"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
5.247...
>I really hate it when recipes for banana cake or banana bread specify the
> number of bananas rather than giving a cup or weight measurement. Even
> specifying "large" or "medium" bananas is not too meaningful since size
> varies considerably. Baking recipes are highly dependent on exact
> quantities
> of major ingredients for success. Two little banana results in a dry cake
> or
> bread, just as too much banana results in a cake or bread that falls.
> Recipe
> authors ought to get their bananas together. :-)
>

Wayne Boatwright
I agree. Don't forget recipes that call for a small or medium onion or
potato. In some recipes you can tell that the amount of vegetable really
does make a difference, particularly if there is a sauce involved. Just
tell me how many cups, o.k.? I can wing it later after I find out what the
recipe writer has in mind.
Janet

On Nov 18, 9:45*am, "Janet Bostwick" > wrote:
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
>
> 5.247...
>
> >I really hate it when recipes for banana cake or banana bread specify the
> > number of bananas rather than giving a cup or weight measurement. *Even
> > specifying "large" or "medium" bananas is not too meaningful since size
> > varies considerably. *Baking recipes are highly dependent on exact
> > quantities
> > of major ingredients for success. *Two little banana results in a dry cake
> > or
> > bread, just as too much banana results in a cake or bread that falls.
> > Recipe
> > authors ought to get their bananas together. :-)
>
> * *Wayne Boatwright
> I agree. *Don't forget recipes that call for a small or medium onion or
> potato. In some recipes you can tell that the amount of vegetable really
> does make a difference, particularly if there is a sauce involved. *Just
> tell me how many cups, o.k.? *I can wing it later after I find out what the
> recipe writer has in mind.
> Janet

Agree completely. I grab the smallest onion in the basket, just to be
safe. I think one can over-onion a dish.
My other rule-of-dumb is to double the number of garlic cloves, tho.
And never double the sage, even if you're doubling a recipe.

"Janet Bostwick" wrote:
>
>I agree. Don't forget recipes that call for a small or medium onion or
>potato. In some recipes you can tell that the amount of vegetable really
>does make a difference, particularly if there is a sauce involved. Just
>tell me how many cups, o.k.? I can wing it later after I find out what the
>recipe writer has in mind.
>Janet
>
Produce size charts are readily available... check the USDA web site.
A cup of chopped onion is meaningless unless the size of the pieces
are stipulated... the industry standard is that a medium onion equals
1 cup chopped onion but is hardly accurate, and onions are of
different strengths even within the same type, so only cooking
experience can be of any avail whatsoever. Anyone who follows a
recipe for produce amounts can't cook and will never be able to cook,
not ever! I can dice the same size onion so that it will fill a one
cup measure or a half cup measure, depends on the size of the bits.

I like onion, especially fried onion, most especially on a burger, so
for me the correct size onion it that which will yield as much as will
fit on my plate or in my saute pan, whichever fills first. LOL

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
> "Janet Bostwick" wrote:
>>
>>I agree. Don't forget recipes that call for a small or medium onion or
>>potato. In some recipes you can tell that the amount of vegetable really
>>does make a difference, particularly if there is a sauce involved. Just
>>tell me how many cups, o.k.? I can wing it later after I find out what
>>the
>>recipe writer has in mind.
>>Janet
>>
> Produce size charts are readily available... check the USDA web site.
> A cup of chopped onion is meaningless unless the size of the pieces
> are stipulated... the industry standard is that a medium onion equals
> 1 cup chopped onion but is hardly accurate, and onions are of
> different strengths even within the same type, so only cooking
> experience can be of any avail whatsoever. Anyone who follows a
> recipe for produce amounts can't cook and will never be able to cook,
> not ever! I can dice the same size onion so that it will fill a one
> cup measure or a half cup measure, depends on the size of the bits.

