You will also already be familiar with the specific cooking techniques used for that cuisine.
Reviews of online recipes often include information on how the reviewer adapted it. They also often discuss tricks discovered to make the dish more easily and quickly. Reviews also frequently cover what didn’t work. You can also modify a dish through examining one you’ve eaten at a restaurant or friend’s home. Write down the ingredients you remember and the cooking techniques you think were used. Make this your base recipe. [2] X Research source Don’t be surprised if the measurements and instructions don’t make sense when using an “heirloom” recipe written decades ago. For instance, how much is a “tumbler” of milk? Go to a website such as this for translations and conversions: [1]. And when a recipe calls for ingredients in European or American/British units (e. g. , grams versus ounces) that you need to convert, check out sites such as this: [2].
Conduct online searches using the name of the dish and words such as “gluten free,” “dairy free,” “vegan,” “sugar free” and so forth when modifying for health or allergy purposes. You’ll have a better idea of the ingredients you can substitute after reading a few of these recipes. Here is a chart for adapting recipe ingredients to make them more healthy: [3] Additionally, food scientists have found that people don’t notice much of a flavor difference when the following are changed: reducing sugar and fats by 1/3, omitting salt or reducing it by 1/2, substituting whole wheat flour for 1/4 to 1/2 of all-purpose flour, and substituting finely ground oat bran or oatmeal for 1/4 of all-purpose flour. Lastly, here is a website to convert yield and portion sizes: [4].
Signature ingredients can be swapped, but be careful because they also are typically core to a dish. For example, basil is necessary in a pesto recipe. Accent ingredients, such as blueberries in muffins, are more easily modified without risk of ruining the dish. [3] X Research source
While some ratios call for cups, many call for parts. When they call for parts, they mean weight. A cup of flour, for instance, could vary in how many ounces is actually in it based upon variables such as whether a sifter was used or if the flour was packed into the measuring cup. Therefore, think in terms of ounces and get a good digital kitchen scale to use. [5] X Research source Also remember that when ounces are the unit of measurement, weight is measured in ounces but volume is measured in fluid ounces. They aren’t equivalent. Thus, always use liquid measuring cups for liquids. [6] X Research source
Stocks: 3 parts water, 2 parts bones Consommé: 12 parts stock, 2 parts meat, 1 part mirepoix, 1 part egg white Roux: 2 parts fat, 3 parts flour Brine: 20 parts water, 1 part salt Mayonnaise: 20 parts oil, 1 part liquid, 1 part egg yolk (measure as part of the one part liquid) Vinaigrette: 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar Hollandaise: 5 parts butter, 1 part liquid, 1 part egg yolk
Bread: 5 parts flour, 3 parts liquid Pasta: 3 parts flour, 2 parts egg Pie dough: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part liquid Biscuits: 3 parts flour, 1 part fat, 2 parts liquid Cookies: 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat, 1 part sugar Pound/sponge cake: 1 part flour, 1 part fat, 1 part egg, 1 part sugar Pate a’ choux: 1 part flour, 1 part fat, 2 parts liquid, 2 parts egg Muffins: 2 parts flour, 1 part fat, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg Fritters: 2 parts flour, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg Pancakes: 2 parts flour, ½ part fat, 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg Crepes: ½ part flour, 1 part liquid, 1 part egg Pot stickers: 2 parts flour, 1 part liquid Crackers: 4 parts flour, 1 part fat, 3 parts liquid[7] X Research source
Custard: 2 parts liquid, 1 part egg Crème anglaise: 4 parts milk or cream, 1 part egg yolk, 1 part sugar Chocolate sauce: 1 part cream, 1 part chocolate Caramel sauce: 1 part cream, 1 part sugar
If cooking for others, ask them for their thoughts on the dish as made according to the original recipe. What do they like or dislike?
Balancing the tastes is necessary for a nicely flavored dish. Knowing which tastes balance each other will help you decide how to best modify recipes and to correct flavor imbalances. Thus, these tastes and ways to balance them are discussed in part 3.
Take detailed notes each time you modify a recipe. You won’t be able to recreate it if you don’t. Your notes will also help you determine what didn’t work in your modified recipe. They’ll also help you avoid repeating mistakes if you make it again. Here are things to include in your notes: the necessity of an ingredient, its impact on the flavor, how it reacted to other ingredients (e. g. , soggy raisins in baked goods), and if it is a structural, signature or accent ingredient.
The last step is to write the recipe once you’ve modified it to your liking.
If an ingredient is used more than once in a recipe, list it where it’s first used. Then write “divided” after it, set off by a comma. So, for example, if a recipe calls for 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to first sauté vegetables and to later create a vinaigrette, you’d write, “6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided. ” If a dish has different elements, such as a pie has a crust and a filling, break up the ingredients list with headings such as “Crust” and “Filling. ”[12] X Research source Don’t use two numerals together; set the second off with parentheses. For example: “1 (12-pounce) package of cream cheese. ”[13] X Research source Be literal in your measurements. A “cup of chopped spinach” isn’t the same as a “cup of spinach, chopped. ” The latter would obviously have much less. [14] X Research source Capitalize ingredients that start with a letter instead of a number. For example: “Sea salt to taste. ” If preparing an ingredient is easy, set its description off with a comma after the ingredient. For example, “1 stick of butter, melted. ” Use generic names rather than brand names. So, for instance, say whipped cream instead of Cool Whip. [15] X Research source
State exact or approximate cooking times, with descriptors to indicate when something is done. Separate each step into a new paragraph. If you’re mixing all dry ingredients in one bowl, for example, make that one step (and its own paragraph). As with the ingredient list, separate different parts of the process with headers. The second to last instruction should involve plating, garnishing and the temperature at which it should be served. The final instruction should discuss storage, if that applies. For example, “Freeze muffins individually in plastic wrap for up to 30 days. ”[17] X Research source
If you have a dish that tastes flat or bitter, try adding a three-fingered pinch of salt before anything else. Taste it again. If it’s still not right, add a little more and give it another taste. That might be all it takes. If not, proceed to balancing in other ways. Salt absorbs into food as it sits. If you add too much salt, you can try increasing the sweet or sour components or by diluting the dish a bit with water. [20] X Research source [21] X Research source You can also try to compensate by adjusting the side dishes. For example, don’t salt the rice or add a sweet or sour side dish. [22] X Research source To avoid over-concentration when reducing liquids, add salt after the liquid is reduced. [23] X Research source
Sweet really benefits from sour, which is why a squeeze of lemon juice over a fruit salad or cream cheese frosting on cake work so well together. [25] X Research source Unfortunately, because people are consuming more and more packaged foods that often have a lot of high fructose corn syrup and the like, we have become more tolerant of sweetness and require more of it to taste it.
If a dish is too sour, add something sweet or something with fat to balance it. [27] X Research source Sour also helps to balance foods that are too spicy. [28] X Research source
Experiment with adding arugula, chicory and endive to your salads; thicken sauces with unsweetened chocolate; or deglaze with a bitter liqueur Campari instead of a juice or stock. [31] X Research source
Aging, curing, ripeness and fermenting all enhance umami. [34] X Research source Going overboard is difficult to correct. The best way is typically to add more ingredients that are not umami-rich.
