[ijreilly]

Hello,

I'm just a dude whose interest in cooking has steadily increased in the last few years. I am looking to buy Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

However, it seems to me that all versions have imperial measurements. Is there a version with metric measurements? How does this work in the cook book world? Of course it's not super difficult to translate measurements yourself, but I would rather not.

Thank you.

 

[kevinashton]

As a chef and food writer by best advice is avoid trying to translate metric to imperial or into cup measures (often seen in American recipes). If a recipe has both metric and imperial side by side choose one and stick with it. Some recipes may say

25g = 1 oz (imperial) but if you try and convert it more accurately 1oz is actually 28.34952g. Most UK scales have both imperial and metric measurements so buy a set of scales that has imperial measurements on it rather than trying to convert the recipe.

 

[foodpump]

I think, personally, if a cookbook gives ingredients in only volume measurents, it' s not worth buying. A good book will have measurements in metric weight and perhaps imperial weight, like the books from C.I.A.

For Chefs, and especially bakers, Imperial measuments are as stupid as fried cardboard:
1) half and quarter ounces are not very accurate, espcially with spices or leaveners
2)multiplying or halving a recipie is much more difficult
But the most important reason is,
3)costing out a recipie and doing inventory with metric weight compared to Imperial is like comparing a donkey ride to a a drive in a Porsche.

 

[kokopuffs]

+++1^^^^ To blazes with Imperial measurements and that statement is from (EDIT) this american with a background in chemistry and an extensive background in (home) baking. Metric is THE SIMPLEST AND QUICKEST way to go. And get yourself a MyWeigh KD8000 scale along with a standard 5kg standard weight for calibration. Period.

Whoever invented the Imperial standard needs to face the firing squad! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/laser.gif/img/vbsmilies/smilies/eek.gif

 

[luc_h]

+++1^^^^ To blazes with Imperial measurements and that statement is from an american with a background in chemistry and an extensive background in (home) baking. Metric is THE SIMPLEST AND QUICKEST way to go.

As a Canadian, you will not get any rebuttal from my end, although we are almost completely converted to metric... construction is still in Imperial.

A quick internet search yields that only 3 countries remain using Imperial units: Liberia, Burma (Myanmar) and the USA however, only the USA has not started a metrication program.

That said, the Sciences have been metric for a while hence the reason your chemist friend has probably said that comment.

Luc H.

 

[kokopuffs]

...hence the reason your chemist friend has probably said that comment.
Luc H.

My previous post has been edited!!!!

 

[luc_h]

My previous post has been edited!!!!

let me rephrase then: Someone with a chemistry background would probably dislike the Imperial system and prefer the metric instead....

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif

Luc H.