Cooking Calculations

Think of the most delicious meal you’ve ever eaten.

Now, imagine you wanted to cook that meal for
dinner tonight. Chances are, you would first look
for a recipe. This recipe would have an ingredients
list (3 cups of flour, 2 ripe tomatoes, etc…) so that
you know exactly what kind of stuff, and how much
of it, you need. Let’s say the recipe serves 3 people,
but you have 4 people in your family to feed. How
will you know how much of each ingredient to use
now? Cooking, as it turns out, may require that you
have a basic knowledge of ratios.

Review: Fractions, Ratios, and Proportions

How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon? The answer is 3, 3 teaspoons for every 1 tablespoon.
We can express this relationship as a ratio:

3 teaspoons : 1 tablespoon OR 1 tablespoon : 3 teaspoons

We can also write it as a fraction:

3 teaspoons 1 tablespoon (1/3) of a tablespoon for every

OR OR teaspoon <--> (3/1) teaspoons
1 tablespoon 3 teaspoons for every tablespoon

Notice that the two fractions above are equal to 1, since the numerator and denominator are
equivalent values. This could also be called a proportion. All different ways of saying the same
thing: 3 teaspoons for every 1 tablespoon.
How many tablespoons are in 2 teaspoons? See if you can figure this out using fractions, then
check the answer at the bottom of the activity.

The method I used is called dimensional analysis. All I’ve done is taken the initial, given value (2
teaspoons) and multiplied it by the proportion of tablespoons to teaspoons (1 to 3) to get the
answer. This is “allowed” because the fraction relating teaspoons to tablespoons is equal to 1,
and multiplying by 1 will not change the numerical value of your initial 2 teaspoons (Tip: think
of your units like numbers. In the solution, the teaspoons are on opposite sides of the fraction,
so they cancel each other out, leaving behind just tablespoons).

What if a recipe calls for 3 tablespoons but you can only measure in teaspoons? Knowing the
ratios between different units of measurement allows you to perform unit conversions
(converting tablespoons into teaspoons, cups into liters, etc…). Take a look at the table below,
which shows several important ratios.
Take a look at this banana bread recipe.
You’ll notice it calls for teaspoons and cups,
but what if didn’t have utensils which
measured in either of those units? You
would have to convert the quantities of
each ingredient into a value in another form
of measurement (you’ll need to use your
judgement to determine which is most
practical). Give this a try, then check the
solutions at the end of the worksheet.
Make sure to use the chart on the previous
page. (Tip: to make the process of
dimensional analysis easier, convert all
mixed numbers into improper fractions
beforehand)
 Uninvited Guests

Your family has a reputation for putting on an exceptional Thanksgiving dinner. One year, your
Aunt decides to invite a friend from work who wasn’t able to visit her family for the holiday.
One extra guest, no big deal. On the day of the feast, however, the friend from work shows up
with three of her own friends, who each brought their kids. Now you have seven extra mouths
to feed (in addition to your six family members), and what do you do? You might turn to your
knowledge of proportions.

Here is the gravy recipe you plan on

using for dinner.
Luckily, this recipe makes just the right
amount of gravy for six people.
However, with your uninvited guests,
you’ll now have to adjust the
ingredients to accommodate extra
people. Use your knowledge of ratios
to alter this recipe so that it serves
everyone in your home.

Tip) Let’s say a recipe for ice cream

made enough for one person, but
you wanted to serve two people.
You could use dimensional analysis
to figure out your new ingredients:

Try using a similar logic to tackle this

Thanksgiving problem, then check
the solutions in the back.
Solutions
2 teaspoons  tablespoons conversion

Banana bread problem:

Thanksgiving dinner problem:

Image URLs:
https://time.com/5820128/cooking-baking-substitutes/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe /20144/banana-banana-bread/
https://www. foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten /homemade-gravy-recipe-1940501