How Fussy Should One Be?

[GinnyPNW]

As I was prepping for tonight's dinner, I grabbed the measuring tablespoon and started measuring the various things needed...2 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. I thought, why bother making more dishes to wash? Just use the tablespoon and guesstimate from there. (Shhhhh....pretty common for me to do such.) For baking, I am much more precise, feeling that it can be critical to get the proper amounts of dry versus wet, yeast, baking soda, and so on. Anyway, it made me wonder...what do others do? So, are you a fussy chef? Or, as my Uncle Frank (RIP) used to say, if you can't see it from the beach, nail it! He was a construction contractor that lived near Santa Monica Beach. He WAS good contractor! The comment was more of his philosophy on life in general. I think he had a very happy life.

 

[dragnlaw]

I have a tendency to get heavy handed. If I haven't measured correctly - more often than not I will overpower something with something that should really be in the background.

That being said - it really depends on the dish and how often I've made it.

and THAT being said - I am often a one hit wonder and may not even make the dish again.
when my late brother first came to live with me I became a monster at serving different dishes. One night he commented - "I've been here 3 months and I don't think I've had the same dish twice". LOL

 

[Marlingardener]

First time making a recipe, I measure and am careful to be "fussy". Afterwards, if I make the dish again, the measuring is "by guess and by golly." My method makes giving someone else the recipe a bit difficult . . . . "Until it looks right" isn't very informative!

 

[medtran49]

I often eyeball, don't even use measuring utensils for most ingredients, except larger liquid amounts of dishes I make often.

With new recipes, I'll measure some things, but I'm pretty good at eyeballing teaspoons and tablespoons so don't usually bother with that.

I do measure when baking though, except for small amounts of salt/sugar.

 

[GinnyPNW]

So....I'm starting to feel more "normal" rather than the exception!

 

[GotGarlic]

I think it greatly depends on how experienced a cook you are. New cooks generally are not as confident about winging it as we who have been cooking for decades are.

At this point, not only do I often not measure precisely, but I tend to taste and think, this needs... Hmm... I know! And add a bit of a few different things to get the flavor I like.

 

[blissful]

If I'm writing out a recipe for friends, I'll measure everything exactly and make it, twice, to make sure it's right. If I'm making the same thing over and over again, I eyeball the spices, miso, worcestershire, mustard, for most things or yeast with almost weekly bread.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

Excellent!! Will remember this!

 

[taxlady]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

I measure a lot of things into the palm of my hand too. When I was a Girl Sprout, we learned to measure a lot of things with a hand. Mostly it was how big a circle is a teaspoon or tablespoon or quarter teaspoon, etc., I also learned, by experience and advice from my mum, that you should take that 1/2 teaspoon or whatever and fill it with something like salt and then see what it looks like in your hand. Quarter and half cups are also doable, but then you will have to remember the shape you cupped your hand into. That one is less reliable.

 

[pepperhead212]

Like the others, it depends on what I'm making. For baking most things I am more exact. Same when canning, or pickling, when you want exact amounts of salt, or something like that. And for things like some of the Indian dishes, with 10-20 spices I have to measure out, I want to get it pretty close - I have that set of measuring spoons with 1/8, 3/4, and 1½ tsp amounts, in addition to the usual 1/4, 1/2, 1 tsp, and 1 tb. Makes it easier to get those odd amounts in one time. But once I've made those masala powders with the large numbers of ingredients, when I use them in a dish, I usually just spoon them out of the jars with a spoon from the drawer, and eyeball it.

 

[Andy M.]

If you are lousy at freehand measuring seasonings, then you should be fussy. If you're trying to make recipe for the first time, you should try to adhere to the recipe.

There are any number of dishes that I make without a written recipe. However, I try to follow recipe for the most part because SO is never happy if I make a recipe she loves that doesn't taste they way she remembers it.

 

[dragnlaw]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

I should remember that one too.

 

[taxlady]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

That is especially useful for the time you think there is a shaker top on the jar of spice, but there isn't or it falls off while shaking it. I don't usually want a shaker lid on my spices. I can't think of any time that it is useful, except when I want to shake some paprika onto something decoratively, like devilled eggs.

 

[Andy M.]

I’m fine with eyeballing but I’ve learned not to do it directly into the dish that I’m making.

I ‘measure’ into the jar cap or the palm of my hand and then add it to the dish.

After you measure it into your hand do you do anything else before adding it to the pot?

 

[fmw]

As I was prepping for tonight's dinner, I grabbed the measuring tablespoon and started measuring the various things needed...2 tablespoons of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard. I thought, why bother making more dishes to wash? Just use the tablespoon and guesstimate from there. (Shhhhh....pretty common for me to do such.) For baking, I am much more precise, feeling that it can be critical to get the proper amounts of dry versus wet, yeast, baking soda, and so on. Anyway, it made me wonder...what do others do? So, are you a fussy chef? Or, as my Uncle Frank (RIP) used to say, if you can't see it from the beach, nail it! He was a construction contractor that lived near Santa Monica Beach. He WAS good contractor! The comment was more of his philosophy on life in general. I think he had a very happy life.

I rarely use measuring spoons. I've been at it long enough that I know the right amount of an ingredient from experience. People ask me for recipes and I give them ingredient lists. They have to know the right amounts to get it right since I don't know what the measurements are. The ingredient list is all I use. Getting it right with baked goods is far more important. You can use a little less or more sugar or things like vanilla or other flavor ingredients but the basics have to be right.

 

[Silversage]

After you measure it into your hand do you do anything else before adding it to the pot?

It's an insurance policy - in case you accidently dump too much. It's easy to empty your hand - much harder to pick it out of the pot.

 

[dragnlaw]

I rarely use measuring spoons. I've been at it long enough that I know the right amount of an ingredient from experience. People ask me for recipes and I give them ingredient lists. They have to know the right amounts to get it right since I don't know what the measurements are. The ingredient list is all I use. Getting it right with baked goods is far more important. You can use a little less or more sugar or things like vanilla or other flavor ingredients but the basics have to be right.

So because you fail to mention that the chicken you made for them happen to be the fantastic "40 Clove Garlic Chicken" and you just mention that there was 'some garlic' and a few other spices.

LOL - we get it - you are jealously hiding your recipes from being copied!

 

[Andy M.]

I rarely use measuring spoons. I've been at it long enough that I know the right amount of an ingredient from experience. People ask me for recipes and I give them ingredient lists. They have to know the right amounts to get it right since I don't know what the measurements are. The ingredient list is all I use. Getting it right with baked goods is far more important. You can use a little less or more sugar or things like vanilla or other flavor ingredients but the basics have to be right.

So you pretty much guarantee the people you give ingredient lists to will never be able to duplicate the recipe they liked so much they asked you for the recipe in the first place.

 

[GotGarlic]

I rarely use measuring spoons. I've been at it long enough that I know the right amount of an ingredient from experience. People ask me for recipes and I give them ingredient lists. They have to know the right amounts to get it right since I don't know what the measurements are. The ingredient list is all I use. Getting it right with baked goods is far more important. You can use a little less or more sugar or things like vanilla or other flavor ingredients but the basics have to be right.

So you don't know what the measurements are but you expect them to know? Hm. Seems pointless to give them anything.