|
Why
was this book written?
American
cookbooks measure by volume, e.g.,
1 cup chopped onion, 1 cup finely grated fresh Parmesan, 1 cup
cooked rice . . .
British
cookery books measure by weight, e.g.,
115g chopped onion, 68g finely grated fresh Parmesan, 125g cooked
rice.
The
cup volumes of the above ingredients equal their respective weights, listed
above.
Measurements for
Cooking was written to resolve the volumes and weights confusion and, with its
quick-reference charts, to make it easy to flip between the two. Cooks,
cookery editors and cookery teachers will find it an invaluable resource.
About the book
Measurements for Cooking
is a cookery reference book, designed to help you
convert from one method of measure to another, e.g., from cups to grams
and vice versa. Cups, pints, millilitres & litres are measures of
volume — they measure the physical space an item takes up; ounces,
pounds, grams and kilograms are measures of weight — they measure an
item's heaviness.
Updated
entries, plus food package changes since the book was published (2011)
Updated
Entries
Click here
to view errata.
Click
here to view additional entries which were not included in the
1st edition of
Measurements for Cooking (or, if they were included, were not covered in as much
detail).
Food Package Changes
When package sizes change, this can sometimes affect recipes, for instance when
Baker's Chocolate changed their packaging in 2013, their chocolate squares no
longer equalled 1 ounce. Weight of Baker's Chocolate Squares Halved!
Should you notice anything in the book Measurements for Cooking which you suspect may be in
error, please email: m4c@glencoehouse.co.uk.
The book's make up,
and sample pages (in
PDF format)
Table
of Contents
Introduction
List of
Ingredients (126pp) is the main section of the
book.
It gives the cup and 100g equivalents for food ingredients, often given
in configurations such as chopped, grated, uncooked-to-cooked,
etc. Also sprinkled throughout this section are helpful tips, such
as how to make a roux; telling yellow lentils apart (some take longer to
cook); etc., plus helpful aids such as a photo of a hand holding 7g of
carrageen — the amount called for in carrageen moss
pudding.
Sample List
of Ingredients page
Substitutes
& Other Transformations (21pp) —
1st tabbed divider section.
It contains helpful tips, such as how to test if baking powder is still
active (and how to make your own); how to make self-raising flour; and
guidance for cooking substitutions such as dried for fresh yeast; dried
chestnuts for fresh; cocoa powder for chocolate; etc.
Sample Substitutes page
Recipes
(19pp) — 2nd tabbed divider section.
It includes a smattering of recipes such as seeded soda bread (good for
using up milk), meatloaf, latkes and Peanut Butter Patties.
Pancakes
(Crêpes)
recipe
Next is the Measurements Charts & Conversions portion of
the book which consists of measurements charts that increase
incrementally, for quick and easy reference, and also conversion
formulas for when the amount you want to convert isn't in the
chart. Contents
page from the Measurements Charts & Conversions
portion of the book, which includes the following 4 sections:
Dry Weights (5pp) —
3rd tabbed divider
section.
The Dry Weights quick-reference chart goes from 1/4
oz. (7g) to 6 3/4
lb (3.06kg).
Fluid Volume (11pp) —
4th tabbed divider
section.
Contents
page from this
section (with photo of a UK pint and a US pint).
Fluid Volume is split into in 2 sections: British Fluid Volume
and US Fluid Volume. The fluid ounce is a measure of volume,
and there's a slight difference between the British fl. oz. and the US
fl. oz., but a significant difference between our pints, hence the 2
parts to this section. The British quick-ref. chart goes from 1 Imp. fl.
oz. (30ml) to 1 Imp. gallon (4.55 litres); the US quick-ref. charts goes
from 1 teaspoon (5ml) to 1 US gallon & 1 cup (4 litres).
Sample
US
Fluid Volume page
Length (4pp) —
5th tabbed divider section.
The Length quick-reference chart goes from 1/16"
(1.5mm) to 39 1/3"
(1 metre).
Temperatures
(7pp) — 6th tabbed divider section.
There are 2 temperatures charts: Outdoors Temperatures: -20ºC to
45ºC (-4ºF to 113ºF), and Oven Temperatures: 110ºC/GM
1/4
to 260ºC/GM10 (225–500ºF). Also included are Food Safety
Temperatures, e.g., temperatures hot enough to kill bacteria or cold
enough to keep it from growing; as well as Oven Temperatures for
Baking, Deep-frying and Re-heating of certain common
foods.
Butter
• Flour • Sugar (19pp) — 7th tabbed
divider section.
Contents
page from this section.
The Butter quick-reference chart goes from 5g (1 tsp. or
1/2
dessertspoon) to 500g (18 oz. or 2 1/4
cups minus 2 tsp. or about 4 1/2
sticks butter).
Sample Butter
Chart page
The Flour quick-reference chart has 2 columns, Plain and
Strong, and goes from 3g (1 tsp.) to 1 kg (~ 35 oz. or 7
1/2–7
2/3
cups plain flour or 7–7 1/4
cups strong flour).
The White Granulated & Brown Sugar quick-reference chart
goes from 4g (1 tsp.) to 600g (~21 oz. or 3 cups sugar).
The Icing Sugar quick-reference chart has 2 columns, Unsifted
and Sifted, and goes from 5g (1 3/4
tsp. unsifted or 2 tsp. sifted) to 1kg (~35 oz. or 7–71/4
cups unsifted or 8 1/2
cups sifted).
Eggs • Milk • Cream
(4pp) — 8th tabbed divider section.
The Eggs section includes 3 charts showing EU egg sizes, old EEC
egg sizes & US egg sizes.
There's also a Milk chart and a Cream chart showing fat
contents of British & US milks and creams.
US Measures (3pp) —
9th and final tabbed divider section.
This includes a chart of American cooking equivalents (cups, pints,
etc.) and a chart of US can sizes.
Measuring Tools & Definitions, Pan
Sizes, etc. (11pp) is the last measurements section of
the book (not tabbed, but printed on different coloured paper).
It lists, in addition to pan sizes, helpful things such bar measures
(e.g., jigger, shot, pony); dry pints & fluid pints; measures called
for in older recipes (e.g., breakfast cup, teacup, wine glass); and also
the minutes & seconds symbols — some cooks used these as shorthand
in their recipes, so it's helpful to know which is which.
Sample Measuring
Tools page
And lastly but most importantly, an extensive
Index:
if you don't know where to find something, check the Index – if
it's in the book, it'll be in the Index.
To
order copies of Measurements
for Cooking
|
