Cooking is a true art and requires a lot of measuring to get a recipe just right. Whether you are a sous chef, a home chef or a world-renowned chef, you’ll want to have these 20 essential cooking charts, measurements, conversions & equivalents in your back pocket.
How to Half a Recipe
- 1 cup halved is ½ cup
- ¾ cup halved is 6 tablespoons
- 2/3 cups halved is 1/3 cup
- ½ cup halved is ¼ cup
- 1/3 cup halved is 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
- ¼ cup halved is 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon halved is 1 ½ teaspoon
- 1 teaspoon halved is ½ teaspoon
- ½ teaspoon halved is ¼ teaspoon
Veggie Cooking
Tips for steaming vegetables:
- Asparagus 8-10 minutes
- Brussels Sprouts 8-10 minutes
- Broccoli 5-6 minutes
- Cabbage 5-8 minutes
- Cauliflower 3-5 minutes
- Sliced carrots 4-5 minutes
- Corn on the cob 4-7 minutes
- Mushrooms 4-5 minutes
- Potatoes 10-12 minutes
Mass & Volume Equivalents
- 16 ounces = 1 pound
- 1 lb of all purpose flour = 4 cups
- 1 lb butter = 2 cups
- 1 lb granulated sugar = 2 ¼ cups
- 1 lb cornstarch = 3 ¼ cups
- 1 lb honey = 1 1/3 cups
Vegan Egg Substitutions
These can be substituted for one egg:
- ½ banana mashed
- 2 tbs peanut butter
- ¼ applesauce
- 2 tbs baking powder + 2 tbs water + 1 tbs oil
Meat Cooking Temperatures
Beef
- Rare 120 degrees – 125 degrees
- Medium-rare 130 degrees – 135 degrees
- Medium 140 degrees – 145 degrees
- Medium-well 150 degrees – 155 degrees
- Well done 160 degrees+
Poultry
- Chicken & Turkey 165 degrees – 175 degrees
Pork
- 150 degrees
Best Apples for Baking
-McIntosh
-Braeburn
-Rome Beauty
-Granny Smith
How to Stack a Smoothie in the Blender
- Liquids
- Solids
- Frozen
- Greens
What to Refrigerate or Keep at Room Temperature
Refrigerate
- Beans
- Berries
- Apples
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Celery
- Cherries
- Grapes
- Jalapenos
- Leafy Greens
- Zucchini
- Eggplant
Room Temperature
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Apricots
- Citrus
- Garlic
- Kiwi
- Melons
- Onions
- Pears
- Peaches
- Pineapple
- Potatoes
Tablespoons to grams
- 1 tablespoon salt = 20 g
- 1 tablespoon flour = 10 g
- 1 tablespoon rice = 15 g
- 1 tablespoon grated cheese = 8 g
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder = 7 g
- 1 tablespoon butter = 15 g
- 1 tablespoon honey = 10 g
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar = 15 g
- 1 tablespoon sifted icing sugar = 8 g
- 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs = 12 g
- 1 tablespoon oil = 14 g
Types of Cuts
- Batonnet ~ 1/2”x1/2”x3”
- Medium Dice ~ ½”x1/2”x1/2”
- Allumette ~ ¼”x1/4”x2”
- Small Dice ~ ¼”x1/4”x1/4”
- Julienne ~ 1/8”x1/8”x2”
- Brunoise ~ 1/8”x1/8”x1/8”
Flavors
Alkalize Celery, Kale, Cucumber, Red Pepper, Spinach
Healing Herbs Mint, Watercress, Cilantro, Parsley, Dill
Sweeten Apples, Pears, Beets, Carrots
Detox Lemon, Broccoli, Dandelion, Garlic
Freezer Storage Times
Meat
- Steaks: 6-12 months
- Chops: 4-6 months
- Joints: 9-12 months
- Mince: 3-4 months
- Bacon: 1 month
- Sausages: 1-2 months
- Soups: 4 months
- Stock: 4-6 months
- Stews: 4-6 months
Poultry
- Whole: 1 month
- Part: 6-9 months
- Eggs (not in shell): 9 months
Fish
- Lean: 6 months
- Oily: 2-3 months
- Breaded: 4-6 months
- Cooked: 4-6 months
- Smoked: 2 months
- Seafood: 2 months
Dairy
- Ice cream: 2 months
- Yogurt: 1-2 months
- Butter: 2 months
- Margarine: 12 months
- Yogurt: 1-2 months
Basic Foods
- Pizza: 1-2 months
- Veggies: 8 months
- Fruit 12 months
- Rice: 6 months
- Flour: 12 months
- Bread: 3 months
- Herbs: 12+ months
- Spices: 12+ months
- Nuts: 9-12 months
10 Essential Cooking Tips You Should Know
- Don’t overcrowd your pan
- Let red meat sit before cutting it
- Keep spices in a cool, dark spot
- Shut the stove off before your eggs are done
- Chop herbs with salt
- Use pasta water to create sauce for your pasta
- Always keep essentials handy (milk, butter, eggs, etc.)
- Add salt to water to make it boil faster
- Keep the root of an onion intact to assist with slicing
- Wrap vegetables loosely in a dry paper towel and place them in a re-sealable plastic bag to keep them fresh longer.
Meg Hall is the premier Los Angeles caterer. Contact us today to discuss the menu for your next event! Keep an eye out for our next blog post for more essential cooking tips and tricks!
