- Three teaspoons equals one tablespoon.
- Two tablespoons equals one ounce.
- Eight ounces equals one cup
- The average restaurant chef makes less than $40,000 per year.
- Pork only needs to be cooked to 140-145 degrees. Trichinosis dies at 137 degrees.
- There are less than 20 cases of trichinosis in the US each year.
- Cook chicken to 165 degrees.
- Beef and lamb are rare at 125, medium-rare at 130, medium at 135, medium well around 140-145, and toast after that.
- Cook fish to 140 degrees.
- Kentucky Fried Chicken serves about one billion pieces of chicken each year.
- Eggs scramble at 160-179 degrees.
- To make a coddled egg, submerge an egg in boiling water for 1 minute.
- Eggs are sold by the weight of one dozen. Medium eggs weigh 21-24 oz. per dozen, large 24-27, extra large 27-30, and jumbo 30 or more.
- 1 in 30,000 eggs is infected with salmonella.
- Poaching is done at a temperature of 160-185 degrees.
- Simmering is 185-212 degrees.
- Boiling is 212 degrees, at sea level. In Denver, (due to lower atmospheric pressure), water boils at 202 degrees.
- The FDA allows up to 30 insect fragments and 1 rodent hair per 100 grams of peanut butter.
- The standard ratio for a vinaigrette is 3-1, three parts oil to one part acid.
- For stock use 8lbs. bones, 6 quarts water, and 1 lb. mire poix, (onions, celery and carrots).
- Wine stored for long term aging should be kept at 55 degrees.
- A baker’s dozen is 13.
- Store dried ground spices no longer than 6 months.
- Ounce per ounce, lobster has less cholesterol than chicken breast.
- One pound, (16 oz.) whole butter produces 12 oz. clarified butter.
- One stick of butter equals 4 oz, or a quarter cup.
- To proof yeast, place it in water between 100 and 110 degrees.
- 4 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot will thicken one cup of liquid to a medium consistency.
- 1 lemon yields 3-4 tablespoons of juice.
- 1 lime yields 2 tablespoons of juice.
- The infamous Death Cap mushroom causes death within 6 – 16 days of consumption.
- 1 bottle of wine equals 750 milliliters which equals 25 1/3 oz. or approximately four 6-oz. glasses.
- There are more chickens than humans on planet Earth.
- 1 lb. of flour equals 3 ½ - 4 cups, depending on how tightly packed the cups are.
- Milk is 4% fat. Two % milk has had half of its fat removed. Thus, 2% milk is not 98% fat free. Similarly, 1% milk has had 75% of its fat removed.
- Half & Half (half cream & half milk) is 10-12 % fat.
- Light cream is usually around 20% fat.
- Heavy cream is 36-40% fat.
- Shrimp are sold by the number of them that would weigh one pound. Thus, 16/20 shrimp means that there will be between 16 and 20 per pound.
- When cooking pasta, use at least 4 quarts of water per pound of pasta.
- One glass of wine contains approximately 135 calories.
- There are approximately 7,500 varieties of apples worldwide.
- Roux is made of equal amounts of flour and fat.
- Ten minutes of simmering your alcohol-infused sauce only eliminated half of the alcohol.
- It takes about 4,000 crocus flowers to make one ounce of saffron.
- One bottle of Romanee-Conti, (France’s best Burgundy), sells for about $6,000-$7,000 a bottle
- Extra virgin olive oil must have no more than .8% free acidity to be labeled such. Virgin olive oil cannot be over 2%. (Acid content is an indicator of decomposition).
- To temper milk chocolate bring it to more than 110 degrees. For dark chocolate, 115 degrees.
- Substitute 1 tablespoon dried herbs for every three tablespoons fresh.
- Your average American butter is 80-82% fat, 16-17% water, and 1-2% milk solids.
- 1 jigger of alcoholic spirits equals 1 ½ oz. A fifth is 750 milliliters.
- Boil a 1-lb. lobster for 5-6 minutes, 1 ¼ -lb. 8-10 minutes, 1 ½ -lb. 9-12 minutes, and a 2 pounder 12+ minutes.
- Dunkin’ Donuts sells about 1 billion cups of coffee per year
- Two slices of bread yield about 1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs.
- Use 1 – 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder per cup of flour, unless otherwise directed by your specific recipe.
- A 1,000 lb. steer yields about 500 lbs. of meat.
- 1 medium onion equals about ¾ cup chopped.
- Wine contains between 8.5 and 14% alcohol.
- According to a study by the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United group, 63% of restaurant workers handle food while sick.
- Three medium potatoes equal about 1 lb.
- One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories.
- Pat Bertoletti won this year’s rocky mountain oyster eating world championship in Black Hawk, Colorado by scoffing down 3 lbs. 11.75 oz. of mountain oysters in 10 minutes. (Mountain oysters are steer testicles).
