Rego and Sinem Sen

Copyright © 2013 Regaip Sen and Sinem Sen.

Free for reproduction and distribution for non-commercial purposes only.

Otherwise, no part of the contents of this e-book may be reproduced without written permission of the authors. Please visit our website on the next page to contact the au-thors or acquire the latest version of this book.

We would like to thank:

- Veena Singla for teaching Rego the fundamentals - Aaron Madfes for coining our entity name - Grace Nguyen, Gregor Hanuschak, and Teresa Zhang for their helpful suggestions - Kristen Sindlinger for her marketing expertise - Jon Dishotsky and Brad Hasegawa for introductions - Trip Adler and the Scribd team for all their support - Our family and friends for contributing their recipes - Our parents Hulya and Sabri for everything

Version 1.3.4

A NOTE TO THE READER:

In the future we’ll have new recipes, printed editions,a website, and an app.

To stay informed of upcoming announcements,please visit or subscribe to the following: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CookbookForNerds Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cookbook4Nerds Website: http://www.CookbookForNerds.com

ABOUT THE SCRIBD VERSION:

While the Scribd mobile app disables all links,the web reader will let you click on the following:

Table of Contents: - Each entry is linked to its corresponding page.

This page: - The above URLs are linked.

Each recipe: - The mini tool icons will take you to the corresponding Tools page. - Expanded cutting and cooking methods are linked to their pages.

Index: - Recipes and page numbers are linked to their pages.

LAYOUT OF RECIPES

While typical recipes start with a list of ingredients and their quantities, the actual instructions are laid out like a word problem. While this workswell for some people, many others find a visual approach to be more helpful.

Advantages of a visual approach:- no repetition of ingredients- needed tools are immediately known (and not implied)- you can visually tell how to split the labor

Assembly instructions already take advantage of this with diagrams,but that hasn't been the case with cookbooks.

Here are two versions of the same recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound tomatoes1 clove garlic1 serrano chile1/2 tsp salt2 tbsp water10 twigs cilantro, de-stemmed

Instructions:

First, coarsely chop the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Next, combine the garlic, chile, salt, water and cilantro in a blender. Puree for about 30 seconds and then pour into the bowl. Mix and serve. Serves 4.

Thread A*

Thread B*

This meansyou’ll need a

cutting board

Figure 1: Salsa recipe in traditional format (with annotations)

LAYOUT OF RECIPES

While typical recipes start with a list of ingredients and their quantities, the actual instructions are laid out like a word problem. While this workswell for some people, many others find a visual approach to be more helpful.

Advantages of a visual approach:- no repetition of ingredients- needed tools are immediately known (and not implied)- you can visually tell how to split the labor

Assembly instructions already take advantage of this with diagrams,but that hasn't been the case with cookbooks.

Here are two versions of the same recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound tomatoes1 clove garlic1 serrano chile1/2 tsp salt2 tbsp water10 twigs cilantro, de-stemmed

Instructions:

First, coarsely chop the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Next, combine the garlic, chile, salt, water and cilantro in a blender. Puree for about 30 seconds and then pour into the bowl. Mix and serve. Serves 4.

Thread A*

Thread B*

This meansyou’ll need a

cutting board

Figure 1: Salsa recipe in traditional format (with annotations)

iv

LAYOUT OF RECIPES

While typical recipes start with a list of ingredients and their quantities, the actual instructions are laid out like a word problem. While this workswell for some people, many others find a visual approach to be more helpful.

Advantages of a visual approach:- no repetition of ingredients- needed tools are immediately known (and not implied)- you can visually tell how to split the labor

Assembly instructions already take advantage of this with diagrams,but that hasn't been the case with cookbooks.

Here are two versions of the same recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 pound tomatoes1 clove garlic1 serrano chile1/2 tsp salt2 tbsp water10 twigs cilantro, de-stemmed

Instructions:

First, coarsely chop the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Next, combine the garlic, chile, salt, water and cilantro in a blender. Puree for about 30 seconds and then pour into the bowl. Mix and serve. Serves 4.

