Chapter 6: Tips for Food Preparation and Cooking 107
Some digital scales have food codes programmed in so you can get nutrition
information as well as weight. You just enter the code and weigh out your
food, and there you have it: calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein, and maybe
some other nutrients depending on the specific programming. This feature is
especially great for figuring out how many calories you’re eating in foods that
don’t have nutrition labels, like fruit. How many grapes are in^1 ⁄ 2 cup depends
on the size of the grapes. Is that a small, medium, or large apple? Most of us
underestimate the sizes. The scale tells you how much you are eating and
you don’t have to guess at the size. Some scales also have a memory function
so as you weigh your food throughout the day, it keeps a running total of
your calories and grams of protein, carbs, and fat.If you’re trying to figure how many grams of protein you’re eating in your
fish, chicken, beef, or pork, weigh the food after cooking. Some of the water in
these foods cooks out, so the cooked food weighs less than the raw food. The
excess water weight can throw off your nutrition calculations.
Figuring out pasta measurements can get confusing. Say a recipe calls for 2
cups of cooked pasta and you don’t want to make extra. How much dry pasta
do you need to start with? Part of the answer depends on the shape of the
pasta. The size and shape dictates how much will fit in a measuring cup so
weight is always the best option for measuring pasta. Generally, 8 ounces
of dry pasta equals 4 cups of cooked pasta. So in this case you weigh out 4
ounces on your food scale and cook it up. No leftovers! The exception to the
rule is egg noodles. Eight ounces of egg noodles cook up to 2^1 ⁄ 2 cups.Using Alcohol in Cooking
The main reason alcoholic beverages are used in recipes is to add flavor.
After all, the most premium of extracts with the most concentrated flavors
are alcohol-based, particularly vanilla.In many recipes the alcohol is an important component to achieve a desired
chemical reaction in a dish. Alcohol causes many foods to release flavors
that cannot be experienced without the interaction of alcohol. Beer contains
yeast which leavens breads and batters. Alcoholic beverages also helps
break down tough fibers in marinades. In addition, some dishes use alcoholic
content to provide entertainment, such as flambé and flaming dishes. As for
fondue, wine and kirsch are added because they lower the boiling point of
the cheese, which helps prevent curdling.Alcohol evaporates even without heat, and the majority burns off during
the cooking process. How much remains in the dish depends on the cooking
method and amount of cooking time. Those alcohol-soaked fruitcakes
turn into solid bricks before the alcohol evaporates. A bottle of beer in a
long-simmered stew doesn’t leave a significantly measurable alcohol residue,