Kitchen 101

Kitchen 101 is a collection of cooking tips designed to help you become a better cook! Here, you'll find substitutions, equivalent measurements, food safety tips, thawing instructions and more!

 Cutting boards, knives and other utensils

• Wipe away debris with a dry cloth or paper towel
• Wash board with soap and water, using a clean brush to get into the grooves of the board
• Finalize the sterilization process by apply bleach to the cutting board, rinse with hot water, place board in a clean area and allow to air dry
• Clean knives in the same method; make sure knives are sharp=a sharp knife is a safe knife

General cooking tips

• Temperature Danger Zone: foods should be kept at temperatures between 41°-135°F
• Refrigerators should be maintained at 40°F or less
• The FDA Food Code requires that foods be cooled from 135° to 70° F within two hours and from 70°-41° F within an additional four hours
• Properly thaw foods in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave, but never at room temperature
• High Altitude Cooking: increase liquid and flour; decrease leavening agent and time
• If you have multiple dishes to cool, do not stack them in the refrigerator; put them side by side at first, until they've cooled to a minimum of 41°F
• Do not rinse chicken prior to cooking; rinsing raw poultry increases the risk of spreading salmonella throughout the kitchen and sink. Poultry manufacturers mechanically wash the chickens prior to packaging.

Common equivalents

• 1 pint = 2 cups=16 fl.oz=32 Tablespoons=96 teaspoons
• 1 cup=8 fl. oz=16 Tablespoons = 48 teaspoons
• 1 large egg=2 fl. oz
• 4 large eggs = just under 1 cup
• 8-10 egg whites or 12-14 egg yolks = 1 cup

Common temperatures (F)

• Boiling 212°
• Simmering 180°
• Poaching 160°-180°
• Scalding 150°

Internal temperatures for meats and eggs

• Ground beef: 165ºF
• Pork: 145ºF
• Chicken: 165ºF
• Turkey: 165ºF
• Fish: 145ºF
• Eggs: 160ºF

Eggs

• The best way to boil an egg is to actually simmer it; then cool in ice water
• Prevent that green ring in boiled eggs: use fresh eggs, simmer and cool in ice water
• Best way to store eggs is on the top shelf of the fridge; not low or in the 'egg bin' in the door
• Egg whites can be frozen without harm
• Whole eggs or egg yolks can be frozen but must have sugar, salt or syrup added to them first
• Egg whites are excellent foaming agents and two ingredients stabilize the egg foam: cream of tartar and sugar
• Salt and fat (oil/butter) suppress foam, so if you need fluffy meringues, don't use oil or salt
• If a recipe calls for raw eggs, best to use a pasteurized egg product
• When making an egg foam (meringue), always use room temperature eggs

Dairy

• Buttermilk substitutes:
  • 1 cup milk and juice of one lemon for buttermilk; let it stand for 3-5 minutes before incorporating into recipe
  • Plain yogurts
  • Kefir
  • Sour cream
• Milk substitute: 1 part evaporated milk to 1 part water
• Homogenized milk has been processed so that the fat globules are broken up, which prevents a layer of cream from forming
• Pasteurized milk is milk that has been processed to kill pathogens
• Homogenized, pasteurized milk is not sterile, only UHT milk is sterile (ultra-heat-treatment)
• UHT milk and creams are in the boxes on the shelves at the grocer; not in the cold dairy section
• Cooking with milk: use low heat; high heat causes the whey proteins to form a skin on the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Homemade whipped cream: use cold cream, a cold bowl and cold mixing utensils, otherwise, you'll end up with butter
• Acids and dairy: if you're adding acid (lemon, vinegar, wine) to a dish that contains dairy, add acid last

Cheese

• When melting cheese, a sharp cheese melts better than a mild cheese due to the aging process; aging breaks down proteins which allow the cheese to melt
• High fat cheese melts faster and leaves an oily residue
• Low fat cheese separates when melted
• Cheddar cheese has more calcium than cottage cheese
  • cheddar cheese is a rennet cheese, wherein the calcium is retained in the curd
  • cottage cheese is an acid cheese, wherein the caseins (proteins) coagulate and the calcium is lost in the whey
• When cooking with cheese, select the best cheese, shred, grate or cube cheese before melting at a low temperature; in sauces, add the cheese at the end of the heating period to prevent separation
• The best way to make a cheese, or Mornay sauce, is to start with a roux and slowly add the cheese.

Seasonings

• Whole vs. ground spices:  Add whole spices at the beginning of the cooking process; ground spices at the end
• Fresh vs. dried herbs: use a 3:1 ratio for fresh : dried herbs
• White pepper is stronger than black pepper because it is ripe; black pepper is not ripe
• Use a variety of herbs and spices to change up the ordinary meal!
• Explore new seasonings - experiment with pastes and sauces

Thickening Agents

• Common thickening agents are flour and cornstarch; if you use flour, you'll need twice as much than if you were using cornstarch
• Flour contains proteins and starch, which makes the gravy cloudy instead of translucent; cornstarch will provide a clear gravy, or thickening sauce (think Chinese food)
• Roux: a mixture of a liquid, starch and melted fat; used to make white sauces and dark roux for savory dishes
• Slurry: a cold water thickener, usually made with flour or cornstarch; always add slurries at the end of the cooking process; over cooking a slurry can cause it to break down

Rice and Grains

• White rice will produce three times the amount of original product
• Instant rice and pasta will produce twice the amount of original product
• Are you really buying whole grains? Learn how to read labels when looking for 100% whole grain

Esssential Spices, Herbs and Aromatics

If you're just learning to cook or stocking your first apartment kitchen, here's a list of must-have ingredients that will help you in creating delicious meals!

• Black Pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Paprika (smoked)
• Cumin (Comino)
• Chile powder
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt

Use any of these dried seasonings and herbs to dress up chicken, fish or pasta!

• Oregano
• Marjoram
• Dill weed
• Dried basil
• Dried bay leaves
• Thyme

Having some generic seasoning blends on hand will help change the flavors up a bit!

• Italian seasoning
• Cajun seasoning
• Montreal steak seasoning
• Poultry seasoning
• Blackened seasoning
• Old Bay seasoning
• Curry powder

Use bouillon for enhancing soups, stews and casseroles

• Chicken bouillon cubes
• Beef bouillon cubes

Just a few baking essentials

• Vanilla extract 
• Cream of tartar
• Ground cinnamon