Moderately Confused by Jeff Stahler for February 10, 2021

Good question!! Just like a pinch!! What exactly is “a pinch??”

Wait until they ask for a smidgen.

The dash thing gets me. Use a pinch? Shake the container over the pot one time? Run for the door when the pressure cooker valve goes? What?

I have a set of measuring spoons. “pinch”, “dash”, “nip” and “smidgen”.

And just a few days ago, I was complaining about feet, inches and pounds.

I always figure if a little is good, a lot is better.

Imprecise measurements like this are reserved for seasonings. It really means “Season to taste”. The important stuff, especially in baking, are more precise. I’ve begun converting all of my volume measurements to metric. 120 grams of flour is way more repeatable and reliable than 1 cup. (Is it packed? Fluffed? Settled? Did I get it completely full, or does the measuring cup include a “freeboard” so you don’t spill liquids?) Baking is as much about the chemical reactions as it is the flavors. Precision is better for the reactive ingredients.

Moderately stewpendous.

NEVER ask what a “pinch” is in the presence of a male. You will soon find out.

What cookbooks really need to do for beginners is give an idea where to start on “salt and pepper to taste”.

I was taught that a “titch” is less than a “tad”.

My daughter did a school science fair project on the accuracy of kitchen measuring spoons. We bought three different sets of spoons and none of the comparable spoons from each set matched any of the other sets.

Obviously, there are 2 touches in a pinch, and 3.1 pinches in a smidge (which what the British call a smidgin). Tads and dashes are metric measurements, of course.

How “hot” is that pepper?

I have measuring spoons labelled pinch, dash and smidgen. I don’t agree with them.

It depends on your politics!

I tend to go overboard with my pinches.

When my children would ask me about a recipe for something they had liked it used to drive them nuts because I would say this much and time my hand for the length of time I normally did whole cooking. Didn’t mean to be difficult is just the way I cook.

Could just be a smudge. :)