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Thermomixit
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#1 Posted : Sunday, July 22, 2018 11:30:52 AM(UTC)
Hi, I’m a new member in the UK

I’ve noticed when trying to find a recipe from one of my books that it is made more difficult when English terms aren’t listed in the same way they appear in the index of my book. For example, in the Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy book, Tiger prawn salad with mango and avocado (English) doesn’t come up in the search filter and I could only find the recipe by searching the American term ‘shrimp’, which has a different meaning in English. The whole idea of EYB is great, but it would have been quicker for me to get my book and look up the recipe, which surely is not what the concept is all about!

Is there any way you can include English terms going forward?

Also, would love it if you had a section on conversion of metric to imperial and temperatures. I have a few American books (eg Thomas Keller) and it would be really helpful to be able to quickly convert measurements.
Deborah
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#2 Posted : Sunday, July 22, 2018 1:11:44 PM(UTC)

Hi Thermomixit, and welcome to EYB! The reason you couldn't find that exact recipe title "Tiger prawn salad with mango and avocado" in searching Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy is because we indexed that book from its US edition, in which the recipe appears as "Jumbo shrimp salad with mango and avocado", not from your UK edition. We did, however, link three UK editions to the US index so that UK members can access the recipes in their searches. 


By the way, EYB has cross-referenced "prawns" to "shrimp" in our Ingredients database (although they're different, they're often equated in recipes, as indeed the US publisher of this book has done). So even though the US and UK recipe titles are different,  a Recipe search within this book's index for "prawns" retrieves the same 3 recipes as you would in a search for "shrimp". You can also use Filter By Ingredient/Fish & seafood/Shellfish/Shrimp/prawns/scampi within the book's index to find the same 3 recipes.

Thermomixit
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#3 Posted : Monday, July 23, 2018 8:42:49 AM(UTC)
Many thanks for responding so quickly, Deborah. Just getting to grips with your website and finding my way around. I had added the UK version of the book, rather than the US one. Interestingly, ‘tiger prawns’ came up in some other recipes when I did a search in the main library, just not when I searched in ‘my bookshelves’. I think once I’ve got the hang of it, I’m really going to enjoy using it!
RaySadler
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#4 Posted : Tuesday, July 24, 2018 8:22:28 AM(UTC)

Hi Thermomixit


I have to say it would be great if someone could produce a US-UK/Oz-Continental dictionary of equivalents!


I guess we can all manage some - Arugula=Rocket; Rutabaga=Swede etc, but pork butt, and many other cuts of meat are not so easy.


Half and half doesn't exist here as a form of cream. What are the best matches for US Yukon Gold potatoes? A lot of French and German recipes seem to go for Boskop apples - we don't see these in UK.


Measurements - cup equivalents into weights imperial or metric - Stephanie Alexander does a good job in the Cook's Companion if you have it.


Good luck


Ray

Thermomixit
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#5 Posted : Tuesday, July 24, 2018 9:24:07 AM(UTC)
Hi, Ray
Many thanks for your post. I agree it is sometimes quite difficult to find substitutes for other countries’ ingredients. I often end up having to search the Internet to find alternatives/nearest equivalents.
Thanks for the heads up re the Cook’s Companion!
bellaCat
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#6 Posted : Thursday, July 26, 2018 2:35:05 AM(UTC)
bellaCat
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#8 Posted : Friday, July 27, 2018 12:01:48 PM(UTC)
Speaking of which, what’s ‘a bunch’, in the opinion of the membership?
Just today in a NYTimes recipe I am required to add ‘a bunch’ of kale. No weight offered. Is a bunch an accepted American measurement?
Not that I’d ever use kale of course, it’s for cattle.
FJT
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#10 Posted : Friday, July 27, 2018 2:46:38 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: bellaCat Go to Quoted Post
Not that I’d ever use kale of course, it’s for cattle.


 


100% agree!!


 

lkgrover
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#9 Posted : Friday, July 27, 2018 4:14:41 PM(UTC)

Originally Posted by: bellaCat Go to Quoted Post
Speaking of which, what’s ‘a bunch’, in the opinion of the membership? Just today in a NYTimes recipe I am required to add ‘a bunch’ of kale. No weight offered. Is a bunch an accepted American measurement? Not that I’d ever use kale of course, it’s for cattle.


I would define "a bunch" as the normal amount packaged in the grocery store, which is one pound where I shop. Adjust depending on personal preferences (i.e. if it's your favorite vegetable).


I don't like kale either, so I usually substitute spinach or Swiss chard (i.e. silverbeet in my Australian cookbooks).

Thermomixit
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#7 Posted : Sunday, July 29, 2018 8:23:06 AM(UTC)
Originally Posted by: bellaCat Go to Quoted Post
This is useful.

http://www.foodsubs.com

Really informative website - thank you!
angrygreycat
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#11 Posted : Sunday, July 29, 2018 8:51:30 PM(UTC)

For conversions I bought something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Kitchen-Measurement-Conversion-Accessories/dp/B07CZYWN7F/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1532915320&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=magnetic+conversion+chart+for+kitchen&psc=1


I put it right on my refrigerator to refer to as needed.  It is helpful when going back and forth between US and UK cookbooks. 

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