• Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    4 days ago

    It’s like translating grandma’s units of measurements from her old recipes.

    “A smidge of this, three sprinkles of that, and a can full of something that does not come in a can” (The can was her ‘measuring can’ that was some kind of weird size that doesn’t exist anymore)

    Edit: After she passed, we threw the can away because we didn’t realize it was the can and load-bearing to most of her recipes. After some best guesses + trial and error, we concluded the can was approximately 7 ounces / just under a cup.

    • TwoBeeSan@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Same!

      Turns out they use to send an “envelope” of yeast.

      Ours would deliberately omit things. Family had to watch her and then take independent notes/ write in the margins what she was really doing

      RIP you bitter but loving gal

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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        4 days ago

        I’m assuming an envelope of yeast is in no way close to a packet of yeast? lol because that would be too easy.

        Ours would deliberately omit things.

        The old secret ingredient. I don’t think we had to contend with that, thankfully.

        • baldingpudenda@lemmy.world
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          4 days ago

          Grandma was a constant ball buster and, as my aunts and uncles weighed her prep carefully, said “why? You’re still gonna mess up the cooking. Stick to baking.”

    • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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      4 days ago

      Better write that down in a useful metric.

      That cup isn’t going to exist in 50 years and someone will encounter the same problem.

      And don’t use those German 90’s hardcore nightclub noises neither.

      • davidgro@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Just in case…

        When they said “7 ounces / just under a cup.” that’s not a particular physical cup. A “cup” is an exact measure in the US, it’s 8 fluid ounces, which is 236.5882365 milliliters precisely.

        Even if the US does go metric, it will take a lot longer than 50 years for people to not know how big a cup is, all measuring tools in every kitchen are marked for them and the other common units like tablespoons and teaspoons*, and virtually every recipe uses them.

        *I wish I was joking.