Abbreviations and Conversions

Posted on April 20, 2011 by thecompletebook

Abbreviations

c/C	cup
t/tsp	teaspoon
T/tbsp/Tbs	tablespoon
D/dstsp	dessertspoon
˚C	degrees Celsius
˚F	degrees Fahrenheit
g/gr	gram
kg	kilogram
l/L	litre
lb	pound
ml	millilitre
oz	ounce
fl oz	fluid ounce
pkt	packet

Conversions

Temperature conversions

Fahrenheit Degrees	Celsius Degrees	Gas Mark	Oven Term
200	100	1/8	Very Low
225	110	1/4	Very Low
250	120	1/2	Very Low
275	140	1	Low
300	150	2	Low
325	160	3	Low
350	180	4	Moderate
375	190	5	Moderate
400	200	6	Moderate
425	220	7	High
450	230	8	High
475	240	9	High
500	260	10	Very High

Measuring conversions

Spoons	Millilitres	Cups	Millilitres
1/8 tsp	1ml	1/8 cup	30ml
1/4 tsp	1.25ml	1/4 cup	60ml
1/2 tsp	2.5ml	1/3 cup	80ml
1 tsp	5ml	1/2 cup	125ml
2tsp	10ml	2/3 cup	170ml
3tsp	15ml	3/4 cup	190ml
1D	10ml	1 cup	250ml
1T	15ml	2 cups	500ml
2T	30ml	3 cups	750ml
3T	45ml	4 cups	1 litre
4T	60ml

Cake tin size conversions

Inches	Millimetres	Centimetres
5in	125mm	12.5cm
6in	150mm	15cm
7in	180mm	18cm
8in	200mm	20cm
9in	230mm	23cm
10in	250mm	25cm
11in	280mm	28cm
12in	300mm	30cm

Square tin to round cake tin conversions

Square Tin	Round Tin
13cm or 130mm (5 inch)	15cm or 150mm (6 inch)
12.5cm or 125mm (5inch)	18cm or 180mm (7 inch)
18cm or 180mm (7 inch)	20cm or 200mm (8 inch)
20cm or 200mm (8 inch)	23cm or 230mm (9 inch)
23cm or 230mm (9 inch)	25cm or 250mm (11 inch)
25.5cm or 255mm(10inch)	28cm or 280mm (11 inch)
28cm or 280mm (11inch)	30cm or 300mm (12 inch)

Microwave oven conversions

Microwave recipes generally give terms based on a 700W to a 750W microwave oven.
The times below are given in minutes and seconds using 100% power.

1000W	850W	750W	650W	550W	450W
00:40	00:45	00:50	01:00	01:10	01:25
01:20	01:30	01:45	02:00	02:20	02:55
01:55	02:15	02:35	03:00	03:30	04:20
02:35	03:05	03:30	04:00	04:45	05:45
03:15	03:50	04:20	05:00	05:55	07:15
03:55	04:35	05:10	06:00	07:05	08:40
04:35	05:20	06:05	07:00	08:15	10:05
05:10	06:05	06:55	08:00	09:25	11:35
05:50	06:50	07:50	09:00	10:40	13:00
06:30	07:40	08:40	10:00	11:50	14:25
09:45	11:30	13:00	15:00	17:45	21:40
13:00	15:15	17:20	20:00	23:40	28:55

Ingredient conversions

Flour
1 cup (250ml) = 100g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 8g

Sugar
1 cup (250ml) = 200g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 15g

Icing Sugar
1 cup (250ml) = 100g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 8g

Butter & Margarine
1 cup (250ml) = 200g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 15g

Crumbs
1 cup (250ml) = 50g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 4g

Rice
1 cup (250ml) = 210g
1 tablespoon (15ml) = 16g

Substituting ingredients

15ml cornflour / maizena	30ml cake flour
250ml self raising flour	250ml cake flour + 5ml baking powder
5ml cream of tartar	10ml lemon juice or vinegar
230g butter	220ml cooking oil
250ml melted butter	250ml cooking oil
250ml sugar	200ml golden syrup or honey
250ml sour milk	250ml milk + 20ml lemon juice or vinegar
250ml yoghurt	250ml buttermilk or sour cream
15ml fresh herbs	5ml dried herbs
5ml dry mustard powder	15ml prepared mustard

Cooking and baking tips + 1 more

Posted on February 10, 2011 by thecompletebook

Using spray and cook (non stick spray) on your pan before frying your steak helps reduces splattering.

