Hello, Alex, You asked some very good, concise questions; there are some good answers here too. I'll try to fill in and clarify some more. Some basic weights and measurements are good to know: 1 stick of butter = 1/4 pound (4 ounces, 1/2 cup) There are eight tablespoons of butter in 1/2 cup, so you can go from there. As for knowing when ground meat is done: the sizzling will decrease as it cooks, but also, as you stir it the meat will feel granular and loose, as you use your utensil to break it up. Meat gets firmer as it cooks; vegetables get soft. When using the flat top stove, place your pot where you think the burner is, then turn it on and holding your hands a little above the heat, center your pot within the heat circle. It's easy with a little practice. I would not recommend putting a pot on a hot burner, for safety reasons. Taking something from the oven, or putting something in is easy; when you stand to the side of the oven door and open it so you don't get a blast of heat in your face; step in front of the open door, then pull out the rack before placing or removing the item. Be careful though, not to pull the rack out too far. Then you can slide the rack back in from the front, thus avoiding the sides of the oven. If you don't want to move liquids into larger containers you can still measure by transferring some to a larger cup, then using a funnel to pour the remaining liquid back into its original container. Hope this all helps. Good luck and good cooking! Alice _______________________________________________ Cookinginthedark mailing list [email protected] http://acbradio.org/mailman/listinfo/cookinginthedark
