Scales are an essential tool in the bakery. The baker uses the balance or beam scale, pictured at right, to measure ingredients by weight, not volume. The Navy baker gets consistent results every time by measuring by weight. All Navy training manuals have said the same thing since the 1950s and before:
"The set of scales is one of the most important pieces of equipment you have. For best results weight everything use. If the recipe calls for 165 pounds of meat, weight out 165 pounds. Don't guess" (Commissaryman 3 and 2 rate training manual, 1952).
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| GULF OF ADEN (April 16, 2013) -- Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Ricardo Valentin and Culinary Specialist Seaman Nicholas Stratton prepare desserts for the crew aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge is the flagship for the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and, with the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, is deployed supporting maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Corbin J. Shea. |
And as we both know, weighing and portioning sure does save a LOT of money over the course of a year...especially versus 'guessing'! And it helps for recipe reproduction.
ReplyDeleteDon't know how many times I was working with someone who really created something delicious by 'accident' of sorts but could not repeat/replicate the actions involved in creating a recipe for it! SIGH.
(Of course I am guilty of this as well, I cook using very few recipes, more ratios and personal taste...but have come a long way in writing down/remembering actions and weights/portions/sizes for creating a recipe for a trial dish)