Recipe postings - amounts?

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giggler

Sous Chef
Joined
Dec 4, 2007
Messages
715
Location
Austin, TX.
I love sharing recipies here!

but you guys have to give me a break!

I mean, what can I do with a recipe that says, "use 1/2 of a bell pepper"?

What am I supposed to do with the other half of bell pepper?

or 1/3 of a cup of milk, or one egg "sepparated"?

I like to work in Whole numbers please..

Eric, Austin Tx.
 
I love sharing recipies here!

but you guys have to give me a break!

I mean, what can I do with a recipe that says, "use 1/2 of a bell pepper"?

What am I supposed to do with the other half of bell pepper?

or 1/3 of a cup of milk, or one egg "sepparated"?

I like to work in Whole numbers please..

Eric, Austin Tx.

Don't we all.

However, asking posters to find the least common denominators for their recipes would probably be unrealistic and result in recipes that serve 100 people.

For example, to get whole numbers for 1/2 of a bell pepper and 1/3 cup of milk, you'd have to increase the recipe to 6 times the quantity.

Of course, you could just change the recipe to have a lot more pepper and milk in it...
 
I like bell pepper. If I make a recipe that requires just half, I eat the other half. Either right then and there as a "cook's snack" or in a salad within a few days. Or I go to plan B and use the whole thing, doubling the other ingredients and figure I'm going to be eating leftovers.
Since I often downsize recipes I'm always working in fractions and finding ways to use the leftover pieces.
 
one egg separated usually just means you use the yolk and white in different parts of the same recipe. You can use the passing back and forth in the shell halves method to release the white into a bowl, or you can just dump it over your hand, fingers slightly apart, catching the yolk. There are also egg separators on the market but I don't find them worth the money.:)
 
I love sharing recipies here!

but you guys have to give me a break!

I mean, what can I do with a recipe that says, "use 1/2 of a bell pepper"?

What am I supposed to do with the other half of bell pepper?

or 1/3 of a cup of milk, or one egg "sepparated"?

I like to work in Whole numbers please..

Eric, Austin Tx.

Most recipes use partial amounts in order to work :) Cooking is chemistry - too much of this or not enough of that and it won't come out right or won't taste good.

I usually buy 3-4 bell peppers a week of various colors and plan on at least two meals that use peppers. Some people plan on making a pasta or soup at the end of the week, to use up small amounts of vegetables.

If you used 1 cup of milk instead of 1/3 cup, the recipe would be goopy :LOL: In baking, the egg yolks and the egg whites do different things, so they need to be separated. If you use the egg whites to make a meringue, for instance, you can use the yolks to make an omelet.

Sounds like you just need to continue learning and practicing and pretty soon these things won't matter.
 
For savory cooking, I much prefer using terms like 1/2 bell pepper, 2 ribs of celery, a handful of parsley, a pinch of salt, etc. It's how real cooks have always cooked. Who wants to use a measuring cup for those things?

Baking must be very precise with measurements which is precisely why I don't bake.
 
For savory cooking, I much prefer using terms like 1/2 bell pepper, 2 ribs of celery, a handful of parsley, a pinch of salt, etc. It's how real cooks have always cooked. Who wants to use a measuring cup for those things?

Baking must be very precise with measurements which is precisely why I don't bake.

+1
 
For cooking, I hardly ever follow a recipe--I use a recipe for inspiration, but I can't be bothered to measure onion, etc. I cook by taste. For baking, I do follow recipes (except, I never measure vanilla) because baking is chemistry.


I'm just the opposite. I love following recipes to the letter. At least the first time around. That is, if I can find everything.
 
I'm just the opposite. I love following recipes to the letter. At least the first time around. That is, if I can find everything.


I do the same .. then if it's good enough that I want to do it a 2nd time that is when I make alterations so it's even better !

giggler, there are some things that you can successfully freeze. You might consider doing that with the extras left from a recipe. That way you already have some of the ingredients on hand for next time.
 
Now the recipes that floor me are the ones that call for "one bag of chocolate chips" or nuts or marshmallows - do they mean a 250 g one or a Costco size! ;)
 
Now the recipes that floor me are the ones that call for "one bag of chocolate chips" or nuts or marshmallows - do they mean a 250 g one or a Costco size! ;)

I am completely turned off/angered by recipes that call for amounts that are not certain. There are 8, 14 and 28 ounce sizes of canned tomato that are readily available in the supermarket. Is the small one the 8 Oz. or are you only thinking about the 28 and 14 ounce sizes so the 14 is the small. Or do you live on another continent so all bets are off.

My anal retentiveness also causes some distress over terms such as, "a small onion". Small according to who? How about, "1/2 C diced onion". I know, I know, it really doesn't matter all that much if there is a little more or less onion in a dish. I'm just sayin'.

While I'm ranting, why the heck aren't we on the metric system in the USA? Nothing could be easier to work with and is it really that hard to learn? It's the decimal system. If you can count money, you can use the metric system. Be glad we're not using the British system of pence, shillings and pounds.

I need a drink.
 
I was thinking the same thing, Andy, only using the OP's "half pepper". I seen some pretty big variations in pepper sizes. Half of one could easily be the whole thing with another.
 
I'm just the opposite. I love following recipes to the letter. At least the first time around. That is, if I can find everything.

You are the cook I appreciate giving a personal recipe Pac. Change it up as you like the second time, but the first time I trust who gave it to me enough to follow the recipe as written if I like the ingredients.
 
You are the cook I appreciate giving a personal recipe Pac. Change it up as you like the second time, but the first time I trust who gave it to me enough to follow the recipe as written if I like the ingredients.

Come to think of it, I think I'm due for those lamb meatballs with asparagus and lemon sauce again :yum:
 
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