Southern's Chefs Recipes from our kitchens to yours
Cooking Tips &
Tricks
 Basic Kitchen Guidelines:

n Read the recipe through from beginning to end before you start. Do you have all the right ingredients? Utensils? Appliances?

n Make sure you understand all the directions.

n Check the clock and make sure you have enough time to make the recipe. You don't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen - and with the right recipe, you won't need to. If you have to get dinner on the table for a certain time, figure out when you'll need to start in order to have the meal ready. Most recipes include the amount of time it takes to prepare them in the instructions. It might be a good idea to add 10 or 15 minutes to that time - just to be on the safe side.

n Assemble all your ingredients in one place before you start. Some chefs like to measure out each ingredient ahead of time before cooking. Pull out the utensils, measuring cups, and spoons you'll be using and keep them handy, so you won't need to run all over the kitchen.

n An apron is a good idea if you want to keep your clothes from getting dirty. (You can skip the chef's hat, but it's smart to tie back long hair.)

n Always wash your hands before any kind of food preparation. You may need to wash your hands several times as you cook, especially after touching raw meat, poultry (chicken and turkey), fish, and egg products.

n Never put cooked or ready-to-serve foods on plates, cutting boards, counters, or other places you have placed raw meat, poultry, fish, or egg products without washing these surfaces first.

Some Helpful Ingredient Substitutions:

Ingredient

Amount

Substitute

Allspice

1 tsp.

• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Baking powder

1 tsp.

• 1/3 tsp. baking soda and 5/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Bay leaf

1 whole

• 1/4 tsp. crushed

Brown sugar

1 cup

• 1 cup sugar plus 1 tsp. molasses

Butter

1 cup

• 1 cup margarine
• 7/8 cup shortening and 1/2 tsp. salt

Chives, finely chopped

2 tsp.

• 2 tsp. green onion tops finely chopped

Carob

3 tbs.

• 3 tbs. cocoa and 1 tbs. shortening

Chocolate chips, semisweet

1 ounce

• 1 ounce sweet cooking chocolate chopped

Chocolate, semisweet

1 2/3 ounce

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and 4 tsp. sugar

Chocolate, semisweet chips, melted

6 ounce package

• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 tbs. shortening and 1/2 cup sugar

Chocolate, unsweetened

1 ounce or square

• 3 tbs. cocoa and 1 tbs. butter or margarine

Cocoa

1/4 cup or 4 tbs

• 1 ounce chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 tbs.)

Coconut cream

1 cup

• 1 cup whipping cream

Coconut milk

1 cup

• 1 cup whole or 2% milk

Corn syrup

1 cup

• 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup liquid
• 1 cup honey

Cornstarch (for thickening)

1 tbs.

• 2 tbs. all-purpose flour

Cream, heavy

1 cup

• 3/4 cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or margarine (only for use in cooking and baking)

Cream, light

1 cup

• 3/4 cup milk and 3 tbs. Butter or margarine (only for use in cooking and baking)
• or 1 cup evaporated milk

Egg

1 whole

• 2 1/2 tbs. sifted dry whole egg powder

Egg white

1 white

• 2 tsp. sifted dry egg white powder with 2 tbs. water

Flour (for thickening)

1 tbs.

• 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, arrowroot starch, potato starch or rice starch
• 1 tbs. granular tapioca, rice flour, corn flour
•1 1/2 tbs. whole wheat flour

Flour, all purpose

1 cup sifted

• 1 cup and 2 tbs. cake flour
• 1 cup minus 2 tbs. unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rice flour

Flour, cake

1 cup sifted

• 1 cup minus 2 tbs. all purpose flour

Flour, self rising

1 cup

• 1 cup minus 2 tsp. all purpose flour and 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt

Flour, whole wheat

  

• Substitute whole wheat flour for 1/4 to 1/2 of white flour called for in recipe

Garlic

1 clove

• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Herbs, fresh

1 tbs.

• 1 tsp. dried herbs

Honey

1 cup

• 1 1/4 cup sugar with 1/4 cup water

Italian seasonings

1 1/2 tsp.

• 1/4 tsp. each dried marjoram, oregano plus basil plus 1/8 tsp. sage

Ketchup (for cooking)

1 cup

• 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbs. vinegar

Lemon juice

1 tsp.

• 1/2 tsp. vinegar

Lemon peel, dried

1 tsp.

• 1-2 tsp. fresh grated lemon peel
• 1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Mayonnaise (for use in salad dressings)

1 cup

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup cottage cheese pureed in blender

Milk, buttermilk or sour milk

1 cup

• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup whole milk and 1 tbs. lemon juice

Milk, sweetened condensed

1 can

• Heat and stir 1/3 cup and 2 tbs. evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar and 3 tbs. butter until sugar has dissolved.

Mustard, dry

1 tsp.

• 1 tbs. prepared mustard

Mustard, prepared

1 tbs.

• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard and 2 tsp. Vinegar
Oil,vegetable 1/3 cup • 1/3 cup applesauce
(usually for use in baking)

Saffron

1 tsp.

• 1 tsp. tumeric

Shortening, melted

1 cup

• 1 cup cooking oil

Shortening, solid

1 cup

• 1 1/8 cup butter or margarine (decrease salt in recipe by 1/2 tsp.)

Sour cream

1 cup

• 1 cup yogurt or 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 tsp. lemon juice and 1/2 cup butter

Soy sauce

1 tbs.

• 1 tbs. teriyaki Sauce

Tomato Sauce

1 cup

• 6 tbs. tomato paste and 1/2 water

Yeast, active dry

1 tbs.

• 1 package active dry yeast

Yogurt, plain

1 cup

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup cottage cheese blended until smooth
• 1 cup sour cream