Thread A*

Thread B*

This meansyou’ll need a

cutting board

Figure 1: Salsa recipe in traditional format (with annotations)

SALSA

xtomatoes ½ pound

xserrano chile 1

INGREDIENTS:

TOO

LS:

cutting board

large bowl

SIZE: 4 servings.

TOTAL TIME: 10 min.

COARSE CHOP

xcilantro 10 twigs

xsalt ½ tsp

MIX

xwater 2 tbsp

xgarlic 1 clove

de-stemdiscard stems

blender

PUREE 30 s

ingredientcolumn

quantitycolumn

followinstructions

inchronological

order

*Activities that can be done in parallel are grouped into their own columns. In this example, one person can do the blending while the other chops the tomatoes. Preparation of ingredients can serve as their own thread as well.

Thread A* Thread B*

required tools

serving sizeusing given

quantities

prep time(if 1 personis cooking)

Figure 2: Salsa recipe in visual format (with annotations)

v

1 tbsp1 oz

1 cup1 pint

1 quart1 gallon

1 cup1 stick butter

3 tsp (teaspoon)2 tbsp (tablespoon)8 oz (ounce)2 cups2 pints4 quarts

15 in³ (cubic inch)8 tbsp

======

≈=

MEASUREMENT CRIB SHEET

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REQUIRED TOOLS for LEVEL 1:

stove&oven

cutting board/surface

Gas stoves are preferredover electric stoves because: 1. they heat up faster 2. they can get hotter

large bowl for mixing

frying pan w/ lid

pot w/ lid

Symbol Name Specifications

Capacity: at least 1 quart

Surface: at least 9” x 9”

straight kitchen knife Length: at least 6”

colander

baking tray

Diameter: at least 8” at bottom

Capacity: at least 1 gallon

Capacity: at least 60 in³ or 1 quart

Surface: at least 9” x 9” at bottom

blender Capacity: at least 1 quart

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ADDITIONAL TOOLS for LEVEL 2:

Symbol Name Specifications

sauce pan

microwave

toaster

baking pan (loaf )

baking pan (round)

Capacity: at least 1 quart

Diameter: 9” at bottom

ADDITIONAL TOOLS for LEVEL 3:

Dimensions: about 8” x 4”

serrated kitchen knife Length: at least 6”

grill Capacity: 4+ steak servings

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8

9

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ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with the following ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book. Non-Perishable: for Level 1: - Salt - Black Pepper - Canola Oil

o This oil is for cooking (as opposed to olive oil). All refined oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.) are pretty much interchangeable since their flavors have been neutralized. for Level 2+: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Do not use for cooking! It quickly smokes up on the stove and affects the flavor. - Baking Powder - Flour - Sugar Perishable (store these in the fridge): Item Shelf Life - Butter “best-before” date

o Get the salted butter; unsalted is typically for desserts. - Eggs 1 month after sell-by date - Onion 2 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Garlic 3-4 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Bread “Best-before” date - Cheese 1+ month if processed or hard, 2 weeks if soft

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with the following ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book. Non-Perishable: for Level 1: - Salt - Black Pepper - Canola Oil

o This oil is for cooking (as opposed to olive oil). All refined oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.) are pretty much interchangeable since their flavors have been neutralized. for Level 2+: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Do not use for cooking! It quickly smokes up on the stove and affects the flavor. - Baking Powder - Flour - Sugar Perishable (store these in the fridge): Item Shelf Life - Butter “best-before” date

o Get the salted butter; unsalted is typically for desserts. - Eggs 1 month after sell-by date - Onion 2 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Garlic 3-4 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Bread “Best-before” date - Cheese 1+ month if processed or hard, 2 weeks if soft

