I love exploring new recipes and thumbing through vintage cookbooks. In the past, I’d often find myself on a relaxing Sunday afternoon  inspired to try something new. I’d gather all my ingredients and tools, put on an apron and start cooking.

Then I’d stop dead in my tracks.

Undoubtedly, the recipe would call for a pinch of this or a dash of that. Uh-oh. What exactly does a pinch or a smidgen mean? I’d pick up the phone and call my mom or mother-in-law, both of which would reply “You know, it’s a pinch.”  *Sigh* I’d hang up and tell myself “Self, you’re a smart cookie. You’re going to figure it out.”

Several minutes later my hungry family would find me standing over the stove wondering outloud if the ‘pinch’ I just added was too little or too much. Did I just ruin a perfectly good dish?

My worrying days are over.

Meet one of my best friends! Greenfeet’s Stainless Steel Pinch Dash Smidgen Measuring Spoons are perfect for those recipes passed down from Grandma.  I use them frequently (I’ve actually evolved in my cooking and created some dishes myself requiring  a ‘dash’ of this or a ‘pinch’ of that – heh, heh)  but honestly never took the time to actually determine what portion of a teaspoon they are. Well, have no fear. Greenfeet customer, Dan the Man, came through and emailed me his findings.  I’m happy to pass them along.

Dan painstakingly came up with these results:

Pinch = 1/12 teaspoon

Dash = 1/6 teaspoon

Smidgen = 1/24 teaspoon

Ha! Now you know.

Oh, and these little measuring spoons are a bargain to boot and make lovely gifts for friends, fellow cooks, wedding showers, bunco games, etc. People love ‘em.

Tags: dash measuring spoon, pinch measuring spoon, smidgen measuring spoon, stainless steel measuring spoon, what is a dash?, what is a pinch?, what is a smidgen?

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 5th, 2010 at 5:30 pm and is filed under Smart Kitchen Tools. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.