American cookery terms

tiff

I prefer to use American recipes as they use cups which I find easier to remember and use. I'm trying to make a banana and walnut loaf and the recipe uses baking soda, another recipe I looked at used baking powder.

So is baking soda - bicarbonate of soda? and is baking powder what we call baking powder? HELP! lol

fazer6

I attempted a banana and walnut loaf at the weekend, it had bicarb of soda and baking powder in the recipie. I only had baking powder so I substituted the bicarb for baking powder, don't know if it was that or because I didn't premix in my breadmaker but it was a disaster. Next time I think I'll try self raising flour.

Galtizz

Pretty sure that you are correct.

Baking soda is Bicarbonate of soda and baking powder is baking powder.

Baking soda/ bicarb is baking powder with some cream of tartare in it. (incase you have run out and have some baking powder and cream of tatare lying about )

One is used for recipes with acid in and one for alkaline ingredients (but I can't remember which way round it is.)

tiff

Thanks Galtizz, I've never bought cream of tartar, would have put that on ones fish lol!

So, can I get away with making something that calls for both ingredients but I only have bicarb in?

Galtizz

Big long explaination here:

Click here


I got it the wrong way around, Baking powder contains cream of tartre

Fazer6 I think your disaster was all to do with acid in the recipe, I think there was propably too much, as baking powder already contains acid. If you had only had baking soda you could probably have added a bit of honey (an acid aparently) and it would have been alright

Debt_Free_Chick

This suggests that Baking Soda is Bicarb of Soda

http://thefoody.com/glossary/translate.html

fazer6

So which does self raising flour have in it then? Can I just replace plain flour and bicarb/baking soda with just self raising flour?

Do you know I've always wondered what rutabaga was since reading it on a branston pickle jar. I also always thought broiled was like boiled.

Galtizz

Interesting conversion and substitution site here for US to english and other bits:

http://www.wwrecipes.com/convert.htm

Re slef raising flour it says 'Self-raising flour contains 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt for each cup of flour'

tiff

Fazer, I think Rutabaga is swede and broiled actually means grilled I think!

halloweenqueen_2

I use baking powder, unless you are making something like cookies or pastry I use SR flour still when it asks for all purpose flour, a stick of butter is a cup or around 8 oz. I use www.recipezaar.com or www.tollhouse.co.uk

HOLsale

as many of you know i'm an american expat that's been in scotland for just shy of 7 years now

i've often answered questions concerning conversion between weights and measures and food substitutions or 'what exactly IS 'XXX'?' type questions

i thought i'd start this thread to offer anyone to ask any of those questions you've been wanting to know because let's face it, at least 80% of recipes online are american based (sad but true!)

also, i got a pm asking for help, and couldn't actually send my reply because the recipients pm box is full... hope you don't mind me posting it here akronite babe, i thought it would be a good starting place

arkonite_babe wrote:

Hi holsale,

hope you don't mind, but I wondered if you could help me out on clarifying a few american cookery terms??

I have a muffin recipe book and in it one of the recipes I want to try asks for shortening. What is it?? I have no idea and I don't want to substitute anything else incase it messes up the recipe.

Thanks in advance!!


arkonite_babe

shortening is weird! it's the consistency of not quite room temperature butter but it's actually oil... it's thick and white (normally)... i just use butter (not margerine)

as for muffins and shortening, ewwwww

i'd recommend plain old veg oil instead, or again butter...

feel free to ask me about american stuff any time

c