How do I read a recipe? - Tips and exercise for kids

Yesterday we looked at some tips if you want to help out in the kitchen.  If you missed it you can read it here.

Maybe you have been helping out a while in the kitchen now and you want to try out some new recipes from the recipe books or internet.  Make sure you know exactly what to look for if you want to follow a recipe.

                     

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A lot of people do not follow the recipe exactly, they only use it as an idea on creating their own recipe.  If you feel comfortable in the kitchen you can also do this, but if you like more guidance, you can follow the recipe the way it is.

Before you start preparing a dish, first scan through the recipe and make sure you have all the ingredients.  If you short something and you cannot go to the shop, you will have to try another recipe.

Take out all the ingredients that you will use and as you are done with it, pack it away.  That way you will know if you have skipped any ingredient.  It is also a good idea to just go through the recipe again before you put it in the oven or fridge, just to make sure you have added everything.

Most of the time the recipe will also tell you the 'serving amount' which means it will give you an indication of how many people you will be able to serve with the recipe - if you need to double the recipe, remember you need to double ALL the ingredients.

Make sure if you are baking something that you preheat the oven to the temperature they tell you in the recipe and that you leave it in the oven for the time they say - sometimes we need to leave it in a little longer after we have checked on it once the time is up.

Have a look at the following recipe.  You are going to make it, but before you start you need to answer some questions on it.

                    

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1. What utensils will you need to be able to bake the banana bread?
2. What ingredients will you need?
3. To which temperature must you heat the oven?
4. Which ingredients will you mix together first?
5. What is meant by the words 'greased pan' and why do you think you need to grease the pan?
6. What must you do with the bananas before you add it to the mixture?
7. How long will the banana bread bake?
8. Do you know how to check if a cake or something baked is not raw anymore and ready to be taken from the oven?

Now you can go ahead, follow the recipe, have some fun, be careful and bake a banana bread.

Make sure you take a photo of your end result.

Enjoy...

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