Reading Recipe’s

What is a recipe?

“Before you can be a good cook, you must first learn to read a recipe.”

Recipe: A set of directions for preparing a food product.

Recipe: A kind of plan, or blueprint, to guide you.

Recipe: Tell you what ingredients to use and how to put them together.

Basic Rules

When you choose a recipe, ask yourself these questions? Will the food appeal to the family or guests as well as

to you? Do you have all the ingredients needed? If not, can you stay within your budget if you have to

buy more groceries? Do I have enough time to make the recipe? Do I have the cooking skills needed to make the

recipe?

Characteristics of a Good Recipe

A good recipe has two parts:

A list of ingredients with the amounts needed. The directions for making the food product.

Characteristics of a Good Recipe

It includes the following things: Ingredients listed in the order of their use. Exact measurements of each ingredient listed. Simple, step-by-step directions listed in sequence. The cooking time. The cooking temperature. The correct size of cooking equipment to use. The number and size of servings the recipe makes. The recipe is a tested one.

Reading a Recipe and Measuring

1. List the FOUR parts of a recipe:1. List and amounts of ingredients2. Step-by-step instructions3. Essential info about temperature

and equipment4. Number of servings

2. What are the EIGHT steps to following a recipe correctly?

1. Read the recipe carefully before beginning

2. Check to see if you have all the ingredients

3. Pre-heat the oven if needed4. “Gather” all equipment needed5. Complete preparation of specific

ingredients (EX: Chopped Nuts, Melted Chocolate, etc.)

6. Measure exactly!7. Mix carefully, following each

direction8. Bake or cook at temperature and

time directed

3. What is the most important step and why?• #1! (Reading the recipe)-so you

know what you need to do and what ingredients you need

4. Before cooking, you should wash your hands for at least how long?• 20 seconds

5. What should you NEVER do when measuring flour?• Pack or tap the cup (it releases

the air needed in the measurement)

How should you measure flour instead?

• Spoon in the flour then level it off

6. When cutting a recipe in half, or when doubling a recipe:

The cooking TEMPERATURE remains the same, but the SIZE of the cooking pan and the length of TIME will be affected.

7. When baking with a glass dish, you need to reduce (lower) the oven temperature by:

25⁰

What’s wrong?

Chick’n ‘n dumplin’sCover one big ole fat hen wid water ‘n simmer wid

one sprig each of parsely ‘n thyme plus 2 TBSP chopped parsley… salt ‘n pepper. Cook kivered til tender.

Dumplin’s 1 cuppa buttermilk 1 beat up pig ½ tsp sodie 1 pincha salt Flour enuff to make a stiff batter

Kinda break up chick’n…git him aboilin’ agin…drop a spoonful of dumplin’s at a time in…cook fur about 20 min. but don’t take the lid off. It’s delectable!

What’s wrong?

Elephant stewServes 3,8001 medium elephant2 rabbits (optional)Salt and pepper to taste. Cut elephant into small

bite-sized pieces. Add enough brown gravy to cover. Cook over kerosene fire for about 4 weeks at 465 degrees. This will serve 3,800 people. If more are expected, then two rabbits may be added. Do this only in an emergency. Most people don’t like hare in their stew.

Recipe Formats

Standard Format List of Ingredients Directions

Action Format Step-by-step directions with amounts listed as needed.

Narrative Format Written in paragraph form, explaining directions and

with ingredient amounts listed as needed.

What is missing?

Look at your worksheet?What is missing from the Standard Format?

List as many things as you can that are wrong.What is missing from the Action Format?

List as many things as you can that are wrong.What is missing from the Narrative Format?

List as many things as you can that are wrong.

Which recipe?

If all of the information were available in each recipe, which would you use most often?

Why?Make sure your name is on your paper and

turn it in.

Equivalents & Abbreviations

T., Tbsp., or tbsp = tablespoont., or tsp. = teaspoonMin. = minuteOz. = ounceQt. = quartPt. = pintGal. = GallonHr. = hourDoz. = dozenC. = cuplb. or # = poundPkg. = package

Mrs. T. and Her BabiesHelpful Hints:

•T. = Tablespoon•t. = teaspoon•Mrs. T. has 3 baby t.’s•There are 3 little t.’s with 1 big T.

Equivalents To Remember:•1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons•1/2 Tablespoon = 1 ½ teaspoons

Young T. and Cousin Oz.Helpful Hints:•Young T. just got his drivers license-He is 16 (16 Tablespoons)•He now gets to drive the “Cup Car” (1 Cup)•Cousin Oz. is half as old as Young T.-He is only 8 (8 Ounces)•It takes 8 ounces to fill up the “Cup Car” (8 oz. = 1 c.)

Equivalents To Remember:•8 Ounces = 1 Cup•1 Cup = 16 Tablespoons•3/4 Cup = 12 Tablespoons•1/2 Cup = 8 Tablespoons•1/4 Cup = 4 Tablespoons•1/8 Cup = 2 Tablespoons

GAL the ButterflyHelpful Hints:•GAL stands for Gallon•GAL’s wings are so QT! (Quart)•4 Wings = 4 Quarts•Small Circles Represent 1 C.

Equivalents To Remember:•4 Cups = 1 Quart•4 Quarts = 1 Gallon•16 Cups = 1 Gallon

The Cup Kids

Helpful Hints:•Each Kid represents 1 cup

Equivalents To Remember:•2 Cups = 1 Pint•2 Pints = 1 Quart•4 Cups = 1 Quart

Other Important Equivalents To Remember

1 stick of butter/margarine = 1/2 cup

5 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. = 1/3 cup

8 oz. = 1 c.

16 oz. = 1 lb.