I have added this tip to my list of cooking and baking tips which I previously posted just after I started my blog and thought I would share them with you all again.

Cooking and baking tips

Fresh herbs are best added during the last 10 minutes of cooking so they don’t lose their aromatic flavour. If you are substituting dried herbs for fresh in a recipe, use one-third the quantity.

Fresh, room temperature eggs are best for cooking and baking. The fresher the egg, the easier it is to separate the yolk from the white and the yolk is less likely to break. Room temperature egg whites beat lighter and fuller than refrigerated ones.

To test the freshness of an egg, gently drop it into a glass of cold water. If it sinks to the bottom it is fresh. If it floats suspended in the middle of the glass, it is still useable but use it soon, however if it floats all the way to the surface, discard it.

If you accidently get a piece of egg shell in with your egg after cracking it into a bowl, use one half of the shell to scoop it out.

Remember to preheat your oven before you start baking or cooking.

If you happen to over salt a pot of soup or a stew, drop in a peeled potato. The potato will absorb the excess salt.

For crisper salads, place a saucer upside down in the bottom of the salad bowl before filling with salad. Excess moisture will run underneath the saucer and this will help keep the salad crisp and fresh.

You can substitute crumbled cornflakes for breadcrumbs.

When baking bread, do not preheat your oven. You will be amazed at the resulting lightness of the bread.

For lighter fluffier pancakes, substitute half the milk with ice cold water or soda water.

To prevent a cheesecake from cracking in the centre while baking, place a small dish of water in the oven.

Drain deep fried foods on brown paper bags or brown paper as opposed to paper towels to retain crispness.

Dip the blades of scissors in hot water before cutting marshmallows to prevent the blades getting sticky.

Rinse your measuring cup or spoon in hot water before using syrup or honey so the syrup or honey won’t stick to the cup or spoon.

Keep popcorn fresh and encourage more kernels to pop by storing it in the freezer and use your popcorn straight from the freezer.

Sunlight doesn’t ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with their stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.

To keep potatoes from budding place an apple or two in the bag with the potatoes.

To prevent nuts settling at the bottom of your cake, heat them first in the microwave oven then dust them with flour before adding to the batter.

To get more juice from a lemon or lime, microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds before juicing.

Stand raw potatoes in cold water for at least half an hour before frying to improve the crispness of chips.

Ice cubes will eliminate the fat from soup and stew. Drop a few into the pot and stir lightly, the fat will cling to the cubes. Remove the cubes before they melt. Alternatively, wrap ice cubes in paper towel and skim over the top.

A dampened paper towel brushed downward on a cob of corn will remove every strand of corn “hair”.

To stop your bacon curling and shrinking, dip it into cold water before frying.

A little salt placed in a frying pan will prevent splattering.

When making many meatballs a fast and simple way is to shape the meat mixture into a log and cut off slices. The slices roll easily into balls. Another option is to pat the meat into a square and cut it into cubes, which again roll easily into meatballs of uniform size.

Hamburgers cook faster if you poke a hole in the middle while shaping them. The holes disappear as they cook.

Butter or oil the rim of a pot when cooking rice or pasta to prevent it boiling over.

Roll a chilli between your hands before cutting it lengthwise; this loosens the seeds and allows you to scrape them away easily.

A recipe book is easier to read if you hold it open with a wooden pants hanger that clamps shut. You can then hang it from a knob on a kitchen cabinet door.

Do you have any helpful tips?

How to test the doneness of your steak

Posted on February 1, 2011 by thecompletebook

How to test the doneness of your steak

This clever and fun tip should help take the mystery out of cooking your steak to perfection.

Lightly touch your thumb and index finger together and with the index finger of your other hand, poke the muscle pad below your thumb; this is what meat should feel like when it is rare.