1. Basic Cooking Skills Test
Study Guide

2. Cooking Abbreviations
tablespoon – T. or Tbsp.
teaspoon – t. or tsp.
cup – C.
pint – pt.
quart – qt.
gallon – gal.
ounce – oz.
pound – lbs.
dozen – doz.

3. Equivalent Measurements
1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons or 8 ounces
1 pint = 2 cups
1 quart = 2 pints
1 gallon = 4 quarts
1 pound = 16 ounces

4. Amounts that can be measured by standard utensils
Dry Measuring Cups – 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup
Liquid Measuring Cups – 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup,
3/4 cup, and 1 cup
Measuring Spoons – 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon,
1 tablespoon

5. Measuring dry ingredients in the following amounts.
1/8 t. = one half of 1/4 t.
3/4 C. = 1/2 C. + 1/4 C. OR 1/4 C. x 3
2/3 C. = 1/3 C. x 2

6. Purpose of Ingredients
Flour - Forms the structure of the baked product.
Sugar - Adds a sweet flavor and helps with browning.
Leavening Agent - Makes the baked product rise due to the formation of carbon
dioxide. Baking soda and baking powder are examples.
Salt - An optional ingredient. It enhances flavor.
Liquid - Adds moisture, distributes flavorings, and tenderizes the baked product.
Fat - Tenderizes the baked product. Examples are butter, shortening, and oil.
Eggs - Binds ingredients together and helps to make the baked product rise.

7. How to Use a Recipe
A recipe is your guide to help you prepare a certain food. It should tell you …
Kinds of ingredients
Exact amounts of ingredients
Step-by-step instructions for preparing the recipe
Type and size of the pan
Temperatures needed to prepare the food or other instructions like “simmer” or “boil”
Length of time to cook the food
Number of servings or yield

8. 3/4 cup x 2 = 3/4 x 2/1 = 6/4 = 1 2/4 or 1 1/2 cups
Doubling a Recipe
Go carefully with seasonings. Twice as much may be too much. Begin by adding half as much, then taste and make adjustments.
Before doubling, check to see if another recipe may serve larger numbers.
Cooking time may be increased. Test to see.
You will need to know equivalent measurements and depend on math skills.
Always take each ingredient and multiply by 2.
Example
3/4 cup x 2 = 3/4 x 2/1 = 6/4 = 1 2/4 or 1 1/2 cups

9. Dividing a Recipe in Half
Before you decide to divide a recipe, consider the possibility of making the full
amount and storing half in the freezer for another meal.
Choose a recipe that will divide easily.
Cooking time may be reduced, though seldom as much as half.
You may need to choose a smaller pan.
If the recipe calls for half an egg, the egg can be beaten lightly, measured, and half the amount used. The average sized egg usually contains about four tablespoons. Another possibility is to use either the egg yolk or the egg white instead of the whole egg.
Sometimes when dividing odd measurements, the divided amount might be different than the sizes of standard measuring utensils. You might have to convert measurements from cups to tablespoons and from tablespoons to teaspoons to get the correct amounts. It is important to know equivalent measurements like three teaspoons equal one tablespoon so you can make those adjustments.
Example
Divide 1/2 cup in half /2 ÷ 2 = 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4 cup

10. Cooking Terms
Al dente An Italian term which means “firm to the tooth” – a desirable degree of doneness so that the pasta is neither crunchy (underdone) or mushy (overdone). Bake To cook food with dry heat usually in an oven, like when you make muffins. Beat To combine ingredients using a fast motion which adds air and makes the mixture smooth like when you make pancakes. Blend Another term for mixing, like when you stir muffin batter. Boil To cook food in a liquid at a high temperature so bubbles break at the surface, like when you make pasta. Brush To cover food lightly with another food like milk, melted butter, or blended egg. Chill To put food into refrigerator until cold. Coat To apply a thin layer of one food onto another food for flavor and texture. Combine To blend ingredients together. Core To remove the center of a fruit which contains the seeds or has a woody texture. Cream To combine butter with sugar by beating it until it is light and fluffy, like when you make the chocolate chip cookies. Crumble The process of breaking food into smaller pieces using your fingers. Cut in To combine shortening or butter with dry ingredients using a pastry blender or fork, like when you make pie pastry. Dice To cut food into squares smaller than 1/2 inch, using a knife. Dip To immerse food for a short time in a liquid or dry mixture to coat, cool, or moisten it.

11. Cooking Terms (continued)
Fold in To gently combine ingredients by bringing a rubber scraper down through the center of the mixture, turning the rubber scraper at the bottom and bringing the underneath mixture up.
Grease To spread a thin layer of oil (cooking spray) over the inside of a baking dish to prevent from sticking to the pan.
Knead The manipulation of dough with a fold-push-turn action to develop the structure of bread dough.
Melt To turn from a solid to a liquid by through heat.
Mix A general term for combining ingredients.
Pare or Peel To cut away a thin layer of skin from fruits and vegetables.
Pinch To use a very small amount of an ingredient.
Preheat To heat an oven to a certain temperature prior to cooking.
Season To add salt, herbs, and other seasonings to food to add flavor, like when you make marinara sauce.
Separate To divide an egg into its distinct parts – the yolk and the white.
Shred To cut food into narrow strips. A grater or food processor may be used to shred.
Slice The process of cutting flat, thin pieces of food from a larger piece.
Spoon Transfer batter from a bowl to a baking pan using teaspoons.
Spread To cover evenly with a layer of one food on top of another.
Stir To combine ingredients using a circular motion.
Simmer To cook in a liquid that is just below the boiling point.
Toss To mix lightly with a fork.
Whip A very fast form of beating which adds air to a mixture