Do oven
temperatures really matter? –Jesse R.
It depends on what you’re cooking, but usually the answer
is yes—especially if you’re baking. When
making a cake, pie, cookies or bread, it’s smart to give your full attention to
the recipe and do exactly what it says, including oven time and temperature. This is an especially good idea if you’re
trying out a new recipe.
Once you’ve successfully made the recipe, you can
experiment. If the cookies you baked seem
a little dry, reduce the oven temperature 25 degrees or take the cookies out
1-2 minutes sooner. If the cookies are
so underdone that they fall apart when you try to pick them up, turn up the
oven temperature 25 degrees or bake the cookies for an extra 1-2 minutes.
On the other hand, if you’re roasting meat or vegetables,
there is much greater flexibility. The
big worry is under-cooking chicken, pork or fish. But you can roast them at lower temperatures
for longer times or, in some cases, at higher temperatures for shorter
times. A meat thermometer comes in handy here.
I’ve baked potatoes at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, at
400 degrees for 1 hour, and 450 degrees for 45 minutes.
For easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"
For easy recipes, order "Help! My Apartment Has a Kitchen!"
