Please help, I can''t cook..

[simplysplendid]

So, I need to know how many teaspoons makes one tablespoon and how many tablespoons make one cup. I googled the question and there is a consensus that 3 teaspoons make one tablespoon and 8 tablespoons make one cup.

The question I have is, should it be level spoonfuls or heapedspoonfuls and what about liquids? I am so confused.. Please help and don''t laugh.. Thank you!

 

[miraclesrule]

3 teaspoons make a Tablespoon and there are 16 Tablespoons to one cup.
Hey, we won't laugh, you aren't born a baker.

 

[Rhea]

They should be level. I usually take a table knife and run the back, blunt side over the top so that everything is even with the rim of the measuring cup.

 

[Haven]

Honey, I can''t help you with the tablespoons question, but FI and I have found the PERFECT solution for two people who can''t cook:
Lots and lots of takeout menus and a cell phone. That''s all we need, and we NEVER go hungry.

In fact, our dear friends gave us the cutest take-out menu organizer at our bridal shower. We''ve used it more than anything else in the kitchen.

 

[movie zombie]

anything you want to know about cooking can be found by doing a little research on the internet: i don''t remember how many what''s make a whatever so i just go to the computer....or a very old cookbook that has the info. a good basic cookbook can''t be beat along with some online research.

movie zombie

 

[KimberlyH]

Level spoonfuls. And buy yourself a great, standard cookbook, like Betty Crocker, to help you out. No laughter here, I''m a cook that usually needs a recipe, I''m good at following directions. DH is all about winging it and he is a much better cook than I.

 

[FrekeChild]

I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don't know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.

ETA:
Baking=recipes
Cooking=wing it and taste everything

 

[Linda W]

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:33 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don''t know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.


ETA:

Baking=recipes

Cooking=wing it and taste everything

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT Cookbook. Good recommendation Freke!!!! I still have my copy and refer to it quite often.


Linda

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:27 PM
Author: KimberlyH
Level spoonfuls. And buy yourself a great, standard cookbook, like Betty Crocker, to help you out. No laughter here, I'm a cook that usually needs a recipe, I'm good at following directions. DH is all about winging it and he is a much better cook than I.

Ditto, I love Betty Crocker since it has pictures and it even gives you substitutes for ingredients in the front of the book. They sell it at Walmart, Target and Costco for cheap and I have used mine a million times and it gives you measurements too. It shows you cuts of meat too in case you are confused like I have been; a great beginners cookbook and I still go to it after many years. heehe

 

[FrekeChild]

Hey, it's been around for what? 75 years or so? If something has lasted that long-and through multiple generations-it's GOT to be good.

Seriously, I use it all of the time for my basics.

 

[simplysplendid]

Thank you.. thank you ladies, this is all very helpful indeed. I hope i know what I am making my kids now..

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 6/26/2008 4:14:08 PM
Author: simplysplendid
Thank you.. thank you ladies, this is all very helpful indeed. I hope i know what I am making my kids now..

Also don''t be nervous. Baking is more of a science, so there you do need to follow directions, but with cooking some things, it won''t hurt a stew if you put in extra onion or liquid, you can always reduce it - nothing can really go that wrong unless you burn it, and if it does, then you have learned from your mistakes. Start simple then as you increase confidence, you can go for more elaborate dishes.

 

[choro72]

Ooo, I LOVE Joy of Baking! Tons of recipe!

After this one, I''m sure you''ll get the hang of it. The hard part to me is modifying the recipe. I know Freke does it all the time, but I''m hardly a chef.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Well, I am not much of a cook, but I know hot to when I want to impress someone .

Think of learning to cook as being similar to learning about diamonds. It is part science, part art. Everyone has there own way of doing it, but for cooking, I think it is best to learn the science part, than develop the art.

The cookbook I used (and still use as I am still learning) is How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. The best part is the first couple chapters where he discusses different techniques. I also find it helpful that he tells you what you need equipment wise and what is a waste of money. His recipes have the basic stuff that most cook books assume is basic (like when to stop stirring the pancake batter, how to check it meat is done).

I always start with a new dish by following the recepe to the tee, than if it works, I start to play with things to see what kind of effect it will have.

Some things are best tought by someone elce. Before my mom passed, she tought me how to bake from strach. There were litte techniques she had that no cookbook could ever describe, that is the art. If you can find someone patient, it may help to cook along side of them.

 

[ladypirate]

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:33 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don't know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.

ETA:
Baking=recipes
Cooking=wing it and taste everything

LOL, Freke! I was just about to suggest the Joy of Cooking but you beat me to it.

Oh well.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 6/25/2008 11:08:07 PM
Author: Linda W

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:33 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don''t know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.


ETA:

Baking=recipes

Cooking=wing it and taste everything

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT Cookbook. Good recommendation Freke!!!! I still have my copy and refer to it quite often.


Linda

The NEW edition (I think it came out for XMAS 2007) is WICKED!

Even more stuff! Even more "know your ingredients" and things like "how to cook wild boar in a firepit" etc...."how to skin a salmon without a knife".....how to de-head a chicken"...

I love it...

 

[LostSapphire]

Here ya go. This should get you started:

Links to ingredients/conversion charts:

http://startcooking.com/blog/333/Measurement-and-Conversion-Charts

http://startcooking.com/blog/219/Measuring-Liquids

http://www.culinarycafe.com/Liquid.html

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 6/26/2008 7:22:25 PM
Author: LostSapphire

Date: 6/25/2008 11:08:07 PM
Author: Linda W

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:33 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don''t know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.

