Important Facts/Tips for Cooking - Reminders
1. Measuring dry ingredients: spoon into a dry measuring cup then level the top with a knife. Unless the recipe specifically calls for sifted flour, do not sift before measuring.
2. Measuring liquid ingredients: use a liquid measuring cup, usually made of glass or plastic, with a spout. Read at eye level with the cup on a flat surface.
3. When instructions say to "grease" a baking dish, use a vegetable shortening such as Crisco, or butter. To "lightly grease" you may use a vegetable cooking spray.
4. When a recipe calls for butter, use unsalted butter that comes in sticks. Do not use whipped butter, butter spread, or light butter unless specifically called for. To soften, place butter on the counter for 30 minutes at room temperature.
5. If a recipe says "whisk", really use a whisk! It creates better texture and results than a spoon, fork, or spatula.
6. Get the temperature right. It never hurts to routinely calibrate your oven to ensure correct temperatures and baking time. Place an oven thermometer inside. Turn the oven on and set it to the desired temperature. When the oven has preheated, check your thermometer. Is it in sync with the temperature you set? If not, adjust your baking times accordingly.
7. Check the dates on your baking soda and baking powder. Smell oils to make sure they haven't turned rancid. Replenish dried herbs and spices after a year (they start losing potency after as little as 6 months).
8. Turn away from the dark side! Dark finishes on baking pans, baking sheets, and glass pans change the baking time of the items that bake in or on them. You're better off sticking with metal or clear glass.
9. Beat the heat. Preheat your oven for at least 10 minutes before baking anything.
10. Watch commas carefully!! Where a comma is placed in a recipe/ingredient list tells you the order in which to do things. For example:
1 pound fresh shrimp, cooked and peeled means you start with shrimp in the shell and then cook it and peel it yourself. 1 pound cooked and peeled fresh shrimp means the more pricey, precooked, pre-peeled shrimp may be purchased at the grocery store. The difference works out to about 1/2 pound of cooked shrimp, which is significant if you don't interpret the directions properly.
Hope these help!
Courtesy Secrets from the Southern Living Test Kitchens