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with the following ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book. Non-Perishable: for Level 1: - Salt - Black Pepper - Canola Oil

o This oil is for cooking (as opposed to olive oil). All refined oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.) are pretty much interchangeable since their flavors have been neutralized. for Level 2+: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Do not use for cooking! It quickly smokes up on the stove and affects the flavor. - Baking Powder - Flour - Sugar Perishable (store these in the fridge): Item Shelf Life - Butter “best-before” date

o Get the salted butter; unsalted is typically for desserts. - Eggs 1 month after sell-by date - Onion 2 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Garlic 3-4 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Bread “Best-before” date - Cheese 1+ month if processed or hard, 2 weeks if soft

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with the following ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book. Non-Perishable: for Level 1: - Salt - Black Pepper - Canola Oil

o This oil is for cooking (as opposed to olive oil). All refined oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.) are pretty much interchangeable since their flavors have been neutralized. for Level 2+: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Do not use for cooking! It quickly smokes up on the stove and affects the flavor. - Baking Powder - Flour - Sugar Perishable (store these in the fridge): Item Shelf Life - Butter “best-before” date

o Get the salted butter; unsalted is typically for desserts. - Eggs 1 month after sell-by date - Onion 2 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Garlic 3-4 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Bread “Best-before” date - Cheese 1+ month if processed or hard, 2 weeks if soft

NON-PERISHABLE:

PERISHABLE (store these in the fridge):

Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with thefollowing ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book.

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ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS Regardless of what you’re cooking, it’s good to stock your kitchen with the following ingredients. They’re used in multiple recipes in this book. Non-Perishable: for Level 1: - Salt - Black Pepper - Canola Oil

o This oil is for cooking (as opposed to olive oil). All refined oils (corn oil, vegetable oil, etc.) are pretty much interchangeable since their flavors have been neutralized. for Level 2+: - Extra Virgin Olive Oil

o Do not use for cooking! It quickly smokes up on the stove and affects the flavor. - Baking Powder - Flour - Sugar Perishable (store these in the fridge): Item Shelf Life - Butter “best-before” date

o Get the salted butter; unsalted is typically for desserts. - Eggs 1 month after sell-by date - Onion 2 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Garlic 3-4 months (shorter if cut/peeled) - Bread “Best-before” date - Cheese 1+ month if processed or hard, 2 weeks if soft

Level 1: Easy

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Figure 3: Ingredients for grilled cheese

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15

16

17

Figure 4: Fruit salad presentation

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19

20

21

Figure 5: Hummus presentation

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23

Figure 6: Personal pizza after baking and slicing

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25

Figure 7: Make sure to wear gloves when removing items from the oven or stove

26

27

Figure 8: Ingredients for an omelette

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29

Figure 9: The joy of multitasking

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Level 2: Intermediate

(This page is meant to be used as a worksheet. We encourage you to print a copy and track your achievements!)

TABLE OF CONTENTS Appliances Tools

FUNDAMENTALS Page Achievements

stove

ovenblender

microwave

toaste

r

grill cutti

ng board

bowlfry

ing pan

potco

lander

baking tray

sauce

pan

baking pan

How to Use This Book ivUnits (Measurement Crib Sheet) virTools

for Level 1 6for Level 2 7for Level 3 7

MethodsCutting Methods 8Cooking Methods 10

Ingredientsnon-perishable 12perishable 12

RECIPESLEVEL 1: EASY

Grilled Cheese 15Turkey Sandwich 16Fruit Smoothie 17Fruit Salad 19Potato Salad 20Shrimp Cocktail 21Hummus 23Pizza 25Pasta 27Omelette 29

LEVEL 2: INTERMEDIATESweet Potatoes 32Mashed Potatoes 33Beef Tacos 34Cornbread 35Caesar Salad 37Brownies 39Banana Bread 40