ETA:
Baking=recipes
Cooking=wing it and taste everything

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT Cookbook. Good recommendation Freke!!!! I still have my copy and refer to it quite often.

Linda

The NEW edition (I think it came out for XMAS 2007) is WICKED!

Even more stuff! Even more ''know your ingredients'' and things like ''how to cook wild boar in a firepit'' etc....''how to skin a salmon without a knife''.....how to de-head a chicken''...

I love it...

I''ll have to check out the new one. I think my edition is probably 2003 or so. Lol. I do love it though.

And if you need any help with any baking recipes (or modifications

) feel free to ask!!! And that goes for everyone!!

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 6/26/2008 9:32:40 PM
Author: FrekeChild

Date: 6/26/2008 7:22:25 PM
Author: LostSapphire

Date: 6/25/2008 11:08:07 PM
Author: Linda W

Date: 6/25/2008 10:13:33 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I recommend The Joy of Cooking for everyone. I don''t know if everything is in the back, but there is a LOT of info in there and TONS of recipes. Love love love it, and I use it all of the time.

ETA:
Baking=recipes
Cooking=wing it and taste everything

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT Cookbook. Good recommendation Freke!!!! I still have my copy and refer to it quite often.

Linda

The NEW edition (I think it came out for XMAS 2007) is WICKED!

Even more stuff! Even more ''know your ingredients'' and things like ''how to cook wild boar in a firepit'' etc....''how to skin a salmon without a knife''.....how to de-head a chicken''...

I love it...

I''ll have to check out the new one. I think my edition is probably 2003 or so. Lol. I do love it though.

And if you need any help with any baking recipes (or modifications

) feel free to ask!!! And that goes for everyone!!

It was cheap: I got it at Costco for about $26 CDN which these days, is hmmm....$26 US$ or so.....

It''s the ONLY cookbook in my kitchen...well, I have 2 actually: the last edition from 20 years ago, and the new one.

 

[VRBeauty]

My go-to basic cookbook is Sunset''s "easy Basics for Good Cooking," in the spiral/hardbound version:

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Basics-Good-Cooking/dp/037602237X

Unfortunately it''s out of print, but it looks like there are plenty of used copies around. It''s the book I''d give to young kids moving out on their own, if I could.

 

[EricaR]

I really love allrecipes.com. TONS of great recipes and they are all ranked based on difficulty.

 

[Brynn]

Try ''Anyone Can Cook'' too! It''s from Better Homes and Gardens and you can find it on Amazon or at B&N. TONS of pictures, and lots of great information for beginner cooks (kitchen tools basics, how to prep food, what generally used cooking terms mean), it''s a life-saver!

Good luck!!!!!

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

I reckon you ladies just analyse things too much - my mum was a chef (partially retired) and I used to cook as an sous chev when I was putting myself through college....... I still cook lots and I would cook 90% of the meals we eat at home and if we have guests or friends for dinner then its me that cooks (althogh I ahve a rule that if I cook, someone else decides on the menu - they simply say what they want the day before and I cook it.......) anyway...

Finny thing is that I don''t ever measure anything - neither does my mum and most of the time I don''t even have a recipe (or just make it from somethiing I remember reading once..... doesn''t matter what I''m making, just add what you think is right.......

My girlfriend gets really annoyed when she wants me to write down a recipe for someone and I write things like add enough mill until it looks nice but not too much ....etc

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 6/30/2008 1:05:17 AM
Author: Diamond Joe Quimby
I reckon you ladies just analyse things too much - my mum was a chef (partially retired) and I used to cook as an sous chev when I was putting myself through college....... I still cook lots and I would cook 90% of the meals we eat at home and if we have guests or friends for dinner then its me that cooks (althogh I ahve a rule that if I cook, someone else decides on the menu - they simply say what they want the day before and I cook it.......) anyway...

Finny thing is that I don''t ever measure anything - neither does my mum and most of the time I don''t even have a recipe (or just make it from somethiing I remember reading once..... doesn''t matter what I''m making, just add what you think is right.......

My girlfriend gets really annoyed when she wants me to write down a recipe for someone and I write things like add enough mill until it looks nice but not too much ....etc

HAHAHA DJQ! I''m the same way. I''ve been asked by my family to write down a recipe and send it in because they want to put together a book-well, they have enough dessert recipes, and I can''t put "Add _____ until it looks right" in a recipe. Plus, it doesn''t help that I''m a pastry chef and live by recipes-MOST of the time-so when I cook savory foods...I just go by taste and smell-I don''t time things, I don''t pay all that much attention to minute details, I just COOK. Pinch of this, pinch of that, oh-I don''t have that ingredient, but I have this-so I''ll use it instead!, or whatever. I have such a problem cooking with or for my mom, because she was never taught to cook-only to follow a recipe-and they are two totally different things.

The best advice (and cooking lesson) I was ever given was "Here is a fully stocked pantry. You have 6 hours to make 5 dishes with this many cooking methods. Make up your own recipes, and you can get ideas from a book, but don''t use any existing recipes-if it sucks, we''ll talk about how to make it better. If it''s great, write it down. It''s the only way to learn how to cook."

Of course, that was one of my classes from school, and we had almost unlimited stuff to use and make, we just had to eat it all at the end of the day.

Anyway. That''s why I always suggest The Joy of Cooking. Tried, tested and true-and I''ll look at the recipes, get an idea of how it works and then do it my way. But that takes a lot of time and experimentation-and a lot of inedible disasters....

So my advice is: Don''t be afraid to screw up.