Resources and References
At the back of many books, you often find a list of books that the author recommends. Since so many of my recipes are derivatives or variations from published cookbooks, I think I owe my sources a place at the front of the book. Of the several hundred cookbooks I own, I think these are some of the best. I have also listed favorite references, both books and online.
Cookbooks
| Flo Baker | Sweet Miniatures | This is an amazing book, with beautiful pictures. |
| Rose Levy Beranbaum | Rose's Baking Basics The Cake Bible Rose's Heavenly Cakes |
There are no better books for cakes, and baking in general. This woman practices real kitchen science. |
| Alton Brown | I’m Just Here for the Food I’m Just Here for More Food Good Eats – The Early Years, The Middle Years and Alton’s show, Good Eats |
The show teaches you the whys of cooking, not just recipes. His cookbooks do the same. The “More Food” book is really all about baking. |
| Sharon Claessens | The 20-Minute Natural Foods Cookbook | This is a practical cookbook; I wish more were organized like it. |
| Ellen Buchman Ewald | Recipes for a Small Planet | This was my first vegetarian cookbook, and I still cook recipes from it. |
| Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter | Bread – the breads of the world and how to bake them at home | This book is out of print, but you can probably still get it used online. |
| Madhur Jaffrey | Indian Cooking | She writes great Indian recipes; this is my favorite of her cookbooks. |
| Diane Phillips | Perfect Party Food | Diane is the “Diva of Do-Ahead.” This is a terrific book for entertaining. |
| Peter Reinhart | The Bread Baker’s Apprentice | I learned a tremendous amount about bread from this book, in addition to the recipes. |
| America’s Test Kitchen | The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook | ATK’s research produces great recipes, although few of them will be quick. In the last few years, I’ve referred to these books more than any others |
| Howard Hillman | Kitchen Science |
Things Worth Knowing
| Abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| tsp or t | teaspoon |
| Tbsp or T | Tablespoon |
| c | cup |
| qt | quart |
| lb | pound |
| oz | ounce |
| Measuring Equivalents | |
|---|---|
| 3 teaspoons | 1 Tablespoon |
| 16 Tablespoons | 1 cup |
| 2 cups | 1 pint |
| 2 pints | 1 quart |
| 4 quarts | 1 gallon |
| Estimated Sizes of Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| Almonds, shelled | 1 pound whole = 3 cups 1 pound slivered = 4 cups |
| Apples | 3 medium = 1 lb 1 medium = 1 cup chopped |
| Bananas | 1 medium = ½ cup mashed |
| Beans, dried | 1 pound = 2½ cups uncooked = 5½ to 6 cups cooked (in general) |
| Bell peppers | 1 large = 1 cup chopped |
| Blackberries | 1 pound = 3½ cups |
| Broccoli | 1 pound fresh = 1 medium bunch = 2 cups florets 10-ounce package frozen = 2½ cups chopped |
| Butter or margarine | 1 stick = 4 ounces = 8 Tablespoons |
| Cabbage | 1 small head = about 1 pound = 3 to 4½ cups shredded |
| Carrots | 1 pound = 5 to 6 medium = 3½ cups shredded or chopped |
| Cauliflower | 1 large head = about 2 pounds = 3 cups florets |
| Celery | 1 rib = ½ cup of ¼-inch slices |
| Chicken | 1 large whole breast = 2 cups cooked, cubed, or chopped |
| Coconut | 3½ ounce can, shredded or flaked = 1¼ cups |
| Cottage cheese | 8 ounce container = 1 cup |
| Crackers, graham | 15 crackers = 1 cup crumbs = about 5 ounces |
| Crackers, saltine | 30 crackers = 1 cup fine crumbs |
| Cranberries | 12 ounce pkg = 3 cups |
| Cucumber | 1 medium = ½ pound = 2 cups slices or diced |
| Ginger, fresh | 2-inch piece = 2 Tablespoons grated or chopped |
| Gingersnaps | 15 cookies = 1 cup crumbs |
| Green onions | 1 bunch = 6 to 8 = 1 cup sliced (green and white parts) |
| Lemon | 1 medium = 2 to 3 Tablespoons juice 1 medium = 1 Tablespoon grated peel |
| Margarine | 1 stick = 4 ounces = 8 Tablespoons |
| Mushrooms | 1 pound fresh= 2 to 3 cups sliced 4 oz jar = ⅔ cup |
| Onions | 1 pound = 2 large or 3 medium 1 medium = ½ to ⅔ cup chopped |
| Pears | 1 pound = 3 to 4 medium 1 pound = about 2 cups sliced |
| Pine nuts | 2½ ounce package = ⅔ cup |
| Sour cream | 8 ounce container = 1 cup |
| Spinach | 1 pound fresh = about 4 cups leaves, firmly packed |
| Squash, yellow or summer | 1 pound fresh = 3 medium = 2½ cups sliced |
| Tomato paste | 6 ounce can = ¾ cup |
| Tomato sauce | 8 ounce can = 1 cup |
| Tomatoes | 1 pound fresh = 3 medium or 2 large 1 medium = 1 cup chopped 1 pound fresh, peeled and seeded = 1½ cups pulp 1 pound can = 1¾ to 2 cups |
| Vanilla wafers | 30 wafers = 1 cup fine crumb |
| Walnuts, shelled | 1 pound halves = 4 cups 1 pound chopped = 3½ cups |
| Wheat germ | 12 ounce jar = 3 cups |
| Yeast | 1 package active dry = 2½ teaspoons |
| Zucchini | 1 pound = 3 medium 1 large = 2 cups sliced |