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 Basic 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
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