A la b ama
EFNEP-232
A&M
and
Auburn
U ni v e r sities
Cooking
Basics
www.aces.edu
Table of Contents
Cooking Terms ……………………………………………………… 1
Measurement Equivalents ………………………………………… 3
Substitutions for Kitchen Equipment ……………………………… 4
Food Yields ………………………………………………………… 5
Ingredient Substitutions …………………………………………… 7
Recipe Success …………………………………………………… 10
Cooking Terms
Bake/Roast Cook food uncovered in an oven or similar appliance.
Beat
Make mixture smooth with rapid, regular motion using a
wire whisk, spoon, hand beater, or mixer. When using
a spoon, lift the mixture up and over with each stroke.
Blend
Mix two or more ingredients thoroughly.
Boil
Heat a liquid until bubbles break on the surface or
cook in boiling water.
Braise
Slowly cook meat or poultry in a small amount of
liquid in a covered pot.
Broil
Use direct heat to cook.
Brown
Cook quickly until surface of food is brown.
Chop
Cut food into small pieces.
Coat
Cover entire surface with a mixture such as flour or
bread crumbs.
Core
Using a sharp knife, remove the core and seeds of fruit.
Cream
Stir one or more foods until they are soft.
Crisp-tender The “doneness” of vegetables when they are cooked
only until tender and remain slightly crisp in texture.
Crush
Use a garlic press or a blunt object to smash foods
such as garlic until the fibers separate.
Cube
Cut food into small, ½-inch cubes.
Dash
Less than 1/8 teaspoon.
Dice
Cut into small, square-shaped pieces.
Drain
Put food and liquid into a strainer or colander, or
pour liquid out of a pot by keeping the lid slightly
away from the edge of the pan and pouring away
from you.
Flute
Pinch the edges of dough such as on pie crust.
Fold
Mix by turning over and over.
Fork-tender The “doneness” of a food when a fork can easily penetrate the food.
Fry
Pan fry – Cook in frying pan over medium heat with
small amount of oil.
Deep fry – Cook in hot oil deep enough for food to float.
Cooking Basics Grate
Rub food on a grater or chop in blender or food processor to produce fine, medium, or coarse particles.
Grease
Cover or lubricate with oil to keep food from sticking.
Knead
Work dough by folding and stretching with heel of
hand.
Marinate
Allow food to soak in liquid to increase flavor and
tenderness.
Mince
Cut or chop food into small pieces.
Mix
Combine ingredients using a fork or spoon.
Oil
Apply a thin layer of vegetable oil on a dish or pan.
Can substitute vegetable oil spray.
Peel
Remove outer covering of foods by trimming away
with a knife or vegetable peeler.
Preheat
Heat oven to desired temperature before putting food
in to bake.
Poach
Cook food over low heat in a small amount of hot,
simmering liquid.
Saute
Cook in a small amount of oil or water.
Scald
Heat milk until bubbles appear. Bubbles should not
be “breaking” on the surface.
Shred
Rub foods against a grater to divide into small pieces.
Sift
Remove lumps or lighten the dry ingredients by putting them through a strainer or a sifter.
Simmer
Cook at a temperature just below the boiling point.
Bubbles form slowly but do not reach the surface.
Slice
Cut food into thin pieces.
Steam
Cook over boiling water.
Stew
Cook food over low heat in a large amount of simmering liquid.
Stir-fry
Quickly frying vegetables to a crisp-tender state while
constantly stirring.
Stock
Water in which vegetables or meat has been cooked;
should be stored in the refrigerator.
Thaw
Slowly change from a frozen state to a liquid state.
Toss
Mix foods lightly with a lifting motion, using forks or
spoons.
