)

If you're anything like the typical American in the early 21st century, your kitchen could use some help. I know mine could: It's small, there's not enough counter space, and there certainly is not enough storage in my cupboards. And yet, there are ways to make even the worst kitchen work well enough to cook decent meals consistently.

A first step is having on hand the basic ingredients you need. These will vary depending on your preferences and how often you cook, as well as whether you decide to bake cookies or cake for dessert once in a while. But with a few basics in your cupboard, you'll be amazed at the variety of meals you can make quickly and easily.

For starters, some dry staples:
Pasta (choose the shapes you prefer) and rice
Salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices you like (I recommend basil, oregano, thyme, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and parsley for starters)
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar

Now, add some liquid seasonings:
Olive oil (buy the highest quality you can afford of the type you prefer. If extra virgin is too strong for your taste, don't worry!)
Canola or vegetable oil
Balsamic vinegar (start with a small bottle; you'll be amazed at the uses you find for this!)
Soy sauce

Some vegetables that store well for long periods come in handy
Russet potatoes
Yellow or white onions
Fresh garlic (if you buy fresh, you can skip the garlic powder listed with the spices above)

Perishables in refrigerator that you will use often include:
Butter or margarine
Eggs
Lemon (or lemon juice
Cheese
Salsa
Ketchup
Mayonnaise
Milk (If you're not a milk drinker, buy non-fat dried milk so you don't have to worry about spoilage)

And finally, stash a few cans in your cupboard:
Tomato sauce
Chicken stock

With these staples, all you need to add are some fresh items each week - meat, produce, dairy - for an amazing number of different, easy meals.

This list may seem a bit daunting, but remember two things. First, you don't have to buy everything at once, especially the spices. Buy what you need as you need it, but keep track of what you have so you don't buy it again! Second, this entire list can be bought for less than $100. If you can spare that amount of money to stock your kitchen all at once, go for it! Think of how quickly you would spend that cash eating out. The return on your $100 investment in terms of your time, your health, and your calorie count is well worth it.

For recipes and kitchen tips for the beginning home cook, visit Food for Beginners (http://www.foodforbeginners.wordpress.com/). Mary Thompson provides tips on setting up your kitchen, items to have on hand to make meal prep easy, and ideas for quick recipes you can make with a minimum of time and fuss.