Standard portion sizes of foods

(Weight in ounces)

Proteins 3 – 5 oz per person

Beef, Fish, Shellfish, Poultry, Pork

Vegetables 2 – 3 oz per person

Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Peas, Tomatoes

Starch 3 – 4 oz per person

Potatoes, Rice, Dry Pasta, Grains

Average dinner plate should contain 10-12 ounces of food.

Recipes are used to record and pass along essential in-formation Written recipes have many limitations

It assumes that you already have certain knowledge

Measurements, Procedures, Identity of ingredients

Learning to cook is not just learning to follow recipes.

Knowledgeable cooks can prepare without written recipes by concentrating on method used and substituting ingredients.

Measurements

You can’t cook anything correctly or follow a recipe if you don’t measure right. There are measurements of volume and weight; there can be a big difference.

A 1 cup measure (measuring cup) filled with feathers or lead weighs differently. Weight is measured on a spring, balance or electronic scale

Volume is measured in a cup or spoon

1 cup = 8 ounces, Dash – less than 1/8 teaspoon

3 tsp = 1 Tbsp 4 Tbsp = ¼ cup

5 1/3 Tbsp = 1/3 cup 8 Tbsp = ½ cup

`1 cup = ½ pint 2 cups = 1 pint

2 pints = 1 quart 4 quarts = 1 gallon

1 gallon = 128 fl oz

Volume to weight equivalents

Bread Flour, Sifted – 1lb = 4 cups, 1 cup = 4 oz

Bread Flour, unsifted – 1lb = 3 1/3 cups, 1 cup = 4.75 oz

Cake Flour, unsifted – 1 lb = 4 ¼ cups, 1 cup = 3.75 oz

Granulated Sugar – 1 lb = 2 ¼ cups, 1 cup = 7oz

Confectioners Sugar, sifted – 1 lb = 4 cups, 1 cup = 4oz

Confectioner Sugar, unsifted – 1 lb = 3 ½ cups, 1 cup = 4.5 oz Cocoa, unsifted – 1 lb = 5 cups, 1 cup = 3.2 oz, 1 oz = 5 Tbsp

“Mastering basic sauté method gives you power over the written recipe, to use your judgment and skill to pre-pare exact portions for you and your family, saving wasted food and wasted money. It is important to interpret recipes for procedure, and use your creativity to customize them to your individual tastes.” -Chef Todd Mohr

Judgement by the cook is needed because Food products are not uniform Tomato may be sweeter, carrot more tender Kitchens do not have the same equipment Different pans distribute heat differently Impossible to give exact instructions “Medium heat , one egg” – what size egg? “one onion” – what size is it? Cooking with Judgement What are the basic cooking methods? Is your goal to hold moisture, give color? What are the characteristics of the ingredients? Is this cut of meat lean or fatty? How do I treat it to get the best result? What are the functions of the ingredient? What does acid do in the recipe? What are the cooking times? Doneness by the changes in the product. You cannot give a time for a recipe. “How long do I cook this?” – until it’s done.

Weight— Most accurate method, used for most solid ingredients

AP weight – As purchased, EP weight – edible portion

Recipe says “2# potatoes”, then instructs to scrub the potatoes, it’s AP weight. Recipe says 2# peeled, diced potatoes, then it’s EP.

Copyright 2009 Todd Mohr Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited

Week 3—Advanced Saute Procedure