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Measurement Equivalents
1 tablespoon
= 3 teaspoons
¼ cup
= 4 tablespoons
¹⁄ ³ cup
= 5 ¹⁄ ³ tablespoons
½ cup
= 8 tablespoons
²⁄ ³ cup
¾ cup
= 10 ²⁄ ³ tablespoons
= 12 tablespoons
1 cup
= 16 tablespoons
1 pound
= 16 ounces
1 fluid ounce
= 2 tablespoons
8 fluid ounces
= 1 cup
½ pint
= 1 cup
Abbreviations
1 pint
= 2 cups
tbsp. = tablespoon
1 quart
= 4 cups
tsp. = teaspoon
½ gallon
(64 ounces)
= 2 quarts
oz. = ounce
1 gallon
= 4 quarts
16 ounces
= 1 pint
c. = cup
32 ounces
= 1 quart
pt. = pint
34 ounces
= 1 liter
qt. = quart
68 ounces
= 2 liter
l. = liter
128 ounces
= 1 gallon
lb. = pound
Cooking Basics Substitutions for
Kitchen Equipment
Kitchen Equipment
Biscuit/cookie cutter
Cookie sheet
Cooling rack
Cutting board
Grater
Ladle for serving soup
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon
Mixing bowl
Pancake turner
Pastry blender
Pie pan
Pot holder
Potato masher
Rolling pin
Rotary beater
Round cake pan
Strainer
Vegetable peeler
Wire whisk
Substitute Items
Lid, rim of jar, rim of can, rim of
drinking glass
Cake pan, pizza pan
Oven rack
Sturdy plate
Sharp knives
Cup with handle
Marked jar of baby food or bottle
Regular teaspoon or tablespoon
Kettle, pan, or storage container
2 knives, fork
2 knives
Round cake pan
Folded towel
Fork
Plastic baby bottle
Fork
Square or oblong pan
Pan with a lid or cover
Sharp knife
2 forks or jar with tight lid
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Food Yields
Food
Quantity
Amount
Apples
1 pound
3 medium = 3 cups
slices
Bananas
1 pound
3 to 4 medium = 1 ½
cups mashed = 2 cups
sliced
Beans, dry
1 pound
2 to 2 ½ cups dry = 6
cups cooked
Bread crumbs
4 slices bread
2 cups fresh crumbs =
1¹⁄ ³ cups dry crumbs
Butter, margarine,
or shortening
1 pound
2 cups
Cabbage
1 pound
6 cups shredded = 2 to
3 cups cooked
Carrots
1 pound
3 cups sliced = 2 ½
cups shredded
Cheese
4 ounces
Coffee
1 pound
1 to 1¹⁄ ³ cups shredded
40 to 50 cups brewed
Cornmeal
1 pound
3 cups dry = 12 cups
cooked
Eggs, medium
1 dozen
2 cups
Egg whites, large
8 eggs
1 cup
Flour, all-purpose
1 pound
4 cups sifted
Flour, whole wheat
1 pound
3¹⁄ ³ to 3 ¾ cups
Graham crackers
12 squares
1 cup crumbs
Ground meat (beef,
pork, turkey)
1 pound
2 cups ground
Lemons
1 lemon
2 to 4 tablespoons juice
Macaroni, spaghetti
1 pound
5 cups dry = 8 to 10
cups cooked
Milk, evaporated
6-ounce can
1 ½ cups reconstituted
Cooking Basics Oatmeal
½ cup dry
1 cup cooked
Onions
1 pound
2 large
Oranges
1 orange
6 tablespoons juice
Potatoes
1 pound
3 medium = 3 ½ cups
sliced = 2 cups mashed
Raisins
1 pound
2 ¾ to 3 cups
Rice, regular white
or brown
1 pound
2 ½ cups dry = 7 ½
cups cooked
Soda crackers
22 crackers
1 cup crumbs
Sugar, white
granulated
1 pound
2 cups
Sugar, brown
1 pound
2 ¼ cup, firmly packed
Yeast, active dry
1 packet
1 tablespoon
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Ingredient Substitutions
Ingredient
Amount
Substitutions
Baking powder
1 teaspoon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
plus 5/8 teaspoon cream
of tartar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
plus ½ cup sour milk or
buttermilk (if using sour
milk or buttermilk, decrease liquid called for in
recipe by ½ cup)
Beef or chicken broth
1 can
(14 ½ ounces)
2 teaspoons instant beef
or chicken bouillon granules with water to equal
amount of broth needed
Bouillon cube
1 cube
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Dry bread crumbs
¼ cup
¼ cup cracker crumbs or
corn meal
1 cup soft bread crumbs
Butter
1 cup
7/8
to 1 cup shortening
plus ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine
Catsup or chili sauce
1 cup
1 cup tomato sauce plus
½ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons vinegar (for use in
cooking only)
Corn syrup
1 cup
1 cup sugar plus ¼ cup
liquid (use the type of
liquid that is called for in
recipe)
Cornstarch
1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour or 2 tablespoons
quick-cooking tapioca
Cooking Basics Ingredient
Amount
Substitutions
Egg (for use in
cake batter only)
1 egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Flour, all-purpose
1 tablespoon
½ tablespoon cornstarch
or quick-cooking
tapioca (for thickening)
Flour, all-purpose
1 cup sifted
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons
sifted all-purpose flour
Flour, cake
1 cup sifted
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons
sifted all-purpose flour
Garlic
1 clove, small
¹⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
Gelatin, flavored
3-ounce
package
1 tablespoon plain gelatin
plus 2 cups fruit (prepared
with water) juice
Herbs, fresh
1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon dried herbs
Honey
1 cup
1½ cups sugar plus ¼ cup
liquid (use liquid called for
in recipe)
Lemon
1 medium
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon
juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons
lemon rind
Lemon juice
1 teaspoon
½ teaspoon vinegar (for
use as acid source in
cooking only)
Milk, buttermilk
1 cup
1 cup yogurt or
1 cup sour milk (make
sour milk by putting 1
tablespoon of vinegar or
lemon juice in a measuring
cup and adding milk up
to 1-cup mark)
Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Ingredient
Amount
Substitutions
Milk, whole
1 cup
½ cup evaporated milk
plus ½ cup water
Milk, skim
1 cup
5 tablespoons nonfat dry
milk and 1 cup water
Onion, fresh
1 small
1 tablespoon dry minced
onion, rehydrated
Prepared mustard
1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon dried mustard
Parsley, dried
1 teaspoon
3 teaspoons chopped
fresh parsley
Shortening, melted
1 cup
1 cup vegetable oil
Sour cream
1 cup
1 cup yogurt
Sugar, white
1 cup
1 cup corn syrup minus
¼ cup liquid in recipe;
1 cup brown sugar, firmly
packed;
1 cup honey (reduce liquid in recipe by ¼ cup);
1¾ cup powdered sugar,
packed
Tomato juice
1 cup
½ cup tomato sauce plus
½ cup water
Tomato sauce
1 can (15
ounces)
1 can (6 ounces) tomato
paste and 1 cup water
Tomatoes
1 can (16
ounces)
3 fresh medium tomatoes,
cut up
Yogurt
1 cup
1 cup buttermilk or sour
milk (make sour milk by
putting 1 tablespoon of
vinegar or lemon juice in
a measuring cup and adding milk to 1-cup mark)
Cooking Basics Recipe Success
1. Read recipe carefully.
2. Clear work area.
3. Set out ingredients and supplies.
4. Prepare and measure ingredients.
5. Make recipe.
•
•
•
•
•
Use measuring cups to measure dry ingredients.
Use clear measuring cups to measure liquid ingredients.
Use measuring spoons to measure small amounts
of ingredients.
Place clear measuring cup on level surface and check
at eye level to make sure correct amount is measured.
Liquid should just touch measurement line.
Spoon dry ingredients into measuring cup and level
excess using the straight edge of a knife.
10 Alabama Cooperative Extension System
NOTES
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Cooking Basics 11
EFNEP-232
Stephanie Woodyard, Extension Specialist, Family Programs
For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone
directory under your county’s name to find the number.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May
8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers
educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
12M, New March 2007, EFNEP-232
© 2007 by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. All rights reserved.