Power-ups from Level 1Pizza 25Pasta 27

LEVEL 3: DIFFICULTMac 'N Cheese 43Chicken Schnitzel 45Cheeseburger 46Flank Steak 48Bacon Quiche 49Nachos 50Chocolate Chip Cookies 53Sugar Cookies 55 (Cookie Baking Step) 56

Power-ups from Level 2Beef Tacos 34

POWER-UPSSalsa 58Guacamole 59Vinaigrette Dressing 60Pizza Sauce 61Marinara Sauce 63Pesto Sauce 65

INDEX 67

sto

ve

ove

n

mic

row

ave

ble

nder

toas

ter

gril

l

cut

ting

boar

d

bow

l

sau

ce p

an

bak

ing

pan

fryi

ng p

an

pot

col

ande

r

bak

ing

tray

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32

33

34

35

Figure 10: Some prefer to wash leaves as a preliminary step

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37

Figure 11: Brownies presentation

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39

40

Level 3: Difficult

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Figure 12: About to check if elbow macaroni is ready to be drained

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43

Figure 13: Chicken Schnitzel at the final stage of cooking

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45

46

47

48

49

50

51

Figure 14: Chocolate chip cookies presentation

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53

Figure 15: Cookies at the end of the baking step

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55

56

Power-Ups

57

58

59

60

61

Figure 16: Assessing consistency of marinara sauce

62

63

Figure 17: Some prefer to heat up the pesto prior to serving

64

65

Figure 18: Chopping off the tops of strawberries for fruit salad

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INDEX

RECIPES:Banana Bread 40Beef Tacos 34Brownies 39Caesar Salad 37Cheeseburger 46Chicken Schnitzel 45Chocolate Chip Cookies 53Cornbread 35Flank Steak 48Fruit Salad 19Fruit Smoothie 17Grilled Cheese 15Guacamole 59Hummus 23Mac 'N Cheese 43Marinara Sauce 63Mashed Potatoes 33Nachos 50Omelette 29Pasta 27Pesto Sauce 65Pizza 25Pizza Sauce 61Potato Salad 20Quiche (Bacon) 49Rice 10Salsa 58Shrimp Cocktail 21Sugar Cookies 55Sweet Potatoes 32Turkey Sandwich 16Vinaigrette Dressing 60

INDEX

RECIPES:Banana Bread 40Beef Tacos 34Brownies 39Caesar Salad 37Cheeseburger 46Chicken Schnitzel 45Chocolate Chip Cookies 53Cornbread 35Flank Steak 48Fruit Salad 19Fruit Smoothie 17Grilled Cheese 15Guacamole 59Hummus 23Mac 'N Cheese 43Marinara Sauce 63Mashed Potatoes 33Nachos 50Omelette 29Pasta 27Pesto Sauce 65Pizza 25Pizza Sauce 61Potato Salad 20Quiche (Bacon) 49Rice 10Salsa 58Shrimp Cocktail 21Sugar Cookies 55Sweet Potatoes 32Turkey Sandwich 16Vinaigrette Dressing 60

Index

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INGREDIENTS:Agave nectar 17Avocados 16, 59Bacon 49Baking powder 12, 35, 40, 55Baking soda 35, 53Bananas 17, 40Basil 60, 63, 65Beef, ground 34, 46Blackberries 19Bread 12, 15, 45, 46Bread, baguette 37Bread, wheat 16Butter (salted) 12, 15, 29, 33, 43, 45Butter, unsalted 35, 39, 40, 53, 55Buttermilk 35Cheese 12, 15, 29, 47Cheese, cheddar 43, 51Cheese, cottage 49Cheese, jack 16, 49, 51Cheese, mozzarella 25Cheese, parmesan 37, 65Chicken breast 45, 50Chickpeas 23Chili powder 34Chili sauce 21Chocolate chips 40, 53Cilantro 58, 59Cocoa powder 39Cornmeal 35Cumin 23, 32, 34Eggs 12, 29, 35, 37, 39, 40, 45, 49, 53, 55Flour 12, 35, 39, 40, 43, 45, 49, 53, 55Garlic 12, 21, 23, 37, 48, 50, 58, 59, 61, 63, 65Garlic powder 34Grapes 19Green onions 50Hamburger buns 47Honey 17Horseradish 21Ketchup 21

