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About Recipe Proportions and Equivalents

When people call or write about the recipes we prepare on the WQED cooking programs, a fair number are complaining that they are only cooking for one or two. My usual response is that you can always make the full recipe and simply freeze the remainder in one or two serving increments. But I know there are times when freezer space isn’t available and you don’t want to eat the same thing for six weeks in a row. So here are a few guidelines for dividing and conquering.

• Baking is much more precise than regular cooking and the chemical reactions require more accurate measurements.

For this reason, many cookbooks offer amounts in weight rather than volume. This makes it pretty easy to halve or quarter.

• Don’t confuse dry measures with liquid measure with weights.

They all have different characteristics. One stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = ½ cup = ¼ pound. Make sure to use the proper measuring system and measuring devices.

• Eggs are usually the least common denominator.

If a recipe calls for one egg and you want to cut it in half you’ll either have to whisk the egg and pour off half or use the whole egg and reduce some other liquid by about a tablespoon and a half.

• More is not always better.

If I like an ingredient such as nuts or garlic, I tend to use more than the recipe calls for. That’s usually not a problem, but changing the proportion of butter or sugar can change the consistency and chemistry.

• Halving a recipe will not always cut cooking time.

Four muffins will take almost as much time to bake as 24 but a 2-egg frittata will cook somewhat faster than a 12-egg version.

• When you alter a recipe, take good notes.

If it doesn’t turn out the way you want, modify the ingredients or cooking time to improve your next attempt. Too moist, too dry, too salty? Next time will be better.

For the most part, cooking is a very forgiving science, so use the recipes as guidelines until you’ve perfected a version that suits your needs and tastes.