What you say about standards may be true, don't know. However, in this day
and age, any professional who writes a recipe that does not stipulate volume
or weight measurement is just plain lazy and no cook of any kind.
Regardless of your opinion of who can cook and who can't, a recipe is a way
of communicating. If the recipe writer can't be bothered to communicate
accurately they should give up the idea of cashing in on cookbook sales.
Say what you will about following recipes, but to someone who is unfamiliar
with a particular cuisine or item, a recipe is the only way to begin to
understand.
Janet

"Janet Bostwick" wrote:
>"brooklyn1" wrote:
>> "Janet Bostwick" wrote:
>>>
>>>I agree. Don't forget recipes that call for a small or medium onion or
>>>potato. In some recipes you can tell that the amount of vegetable really
>>>does make a difference, particularly if there is a sauce involved. Just
>>>tell me how many cups, o.k.? I can wing it later after I find out what
>>>the
>>>recipe writer has in mind.
>>>Janet
>>>
>> Produce size charts are readily available... check the USDA web site.
>> A cup of chopped onion is meaningless unless the size of the pieces
>> are stipulated... the industry standard is that a medium onion equals
>> 1 cup chopped onion but is hardly accurate, and onions are of
>> different strengths even within the same type, so only cooking
>> experience can be of any avail whatsoever. Anyone who follows a
>> recipe for produce amounts can't cook and will never be able to cook,
>> not ever! I can dice the same size onion so that it will fill a one
>> cup measure or a half cup measure, depends on the size of the bits.
>
>What you say about standards may be true, don't know.

Absolutely true.
http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/hb66/099onion.pdf

>However, in this day
>and age, any professional who writes a recipe that does not stipulate volume
>or weight measurement is just plain lazy and no cook of any kind.

Indicating a "large" onion is most definitely a volumatic description,
all one needs is the mathematical ability to compute the volume of a
sphere. Real cooks don't measure ingredients, especially not those
that vary in flavor intensity like onions... makes as much sense to
give an acurate weight/volume measurement for onions as for the
mustard on a ham and cheese sammich... measurement is only a guide,
for ingredients like onions only a very rough guide, professionals
cook to taste... only the very newbiest of newbie cooks need precise
measurements, like those artists who paint by number... because then
even with precise measurements, without the experience to interpolate
and interpret, and without possessing the innate talent they both
produce eyesores and inedible crap.

>Regardless of your opinion of who can cook and who can't, a recipe is a way
>of communicating.

Where did you [ever] see me say "my opinion"? What I post is FACT...
and my communication skills are quite fine thankew.

>If the recipe writer can't be bothered to communicate
>accurately they should give up the idea of cashing in on cookbook sales.

Hey, don't buy them. And there is no such thing as accuracy, all
cooking is a judgement call.. you lack the judgement is all.

>Say what you will about following recipes, but to someone who is unfamiliar
>with a particular cuisine or item, a recipe is the only way to begin to
>understand.
>Janet

This is obviously your opinion... fact is you admit you need help,
training wheels so to speak... you're not ready for the big girl
cookbooks, you may never... anyone needs a precise measurement for
onion I put my money on never. Cooking is not pharmacy... cooking
requires talent, pharmacy requires a scale... these days all a
pharmacist needs is the ability to count, and nowadays there are
machines that count their pills.

In some sixty years of cooking I've never measured onions with
anything more accurate than my hands and eyeballs... I've not ever
even once put onions into a measuring cup, on a scale, or any kind of
measuring device... the closest I measure is [maybe] to take a little
taste and then I know exactly how much of that onion to scrape off the
cutting board... yoose with TIAD are SOL! LOL

Obviously:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?ur...mies&x=17&y=16

"brooklyn1" > wrote in message
...
snip
>
> In some sixty years of cooking I've never measured onions with
> anything more accurate than my hands and eyeballs... I've not ever
> even once put onions into a measuring cup, on a scale, or any kind of
> measuring device... the closest I measure is [maybe] to take a little
> taste and then I know exactly how much of that onion to scrape off the
> cutting board... yoose with TIAD are SOL! LOL
Then obviously everything you cook tastes exactly the same because you've
never varied your experience. You've only used what you thought it should
be. And that's fine as long as you are happy with it.
Janet

Sheldon blathered:

> Anyone who follows a recipe for produce amounts can't cook and will never
> be able to cook, not ever!

Grant Achatz says you're a fool.

Bob

On Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:24:18 -0800, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Sheldon blathered:
>
>> Anyone who follows a recipe for produce amounts can't cook and will never
>> be able to cook, not ever!
>
> Grant Achatz says you're a fool.
>
> Bob

i don't know grant, but i agree.

your pal,
blake