• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
101 Cooking For Two
  • RECIPES
  • About
  • FAQs/Help
  • Shop
  • Chicken Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • About
  • FAQs/Help
  • Shop
  • Chicken Recipes
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • About
    • FAQs/Help
    • Shop
    • Chicken Recipes
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    🏠Home

    Frequently Asked Food Related Questions

    This page is to help with some of the confusion and issues you may have with common questions that come up around here.

    Jump To:
    • What is 7:2:2?
    • Abbreviations
    • The Maillard Reaction
    • Salt Questions
    • Ovens and Oven Temperatures
    • Other Pages Packed with Information
    • Food Safety
    graphic for kitchen reference sheets

    The following links are to a separate page on this site and will open in the same window.

    Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Spice Substitutions
    • Baking Substitution
    • Dairy Substitutions
    • Miscellaneous Kitchen Substitutions
    • Measurement Conversions - Volume
    • Meat Temperature for Safety and Taste
    • Oven Temperature Conversions
    • FDA Food Storage Chart
    • Shelf Life of Foods

    Have a site/business question? See Business Information.

    Dogs with Bunnies
    Blue ribbon divider used for visual effect

    What is 7:2:2?

    This is an easy seasoning that I use all the time. I found myself always using about the same ratios of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I went to a cooking school and found I was right. They used the same ratio and kept it in a shaker.

    It is 7 parts Diamond Crystal kosher salt to 2 parts coarse ground pepper to 2 part granular garlic powder. I keep premixed in a shaker. For more information, see All Purpose Seasoning - 7:2:1 and 7:2:2.

    Please note that Diamond Crystal salt is not the same as Mortons. If you use Morton Kosher salt, use 4 parts of salt instead of 7 parts.

    If you don't want to bother with this and a recipe calls for it. Just use salt and pepper to taste. Add a little garlic powder to taste also if you want.

    Abbreviations

    Abbreviations I commonly use:

    t=tsp=teaspoon

    T=tbsp=tablespoon (3t = 1 T)

    The Maillard Reaction

    A Maillard reaction is the scientific name for the browning that occurs with lots of food with cooking. It adds lots of flavors and is sought after in many cooking methods.

    You will see me use this in many recipes on this site, and it is the feature of all of my “pan-seared then oven-roasted” recipes. But it occurs in baking, roasting, and grilling to enhance the final results.

    Technically, it is a chemical reaction the reducing end of a reducing sugar attaching to a protein or peptide. Usually, this is promoted by heat, adding new aromas and flavors to your foods.

    Caramelization may also cause browning in the same foods in which the Maillard reaction occurs, but the two processes are different. Both are promoted by heating, but unlike the Maillard reaction, which involves proteins, caramelization is the breakdown of certain sugars with heat. Think of caramel candies or peanut brittle.

    Salt Questions

    This is not low sodium or even a health food blog. But a few general comments.

    Most recipes will still taste fairly good with the salt cut in half. The exception is baked goods where you can cut it down a bit usually but even that is more noticeable.

    All recipes on this blog have nutritional estimates. With salt, if it says "salt", it is table salt. If it says Kosher salt, it will be Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or the equivalent of  Morton Kosher salt.

    If the recipe says "to taste" for the amount of salt, it is my estimate of average usage.

    1 teaspoon table salt = 1 ¼ teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

    If a recipe called for Kosher or coarse salt, it is using Diamond Crystal as a reference. I usually buy Diamond Crystal but Morton is more common.

    Also, things like sea salt, etc. usually are in the Morton salt range.

    BUT since salt is mostly to taste, use what you want.

    Ovens and Oven Temperatures

    All Temperatures used on this site are Fahrenheit. Conversion is provided in the chart below.

    What is a convection oven?
    Normal ovens (conventional ovens) cook by heating the walls and the air in an oven. However, there is an "envelope" of cool air around the food that takes a while to penetrate.

    A convection oven uses a fan to move the air around in the oven allowing the food to cook quicker and more evenly. Nice if you have it but not required.

    If you don't have convection, usually add 25 degrees for a conventional oven.  If the temperature is high say 425, I would add a few minutes to the cooking time instead. Remember you are cooking to a final temperature usually NOT A TIME.

    Baking: Basically, don't play with the temperature of things like cookies and cake.

    Oven temperature conversion chart

    Other Pages Packed with Information

    Kitchen Reference Sheets

    Guide To Cooking for Two

    The Recipes - Why Not For Two Servings?

    Food Safety

    Chicken; To Rinse or Not To Rinse?

    Summer Food Safety

    Holiday Food Safety

    Random Dog Picture of Molly and Lilly Playing
    Random Dog Picture of Molly and Lilly Playing

    Please email if you have any questions or comments. The current contact information link is in the footer of all pages.

    Primary Sidebar

    DrDan image Hi, I’m DrDan, and welcome to 101 Cooking for Two, the home of great everyday recipes with easy-to-follow step-by-step photo instructions. About DrDan

    Join the club
    SUBSCRIBE TODAY

    Steak, Steak, and More Steak

    • cut ribeye steak on a gray plate
      How to Grill a Ribeye Steak on the Grill
    • filtet mignon with potatoes on a white plate
      Pan Seared Oven Roasted Filet Mignon
    • Grilled filet mignon on a white plate
      How to Grill Filet Mignon
    • NY strip steak cut on an orange plate
      Pan Seared Oven Roasted Strip Steak
    • a strip steak with grill marks on a gray plate
      How to Grill Strip Steak on a Gas Grill
    • porterhouse steak with fries on blue plate
      Grilled T-bone Steak and Porterhouse Steak

    Chicken, Chicken, and More Chicken

    • pile of chicken legs on a white plate
      Baked Chicken Legs - Quick and Easy
    • Large plage of chicken thighs
      Oven Baked Chicken Thighs
    • cut baked chicken on white plate
      How to Bake Chicken Breasts in a Convection Oven
    • Grilled Chicken Breasts on a blue plate
      How to Grill Chicken Breasts on a Gas Grill
    • grilled chicken drumsticks on a grill
      Grilled Chicken Drumsticks - Quick and Easy
    • grilled chicken thigh with some char
      Grilled Chicken Thighs on a Grill
    graphic of sites that I work with or have had recipes featured or referenced.
    SITES THAT I WORK WITH OR HAVE HAD RECIPES FEATURED OR REFERENCED.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    About

    • About DrDan and the Blog
    • Business Questions
    • Comment Policy

    Content

    • Food FAQ
    • Kitchen Reference Sheets
    • Recipes Featured in the Videos
    • Guide To Cooking for Two
    • Saved Recipes Collections

    dogs by the pond

    Privacy Policy | Terms | Contact

    COPYRIGHT © 2010-2023 101 COOKING FOR TWO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | BASED ON FOODIE PRO THEME