Essential Tips for Measuring Wet, Dry, and Sticky Ingredients

Posted on August 23, 2011

There is an art to measuring, and it can make the difference between a beautiful cupcake and a hocky puck. Some simple tricks will ease the cooking and/or baking process and keep clean-up to a minimum as well.

Choose the proper measuring utensils. Use plastic or metal stacked cups for measuring dry ingredients. Why? Because these cups are designed to allow the cook to level off the ingredients by running a flat edge across the top. Liquids are hard to measure in these cups because everyone tends to leave a bit of space at the top to avoid spills. Sometimes this space can throw a recipe off by up to 1/4 cup of liquid.

Measure all liquids, thin or thick, in a Pyrex measuring cup. Look at the fill line at eye level to make sure the measurement is accurate.

Choose the proper method to measure flour according to how the flour is called for in the recipe. The difference in weight can be up to 1 ounce, which has a huge effect on the outcome of the recipe.

1 cup all-purpose flour: Dip the measuring cup into the flour and sweep the top.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour or cake flour: Place the measuring cup on a piece of parchment paper (or something to catch the extra flour) and sift the flour directly into the cup. Return the stray flour to the flour container.

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted: Dip the measuring cup into the flour, sweep the top, and then sift the flour.

Measuring butter in the stick form can yield erratic results. Oftentimes the wrapper is not perfectly placed on the stick of butter so the tablespoon marks are off. The best way to get an accurate measurement is to mark the midpoint of the stick and then mark the midpoint of each half, and then each quarter. One stick will yield 8 tabelspoons…and each tablespoon is equal to ½ ounce.

When measuring sticky ingredients like honey, molasses, or syrup, spray the cup with nonstick cooking spray before filling it. The substance will slip right out of the cup.

Brown sugar is often written in recipes as packed or lightly packed, the difference being up to 2 ounces. Brown sugar can be packed by hand, with the back of a spoon, or with the bottom of a smaller measuring cup.

Measuring peanut butter, or any other tacky, messy substance can be a challenge. I like to line my measuring cup with plastic wrap and then fill it. I simply lift out the wrap and dump the ingredient into the bowl. No gooey mess to clean. Hooray!

More about , ,

Tasting Spoons, etc.

Posted on April 27, 2011

No more rummaging through drawers looking for a spoon while trying to stir what’s on the stove. Keep your tasting spoons and forks on the counter within easy reach. I have 4 of these stainless steel containers from Ikea…one for utensils and measuring spoons, another for wooden spoons and chopsticks, a third for ladles, spatulas, etc, and the last one for misc stuff. It works for me…give it a try.

More about ,

One of My Favorite Kitchen Gadgets and a Spice Tip

Posted on February 16, 2011

Roasted coriander and cumin seeds about to be ground and added to a spicy chickpea dish called Pindi Chana.

I picked up this gorgeous antique mortar and pestle in one of Sri Lanka’s open air markets about eighteen years ago. Solid brass…it weighs a ton. Paul, then-boyfriend-now-husband, and I fled Moscow’s bitter winter for a dose of tropical sunshine in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. On our last day of vacation, he was rightfully shocked when I purchased about ten pounds of spices. My suitcase never quite recovered from the pungent smells, but back in Moscow, my curries were a hit. In hindsight, Paul’s total willingness to put up with my food and antique schlepping was a test of sorts, which he passed with flying colors.

Since then, I can’t tell you how much food we’ve carted around the globe, from gallons of homemade Greek olive oil and feta cheese to endless bags of pecan nuts and cans of pumpkin pie mix. Just last week, when Paul left KL to attend a conference in Washington, D.C. for U.S. Ambassadors from all embassy posts, he had a long shopping list. Despite his busy schedule, he made time to shop at Whole Foods for some dried herbs I requested. In KL, finding high-quality Italian seasoning, tarragon, oregano, and rosemary is difficult…turnover is low, so bottles collect dust on the grocery shelves. On the flip side, we do have fabulously fragrant Chinese spices (I’m in love with Sichuan pepper and five spice powder) and super intense Indian spices (I’ve just discovered dried pomegranate seeds, which add a slightly sour zing to chickpeas and other vegetables, delicious on boiled potatoes, too).

Spice Tip

Never add unroasted spices to curries, stews, dals, raitas, and other dishes. Dry roasting unlocks the flavors. To dry roast whole seeds (cumin, coriander, fennel), use medium, not high, heat and stir or shake the pan constantly. To dry roast ground spices (curry powder, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric), use low heat and stir constantly. Whole and ground spices can also be roasted in oil or butter as part of the initial cooking process.

More about ,

Protect Your Nonstick Skillets

Posted on May 27, 2009

There are few things more annoying in the kitchen than scratching a nonstick pan, especially an expensive one. One of the best ways to protect your skillets is to place paper plates or a piece of soft plastic, the kind used to line shelves, in between each skillet. Also, be sure to use nonstick-friendly spatulas and utensils when cooking.

More about ,