Comments on: Tips http://culinariablog.com Introducing you to cuisine from around the world into your kitchen. Sat, 03 Mar 2012 15:40:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Alex http://culinariablog.com/index.php/tips/comment-page-1/#comment-536 Alex Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:59:10 +0000 http://culinariablog.com/?page_id=10#comment-536 I hear you. In the article on Madeleines, I pretty much came to the conclusion that if you don't know what you're doing in terms of baking and how the chemistry works in it...then stick to the recipe. However, I think when one does learn how to create results based on which ingredients do what, then he or she can hold more control and thus experiment more. As for me, I might be good at cooking, but I have much to learn when it comes to baking. My brother is more talented on that end. I hear you. In the article on Madeleines, I pretty much came to the conclusion that if you don’t know what you’re doing in terms of baking and how the chemistry works in it…then stick to the recipe. However, I think when one does learn how to create results based on which ingredients do what, then he or she can hold more control and thus experiment more.

As for me, I might be good at cooking, but I have much to learn when it comes to baking. My brother is more talented on that end.

]]> By: lubos http://culinariablog.com/index.php/tips/comment-page-1/#comment-535 lubos Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:51:09 +0000 http://culinariablog.com/?page_id=10#comment-535 Hi Alex, You know, I keep reading this "baking is exact science" everywhere, but the more I think about it, the more I think it's just an old wife's tale. I mean, granted, baking is chemistry, and you have no control over the baked product once it's in the oven. But at the same time, there are so many recipes for the same dish, all specifying slightly different amounts, yet they usually all turn out quite good. I remember reading an article while back about some guy who made the most average cookie by averaging all the recipes he found, and ended up having to bake it at like 373.21F for 14.3 seconds (I totally just made up these numbers). I thought it was quite funny... Also, this past weekend I baked a Slovak <a href="http://www.slovakcooking.com/2010/recipes/stedrak/" rel="nofollow">Christmas Eve cake</a>. I found couple different recipes for it online and in print. Although they were all more or less the same, the all varied in the amount of flour. The amount ranged from 500g to 750g. But at the same time, the amount of milk stayed exactly the same from recipe to recipe: 3dL. I found this quite strange... I get a lot of inspiration when it comes to cooking from my grandma. She uses only the most basic tools and hardly ever measures anything, yet she can make the most delicious dishes and cakes. So, I am starting to think that the most important thing in baking is not so much measuring, but knowing what the consistency of the dough should feel like, and also knowing how to correct it if it's too stiff or too crumbly, for instance. Hi Alex,

You know, I keep reading this “baking is exact science” everywhere, but the more I think about it, the more I think it’s just an old wife’s tale. I mean, granted, baking is chemistry, and you have no control over the baked product once it’s in the oven. But at the same time, there are so many recipes for the same dish, all specifying slightly different amounts, yet they usually all turn out quite good. I remember reading an article while back about some guy who made the most average cookie by averaging all the recipes he found, and ended up having to bake it at like 373.21F for 14.3 seconds (I totally just made up these numbers). I thought it was quite funny…

Also, this past weekend I baked a Slovak Christmas Eve cake. I found couple different recipes for it online and in print. Although they were all more or less the same, the all varied in the amount of flour. The amount ranged from 500g to 750g. But at the same time, the amount of milk stayed exactly the same from recipe to recipe: 3dL. I found this quite strange…

I get a lot of inspiration when it comes to cooking from my grandma. She uses only the most basic tools and hardly ever measures anything, yet she can make the most delicious dishes and cakes. So, I am starting to think that the most important thing in baking is not so much measuring, but knowing what the consistency of the dough should feel like, and also knowing how to correct it if it’s too stiff or too crumbly, for instance.

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