Counting Oil In Cooking

mmapags

I have from time to time seen threads about counting oil used in cooking. Sometimes it seems very complicated. I wrote this to help. Add in the oil used, how to be accurate etc. ? It really depends on whether you are using a recipe from the list or making it up as you go. If you are making it up, look up every element and log it. If not, trust your recipe and forget about adding in things. or find a recipe you do trust.

FTR, I am a professional chef. I have executed, interpreted and written countless recipes in my lifetime. When a recipe is written and the nutritional values are calculated, it looks like this:

Zucchini (raw) 4 oz. (about 1 cup) 20 calories
Oniion ( yellow, raw) 4 oz. (about 1 cup) 64 calories
Bell Pepper (red, sweet, raw) 4 oz. (about 1 cup) 46 calories
Olive OIl (extra virgin) 3 tablespoons 357 calories

Total calories 487
Serves 2
Calories per serving 244

Now there will be more extensive data on macronutrients as well as any important micronutrients.

So, in any reliable recipe, the oil is accounted for. If you don"t feel the recipe is reliable, create your own. It is not difficult and only a little time consuming. There are multiple ntritional facts databases available on the internet. Just google nutritional information of nutritional facts and you'll find them. There are fairly well vetted and within a resonable margin of accuracy.

To add the oil back in is to count it twice. Go ahead if that floats your boat. Personally, I'd be interested in accuracy. Also, oil only burns off if you have reached a temperature higher than the smoke point. Some becomes airborne as it heats up as evidenced by the need for grease filtering hoods in commercial kitchens and even your own kitchen hood. Some is absorbed into the food. But this happens in varying degrees. With more porous veggies like mushrooms, zucchini and eggplant a lot gets absorbed. With less porous and more fibrous veggies like peppers or broccoli less gets absorbed. All get's coated and some never get's out the pan. On animal proteins like chicken, and beef, very little get's absorbed unless it is dredged in flour or another mediium. Bottom line is, less is ingested than goes in the pan and what goes in the pan has already been accounted for.

Now if some of our more OCD members want to spend thier time double counting and trying to net out what's left ect., knock yourself out. This, to me this is like the whole net calories thing of trying to figure how many calories you burn while eating certain foods. A waste of good time. I'd rather read a good book or spend time with my kids or friends or listen to some good music or go for a run around the block or even better yet run after my wife and see if she like to burn a few bedroom calories (every little bit helps! ). Trying to measure this has a severely diminished rate of return. Use that time to go have some fun! (within you daily calorie limit of course )

issyfit

Thanks for the info. What about wine--how much cooks off and is it just the water part of wine that evaporates? I love to use wine in the crock pot for stew and pot roasts. Thanks.

mmapags

With wine, the alcohol which is sugar evaporates and you are left with some residual but un-measurable carbohydrate. I'd count what I put in and not worry about the net. BTW, I agree with you about how great cooking with wine can be. Lamb or beef stew or boeuf bourguinon are wonderful and very flavorful!

issyfit

With wine, the alcohol which is sugar evaporates and you are left with some residual but un-measurable carbohydrate. I'd count what I put in and not worry about the net. BTW, I agree with you about how great cooking with wine can be. Lamb or beef stew or boeuf bourguinon are wonderful and very flavorful!

Cool, thanks.