Hi Bill et al:
Precise measurements do not preclude variations as you like. Precision
provides a benchmark or guide from which all can add their own touch for
their own taste. I'd like to taste some of your recipe products; they
already smell good. These variations make products unique.
Stan Doore
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:25 AM
Subject: [USMA:40837] RE: KitchenAid pasta attachment
Stan:
I cook a lot and rarely make precise measurements. With experience, you
get
a feel for things.
With herbs and spices, I measure in the palm of my hand. With eggs, I
always
use jumbo, regardless of the recipe's alleged requirements, although I may
sometimes use two jumbos where the recipe calls for 3 medium. With
omelets,
which I make very frequently, having larger eggs simply means bigger
omelets
(mmmm!).
I'd be happy to see metric only in all new cookbooks. It would mean we
were
that much closer to complete metrication. However, I have to admit that my
personal needs don't demand that.
By the way, I make great curries and great meat sauce for pasta. (That's
not
ego speaking, but the feedback from people who look forward to them at
potlucks.)
Bill
________________________________
Bill Potts
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf
Of STANLEY DOORE
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 01:27
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:40836] RE: KitchenAid pasta attachment
Looks like over 70 g, 60-70 g, and 50 -60 g would be a good compromise
and
round numbers easy to remember for specifying extra large (jumbo, very
large) , large, and medium since difference in those offered vary all over
the lot now. A few grams difference in designation shouldn't make much
difference (should they?). It would closely fit the European designations
for metric sizes too. How can some rational standard be instituted?
Refined recipes would require precise measurement anyway.
Stan Doore
----- Original Message -----
From: "James Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 8:17 PM
Subject: [USMA:40835] RE: KitchenAid pasta attachment
Like I said, Bill. I played a bit dumb.
Yes, I have the USDA specs on egg sizes (the mass of which they specify
by
the dozen in ounces). Large eggs average to 56.70 g and extra large
average to 63.79 g.
Decades ago the standard egg in a recipe was a medium egg. Now it's a
large egg.
One recipe book I have is a delight. It's Jeffrey Hamelman's _Bread: A
Baker's Book of Techniques and Recipes_ . In there, he specifies that he
means eggs of 60 g each. So, his eggs are midway between large and extra
large. He provides recipes in four formats:
format wet units dry units typical yield
U.S. lb lb 22 loaves at 1.5 lb
Metric kg kg 24 loaves at 0.68 kg
Home lb, oz cup, oz, Tbsp 2 large loaves
Baker's % % not applicable
I wish the Home format were also metric....
His directions are non-metric, notably in temperature specifications, but
he provides a Celsius-to-Fahrenheit conversion table (why that
direction?)
in the back.
I've also got a nice Mennonite recipe book that provides metric
equivalents in its lists of ingredients and also a temperature conversion
chart. Then of course, I have a few non-American books that provide
metric
recipes.
Jim
Bill Potts wrote:
Jim:
For the majority of us who buy eggs in the store, "large egg" is in fact
an
appropriate designation, as the mass range of the customary names is
based
on a standard. People don't generally weigh eggs before they buy them,
but
go by the small, medium, large, extra large, and jumbo labeling. Thus,
the
recipe does, indeed, tell them what to buy. Gentleman farmers like you
need
to put a little chart on the side of your fridge. :)
Metric countries also go by size names and don't agree with one another
as
to what each name means.
Here's the rundown from the Wikipedia article on eggs (food). You can
see
all of this neatly formatted at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food).
Chicken egg sizes
Chicken eggs are graded by size, for the purpose of sales. The United
States
Department of Agriculture grades them by weight per dozen. The most
common
US size of chicken egg is 'Large' and is the egg size commonly referred
to
for recipes. The following egg masses have been calculated on the basis
of
the USDA grades:
Modern Sizes (USA) Size Mass per egg Cooking Yield (Volume)[1]
Jumbo Greater than 2.5 oz. or 71g Very Large or Extra Large (XL) Greater
than 2.25 oz. or 64g 56 mL (4
tbsp)
Large (L) Greater than 2 oz. or 57g 46 mL (3.25 tbsp)
Medium (M) Greater than 1.75 oz. or 50g 43 mL (3 tbsp)
Small (S) Greater than 1.5 oz. or 43g Peewee Greater than 1.25 oz. or
35g
In Europe, modern egg sizes are defined as follows:
Modern Sizes (Europe) Size Mass per egg
Very Large 73g and over
Large 63-73g
Medium 53-63g
Small 53g and under
In Australia, the Australian Egg Corporation defines the following sizes
in
its labelling guide.[26]
Modern Sizes (Australia) Size Mass per egg
Jumbo 68g
Extra Large 60g
Large 52g
In Western Australia, two additional sizes are also standardized by the
Golden Eggs Corporation[27]
Additional Sizes (Western Australia) Mega or XXXL 72g
Medium 43g
In New Zealand sizes are based on the minimum mass per egg: [28]
Modern Sizes (New Zealand) Size Minimum mass per egg
8 (Jumbo) 68g
7 (Large) 62g
6 (Standard) 53g
5 (Medium) 44g
4 (Pullet) 35g
Traditional Sizes Size Mass
Size 0 Greater than 75g
Size 1 70g-75g
Size 2 65g-70g
Size 3 60g-65g
Size 4 55g-60g
Size 5 50g-55g
Size 6 45g-50g
Size 7 less than 45g
Bill
__________________________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf
Of James Frysinger
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 13:58
To: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:40833] KitchenAid pasta attachment
A few minutes ago I sent in the following inquiry to KitchenAid using
their
"fill in the box" form. OK, so maybe I played it dumb just a little bit.
I
**was** pleased to see that they gave the extrusion lengths only in
centimeters; not a hint of an inch (or foot or yard or statute mile) was
to
be seen.
Jim
I was full of hope when I read your instructions for use of the pasta
maker attachment for the K5M5; you gave extrusion lengths in
centimeters.
But when I got to your basic pasta dough recipe I was lost. I cook in
terms of metric units and weigh my dry ingredients on a scale that
weighs
to the nearest gram. I harvest my own farm-fresh eggs and weigh them (in
grams) after washing and before refrigerating. When you call for "large
eggs", how many grams do you reckon a "large egg" is? How many grams of
flour is "2-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour"? I assume 15 mL for each
tablespoon of water.
--
James R. Frysinger
632 Stony Point Mountain Road
Doyle, TN 38559-3030
(H) 931.657.3107
(C) 931.212.0267
