Eyeballing It: Save Time and Dinner
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Being able to eyeball common measurements is a necessity if you’re a cook. It’s way faster, especially for things that need to be cleaned off your measuring spoons before you can use them again(damn you olive oil). It’s also more intuitive and you have to develop those senses if you plan to start experimenting and moving up the culinary ranks. So here are a few tips on getting started eyeballing it:
- When don’t you eyeball it: Generally if you’re adding something for flavor then estimating it is fine. If you’re going for some kind of chemical reaction, then eyeballing it is not acceptable. This is why cooks are usually terrible bakers, they refuse to follow the book. But 1 pint of buttermilk and 1/4 tsp of baking soda will raise 1 cup of sifted flour. 1/5 of a tsp of baking soda will not work.
- Use the same dishes: You have to learn by looking with the same dishes each time. A half cup will look different in your ice cream bowl or your coffee cup, use the same one each time until you know what you’re doing.
- Learn by feel: Humans have an amazing capacity for muscle memory and learning timing. That’s why I can still get through the first level of Super Mario Bros. in 48 seconds. Use that, remember how long pouring a tablespoon of oil feels like.
- Set out to learn: You have to decide you’re going to learn. You have to look at a 1/3 of a cup in a dish and take that mental snapshot so you can get that measure next time. You have to think about how long it’s taking you to pour a tablespoon or that muscle memory isn’t going to set up. Spend a few nights making meals you already know so you can concentrate on getting the measures down.
- Remember the easy ones:
- 1 squeeze of the honey bottle is about 1 tbs
- 1 pinch = 1/8 of a tsp
Spend a little time practicing. In the long run you’ll not only save time(both cooking and cleaning) but you’ll develop a feel for cooking you never could have otherwise.