INGREDIENTS:Agave nectar 17Avocados 16, 59Bacon 49Baking powder 12, 35, 40, 55Baking soda 35, 53Bananas 17, 40Basil 60, 63, 65Beef, ground 34, 46Blackberries 19Bread 12, 15, 45, 46Bread, baguette 37Bread, wheat 16Butter (salted) 12, 15, 29, 33, 43, 45Butter, unsalted 35, 39, 40, 53, 55Buttermilk 35Cheese 12, 15, 29, 47Cheese, cheddar 43, 51Cheese, cottage 49Cheese, jack 16, 49, 51Cheese, mozzarella 25Cheese, parmesan 37, 65Chicken breast 45, 50Chickpeas 23Chili powder 34Chili sauce 21Chocolate chips 40, 53Cilantro 58, 59Cocoa powder 39Cornmeal 35Cumin 23, 32, 34Eggs 12, 29, 35, 37, 39, 40, 45, 49, 53, 55Flour 12, 35, 39, 40, 43, 45, 49, 53, 55Garlic 12, 21, 23, 37, 48, 50, 58, 59, 61, 63, 65Garlic powder 34Grapes 19Green onions 50Hamburger buns 47Honey 17Horseradish 21Ketchup 21

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Lemons 21, 23Lemon juice 37Lettuce 34, 37Limes 59Macaroni 43Mayonnaise 16Milk 33, 43Mint 19Mixed greens 16Mushrooms 49Mustard 16Nutmeg 29, 49Oil 12, 29, 32, 45, 50Oil spray 35, 40, 48Olive oil 12, 20, 37, 46, 47, 48, 60, 61, 63, 65Olives, black 20Onions 12, 34, 49, 59, 63Oranges 17Oregano 20, 60, 63Paprika 34Parchment paper 56Parsley 20, 60Pasta, dry 27Peaches 17, 19Pepper (black) 12, 29, 33, 37, 43, 46, 49, 50, 60, 65Pepper, bell 34, 49Pepper, jalapeño 51, 59Pepper, red 20, 32, 59Pepper, serrano 58Pie crust 49Pine nuts 65Pizza crust 25Potatoes 20, 33Potatoes, sweet 32Raspberries 17Rice 10Rosemary 48Salsa 34, 50Salt 43, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 53, 55, 58, 59, 60, 61, 63, Shallots 46Shortening 55

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Shrimp 21Steak, flank 48Strawberries 17, 19Sugar 12, 19, 35, 39, 40, 53, 55, 63Sugar, brown 39Tabasco sauce 21Tahini 23Tarragon 46Tomato paste 61, 63Tomatoes 16, 51, 58, 59, 61, 63Tortillas 34Turkey, smoked 16Vanilla extract 39, 40, 53, 55Vinegar, white wine 48Vinegar, wine 60Water 10, 20, 21, 23, 27, 33, 34, 43, 58Wine, red 63Worcester sauce 21Yogurt 17

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About the Authors

Sinem studied Entrepreneurship at University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. She has always had a passion for business and bringing creative ideas to life. She learned how to cook from her mom and continued to experiment in the kitchen. Once she saw her brother’s amazing way of transcribing recipes as diagrams, she thought it was hilarious yet brilliant. This is when the wonderful idea for this book was created by her and her brother.

Rego and Sinem Sen are siblings that grew up in Minnesota and found their way to San Francisco.

Rego is a jack-of-all-trades software engineer with degrees from MIT and Stanford. He shied away from cooking until he developed a visual way of representing recipes, which he found to be more intuitive to a technically-minded person. After working for established companies for 10 years he decided to pursue some his own ideas, one of which has resulted in this book.

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