THE KITCHEN CUPBOARD

"I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on the hearth
on a winter's evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot,
along with some sugar and a drench of cream... I know how the nuts taken
in conjunction with winter apples, cider, and doughnuts, make old people's
tales and old jokes sound fresh and crisp and enchanting."
~ Mark Twain

Table of Contents

My Recipes

Measurements

Substitutions

Pantry Basics

Added April 2008

Kitchen Supplies (non-food)

Stretching the Dough

(hints for saving on the food budget)

Kitchen Supplies

Here is a good inventory of what to have available in your kitchen for cooking and baking.

This list is basic and certainly can be expanded to one's personality and needs.

Cooking

1 quart sauce pan

2 quart sauce pan

3 quart Dutch oven

1 cast iron skillet

1 regular (non-cast iron) skillet

1 roaster (small or large)

1 stock pot

1 water kettle

2 cutting boards (one for meat, one for fruits and

vegetables; it is preferable to have a board for chicken

only as well)

Optional but Nice

waffle iron/pancake griddle

cast iron, stovetop grill

small skillet

Baking

9x9 square baking dish

13x9x2 rectangle baking dish

1 loaf pan

1 muffin tin

2 round cakes pans

(or one 13x9x2 cake pan)

1 quart casserole dish

2 quart casserole dish

1 set of measuring cups and spoons

1 cup capacity measuring cup

(2 cup and 4 cup is also convenient)

1 set of quality mixing bowls

1 hand mixer

Optional but Nice

multi-sized set of cake pans

bundt cake pan

stand mixer

food processor

Utensils

1 spatula (for flipping food in pans)*

2 or more rubber spatulas*

2 or more wooden Spoons*

1 pair of tongs (spring-loaded and lockable tongs are very useful)

1 quality metal (or plastic) whisk

1 chef's knife

1 serrated utility knife

1 paring knife

1 bread knife

1 carving knife

1 pair utility kitchen scissors

1 hand-operated can opener

Optional but Nice

digital read thermometer

various sized dough scoops

*All these items are based on preferences. For example, I prefer very thin, stainless steel spatulas for flipping everything except pancakes (for which I use a wide, but thin, plastic spatula). I don't like rubber spatulas at all but have a wonderful assortment of olive wood spoons and spatulas.  Find what you like best and use it.

Measurements

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

16 tablespoons - 1 cup

1 cup = 1/2 pint

2 pints = 1 quart

4 quarts (liquid) = 1 gallon

16 ounces = 1 pound

One Pound Equivalents

2 cups of butter

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 cups milk

9 medium eggs

Substitutions

 

Calls For	Use
1 cup buttermilk	Soured Milk (1 tbls vinegar per 8 ounces milk - let sit 5 minutes)
1 cup honey	3/4 sugar + 1/4 cup liquid
1 cup sugar	1 cup honey or syrup + reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup
1 tsp baking powder	1/4 tsp baking  soda with 1/2 tsp cream of tarter
cream, half&half	1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted
Mayonnaise	yogurt, sour cream

My Favorite Cookbooks

I'm just Here for the Food

by Alton Brown

I'm just Here for More Food

by Alton Brown

The Best Recipe

by America's Test Kitchen 

Lost Recipes

by Marion Cunningham

Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook

(reprint of 1950 version)

My Recipes

Stretching the Dough

(aka Frugality in the Kitchen) 

 Use dry beans instead of canned beans. (This is also healthier because canned beans must be preserved with sodium.)  Get into the habit of putting a bowl of beans out to soak the night before you need them. In our house, the children go through the dry beans and take out the things that need to be discarded. 

Make your own self-rising flour: 1 cup flour, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder, pinch  of salt; for a larger amount; 4 cups flour, 2 tbls baking powder, 2 tsp salt. 

Make your own simple vegetable stock: 2 quarts of water and about 2 cups of roughly chopped carrots, celery, onion, and a pinch of salt. (The veggies can also be left over raw pieces saved from throughout the week.)  Bring to boil then let simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Strain, cool, place in storage containers in freezer. 

Make  your own version of cream cheese. Empty a carton of plain yogurt into a strainer that has been covered in two layers of cheesecloth (or similar) and placed on top of a large bowl or container. Let drain overnight in refrigerator. In the morning, what is left in the strainer is a cream cheese. You can even add ingredients such as chives, garlic, or pieces of nuts to make a special serving cheese. 

Save electricity/gas costs by making using your oven as much as possible at once. Bake several items like breads, cakes, quick breads, etc. Cook more than one roast at a time. Roast several servings of vegetables for future use. Except for baking, it doesn't take much more effort to cook more at once.

Pantry Basics

This list contains basic dry and canned foods that are valuable to keep in stocked in the home pantry.