Well, lousy cooks don’t use them either. If I tell you that you cook just like my grandma, I’m insulting you. Her cooking is so bad it’s turned into a family joke.
fbjsr that was cheating! The only time I ever saw my dad or my grandmother measure anything, was when it was a new recipe, so they could get an idea how it was supposed to work. Then they would try it a few times, then make adjustments. Then it was theirs.
That’s why there’s grams! A pinch of this, a dab of that… :)
I’m one of the cooks that measure the first time around, then I go nuts with the recipe the second time around. Unless it’s baking, because the cake won’t rise well if you don’t measure carefully!
Hi fbjst: Before I got married I did that with my Mom. Followed her around for all her best recipes and got the measurements. My mom has passed but her recipes live on with me and her grandkids because of this, so I don’t consider it cheating as haus thinks. We can all make the originals or change it up as we all have over the years.
Just like my mother & MIL,and I’m slowly turning into them. Which is great, because they are both awesome cooks/bakers! I learned more by just watching them.
The only need for measuring is when baking, mostly cakes.
With pies and cookies, not so much.
I had a roommate once who said he couldn’t cook.
I gave him a book called Impromptu Cooking.
It didn’t have recipes so much as guides on how to cook.
It said things like “when cooking this kind of meat, try these spices” “these spices blend well with tart flavors.” or ‘if you are out of XXX try YYY as a substitute.”
About a week later, I came home to discover my roommate was making stroganoff.. It was really good.
For years, we had a pyrex measuring cup with all the markings worn off. We saved the new one for baking.
I measure everything precisely, if it involves flour. (Unless it is for breading.) My hubby didn’t know how to cook when we got married, so I taught him. But he got Tablespoons confused with teaspoons and put too much baking powder in a coffee cake recipe. I doubled the recipe when he asked me (after he’d added it), so it was just very fluffy. I make meatloaf & spaghetti sauce without measuring everything, and those turn out well. My husband is a great cook now, but he leaves the baking up to me. I think everyone who has tasted our cooking has enjoyed it, as we get repeat requests. My mother-in-law is shocked to see how well her son cooks.
Grandmas had a special measuring cup… love. (Especially if it was baking for the grandkids.)
Their “instinct” was a specially honed craft that only experience and love could provide.
If I could go back and tell my grandma how special she was, I would do it in a heartbeat!
When asked how much of anything to put into a dish, my mother always said “enough” . How much was “enough” ? She’d say “You’ll know”.
I strongly recommend to everyone that they pay close attention when their mother is cooking - one day when your mother is gone, you might want to replicate something your mother made, and you won’t have her to tell you how.
rayannina almost 14 years ago
Tia Carmen reminds me of Grandma – Mom would ask her how much of an ingredient to add to a recipe and Grandma would reply, “oh, some.”
(Grandma was an excellent cook, BTW, just didn’t go by the book is all.)
parethed almost 14 years ago
Sounds like my Grandma, rayannina, I don’t think I ever saw her use a measuring cup…and she was the best cook ever…
Plods with ...™ almost 14 years ago
Hey this is great gma … too bad we’ll never get it again.
cdward almost 14 years ago
That’s *my* style of cooking! Of course, I’ve degenerated to a “open this box, open that can” style of cook.
YatInExile almost 14 years ago
I’m no good at “eyeballing,” I gotta have measuring cups. Especially when I’m making something for the first time.
lewisbower almost 14 years ago
I have a cookbook with metric conversions for pinch, dab, some, sufficient, bit, and handful.
autumnfire1957 almost 14 years ago
“Measuring cups? We don’ need no stinkin’ measurin’ cups.” No great cooks use those things.
ejcapulet almost 14 years ago
Well, lousy cooks don’t use them either. If I tell you that you cook just like my grandma, I’m insulting you. Her cooking is so bad it’s turned into a family joke.
rcerinys701 almost 14 years ago
fbjsr that was cheating! The only time I ever saw my dad or my grandmother measure anything, was when it was a new recipe, so they could get an idea how it was supposed to work. Then they would try it a few times, then make adjustments. Then it was theirs.
celeconecca almost 14 years ago
good question, Tia! recipes are only guidelines
Ann Lewis almost 14 years ago
That’s why there’s grams! A pinch of this, a dab of that… :)
I’m one of the cooks that measure the first time around, then I go nuts with the recipe the second time around. Unless it’s baking, because the cake won’t rise well if you don’t measure carefully!
pattybf almost 14 years ago
Hi fbjst: Before I got married I did that with my Mom. Followed her around for all her best recipes and got the measurements. My mom has passed but her recipes live on with me and her grandkids because of this, so I don’t consider it cheating as haus thinks. We can all make the originals or change it up as we all have over the years.
I'll fly away almost 14 years ago
Just like my mother & MIL,and I’m slowly turning into them. Which is great, because they are both awesome cooks/bakers! I learned more by just watching them.
pilover3.1415926 almost 14 years ago
My Dad’s famous broccolli recipe is “Oh a little bit that and about two palmfuls of this, a few lemons…”
ellisaana Premium Member almost 14 years ago
diese - you have it right.
The only need for measuring is when baking, mostly cakes. With pies and cookies, not so much.
I had a roommate once who said he couldn’t cook. I gave him a book called Impromptu Cooking. It didn’t have recipes so much as guides on how to cook. It said things like “when cooking this kind of meat, try these spices” “these spices blend well with tart flavors.” or ‘if you are out of XXX try YYY as a substitute.”
About a week later, I came home to discover my roommate was making stroganoff.. It was really good.
For years, we had a pyrex measuring cup with all the markings worn off. We saved the new one for baking.
Smiley Rmom almost 14 years ago
I measure everything precisely, if it involves flour. (Unless it is for breading.) My hubby didn’t know how to cook when we got married, so I taught him. But he got Tablespoons confused with teaspoons and put too much baking powder in a coffee cake recipe. I doubled the recipe when he asked me (after he’d added it), so it was just very fluffy. I make meatloaf & spaghetti sauce without measuring everything, and those turn out well. My husband is a great cook now, but he leaves the baking up to me. I think everyone who has tasted our cooking has enjoyed it, as we get repeat requests. My mother-in-law is shocked to see how well her son cooks.
discoEd almost 14 years ago
“30 cents worth of ground beef ” are you sure that wasn’t 30 cents of ground “stegosaurus” Burg babe? Only kidding luv.
jkoskov almost 14 years ago
Grandmas had a special measuring cup… love. (Especially if it was baking for the grandkids.) Their “instinct” was a specially honed craft that only experience and love could provide. If I could go back and tell my grandma how special she was, I would do it in a heartbeat!
MorganZ almost 14 years ago
When asked how much of anything to put into a dish, my mother always said “enough” . How much was “enough” ? She’d say “You’ll know”.
I strongly recommend to everyone that they pay close attention when their mother is cooking - one day when your mother is gone, you might want to replicate something your mother made, and you won’t have her to tell you how.