FREE KITCHEN REFERENCE PACK
Four cheat sheets you can use while cooking
Check a knife-cut size, troubleshoot a sauce, choose a sensible ingredient swap or compare measurements. Read everything here or save the five-page printable pack, which also includes a beginner challenge checklist.
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Knife cuts: size, shape and even cooking
These are common culinary-school targets, not a demand for perfect ruler work. Match the recipe and keep pieces consistent. Metric sizes are rounded.
| Cut | Typical size | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Julienne | 1/8 x 1/8 x 2 inches (3 x 3 x 50 mm) | Thin vegetable strips |
| Batonnet | 1/4 x 1/4 x 2 inches (6 x 6 x 50 mm) | Sticks; starting point for small dice |
| Brunoise | 1/8-inch cubes (3 mm) | Fine garnish and quick-cooking aromatics |
| Small dice | 1/4-inch cubes (6 mm) | Soup vegetables and even sautéing |
| Medium dice | 1/2-inch cubes (13 mm) | Stews and larger vegetable pieces |
| Large dice | 3/4-inch cubes (19 mm) | Longer-cooking vegetables |
- Stabilize the board on a nonslip mat or clean damp towel. Make a flat side on round produce before cutting.
- Curl the guiding fingertips into a claw and cut slowly. Keep the blade pointed away from your body; never try to catch a falling knife.
- Practice with one carrot or potato. Cook the offcuts in soup instead of discarding them.
- Chiffonade is a thin ribbon cut for leafy herbs or greens, rather than a cube or stick.
Sauce fixes: diagnose before adding
Make one small correction, stir, then taste or check texture again. This chart covers common savory sauces; delicate emulsions and dairy sauces need gentler treatment.
| Problem | First correction | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Too thin | For a stock-based sauce, simmer gently to reduce. For a starch-thickened sauce, use the thickener appropriate to the recipe. | Reduction also concentrates salt. Add a cornstarch slurry gradually and bring it to the temperature specified by the recipe. |
| Too thick | Whisk in a little warm unsalted stock, water or the liquid used in the recipe. | Add a spoonful at a time so you do not overshoot. |
| Lumpy | Whisk thoroughly; if lumps remain, pass through a fine sieve. | Disperse starch in cold liquid before adding it to hot sauce. |
| Too salty | Dilute with an unsalted version of the sauce or unsalted liquid, then restore texture. | Sugar and lemon do not remove salt. A potato is not a reliable fix. |
| Butter sauce separates | Remove from direct heat and gently whisk in a small splash of cool water. | A severely broken sauce may need to be rebuilt. Do not boil a finished butter emulsion. |
| Scorched | Stop stirring. Transfer the unburnt portion to a clean pan without scraping the bottom. | Taste it. A pervasive burnt flavor usually means starting again. |
- For a sauce that tastes flat, check salt first, then try a small amount of lemon or vinegar if it suits the dish.
- Taste only food that is safe to eat. Do not taste raw meat mixtures or sauces contaminated with raw meat.
Ingredient swaps: change flavor with control
These swaps suit everyday savory cooking. They are not universal baking substitutions or allergy guarantees. Read labels and check the role of the ingredient.
| Missing ingredient | Try instead | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | Unsalted broth, or water plus suitable aromatics | Water gives a lighter result. Adjust seasoning after cooking. |
| Fresh tender herbs | A compatible dried herb | Start with about 1/3 as much dried herb by volume; taste and adjust. Add dried herbs earlier and fresh herbs near the end. |
| Lemon juice | A mild vinegar that suits the dish | Start with less, then taste. Flavor and acidity differ; not for preserving or canning. |
| Fresh vegetables for soup | Frozen vegetables | Add according to size and package instructions; tender frozen vegetables often need less time. |
| Canned beans | Fully cooked dried beans | Use a similar drained amount. Start with cooked beans, not raw dried beans. |
| Wine in a savory pan sauce | Unsalted stock plus a little lemon or vinegar | Use stock for the liquid, then add acid gradually. The flavor will change. |
| Butter for vegetable sautéing | An oil suited to the cooking temperature | Use enough to coat the pan. This does not replace butter in pastry, baking or butter emulsions. |
- Choose swaps by function: liquid, fat, acid, sweetness, structure or seasoning.
- When baking, use a tested alternative recipe for egg, flour or leavener changes. One-for-one swaps can change structure.
- For food allergies, use verified suitable ingredients and prevent cross-contact; a swap list cannot establish safety.
Measurements: volume, weight and temperature
Use the measurement system stated in the recipe. These are US customary kitchen volumes unless labeled otherwise; metric values are rounded for cooking.
| Measure | Equivalent | Approximate metric volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 1/3 tablespoon | 4.9 mL (often rounded to 5 mL) |
| 1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons | 14.8 mL (often rounded to 15 mL) |
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 118 mL |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons; 8 US fluid ounces | 237 mL |
| 1 US pint | 2 cups | 473 mL |
| 1 US quart | 4 cups | 946 mL |
- A metric cup is commonly 250 mL. An Australian tablespoon is 20 mL. US and Imperial pints and fluid ounces differ. Do not mix systems within a recipe.
- Fluid ounces measure volume; ounces on a scale measure weight. 1 ounce by weight is about 28.35 g; 1 pound is about 454 g.
- Cups do not convert to grams without knowing the ingredient and how it was measured. Use the recipe’s gram weights when provided.
- Oven conversion: °C = (°F – 32) x 5/9. Common equivalents: 350°F ≈ 175°C; 375°F ≈ 190°C; 400°F ≈ 205°C. Follow separate fan-oven instructions when given.
Turn a reference into a habit
Pick one skill, practice it with a small amount of food and write down what happened. The seven-day beginner challenge gives you a clear task each day. For a longer sequence, follow the free beginner roadmap.
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