American cookery terms

taurusgb

Just found this - may help someone else apart from me.....

United States Measurements United Kingdom Equivalents
1 fluid ounce (oz) = 29.6 milliliters
1/4 teaspoon = 1.23 milliliters
1/2 teaspoon = 2.46 milliliters
3/4 teaspoon = 3.7 milliliters
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 4.93 milliliters
1 1/4 teaspoons = 6.16 milliliters
1 1/2 teaspoons = 7.39 milliliters
1 3/4 teaspoons = 8.63 milliliters
2 teaspoons = 9.86 milliliters
1 tablespoon (tbs) = 14.79 milliliters
2 tablespoons = 29.57 milliliters
1/4 cup = 59.15 milliliters
1/2 cup = 118.3 milliliters
1 cup (8oz) = 236.59 milliliters
2 cups or 1 pint = 473.18 milliliters
3 cups = 709.77 milliliters
4 cups or 1 quart (32 oz) = 946.36 milliliters
4 quarts or 1 gallon = 3.785 liters

jenniferpa

The important thing to remember is that a us pint is only 16 oz as opposed to 20. So a US quart is only 32 fl oz, not 40 and so on.

Someone mentioned Saltines. They are a thin salted flakey wafer. I think something like a cornish wafer would give the same texture if crumbled, although they (cornish) are much thicker. Yes, they are sometimes sold as a larger wafer that can be broken into 4. Personally, I think they taste a bit like salted cardboard, and they really stick to the roof of your mouth!

Jennifer

thriftlady_2

Our pint used to be 16 fl oz to back in the 19th century.I'm not sure exactly when it was changed or why, but in 1845 when Eliza Acton wrote her Modern Cookery for Private Families it was still 16 fl oz,so a quart was 32 fl oz as in the US.It's interesting that a US quart is almost the same as a litre.

Just thought you might be interested

jenniferpa

I find this fascinating. According to what I've read there were a variety of different gallons (!) and it was simply a case of the U.K. adopting 1 and the us adopting another. Can you imagine trying to cook not knowing which gallon any given user was talking about?

Jennifer

bonnie_2

2 other things in the book
homily grits never heard of them is there an alternative
and also something called snow
is cornstarch, cornflour

jenniferpa

Hominy is processed corn (i.e. maize). I can't imagine there's a substitute (I'd do a lot of things to avoid eating grits!) Cornstarch is cornflour. Snow? I have no idea. Do you have a context for it?

Jennifer

thriftlady_2

Is this the More With Less cookbook Bonnie? I know it well,but the only mention of snow I can think of is the recipe for snow ice cream on page 274.I assumed it meant just that - snow.A seasonal treat.

In maple sugar producing areas of North America they drizzle the maple syrup on snow to make a kind of instant toffee HTH

Mr_Proctalgia

Having tried Saltines over in the states I think the nearest you can get over here are "Matzos" crackers which I have seen up to about 10" square and you can break them up. They are pretty tasteless though!

FZwanab

Could you please tell me what jello is, is it jam? for example peanut butter and jello sandwiches.

thriftlady_2

I'm sure an actual American person will be more knowledgeable on the finer points, but as far as I know Jello is jelly.I think it's made from powder/crystals rather than gelatine blocks like we have.

You're thinking of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.In this case I think jelly is like jam.