Happy St Patrick's Day.
Along with all the other stuff - corned beef etc - I decided to bake some soda bread --- which I love, and my diet strongly discourages - but its only one day, right? As it turns out, the best recipe I have comes from one of my Irish cookbooks. And, as it also turns out, I have an American cookbook with exactly the same recipe, but "translated' (the latter is credited as being from the former). So, looking at both, I see that the American version has a lot more leeway, more "about 1 cup", and such - quite obviously because "1 cup" (for example) of flour can be so variable, depending on how it is measured. Whereas a measurement in grams is pretty exact no matter who is measuring it. The only variable in the Irish recipe was in the amount of buttermilk, which is perfectly natural, as different flours will take up liquid at a different rate. As I have a scale I chose to follow the Irish recipe.
So, I ask, when will this country finally decide to join the rest of the world (except, I understand, Myanmar - but I'm not sure what their standard of measure is) and go metric? I understand that it is "how it has always been done", and "how my parents did it", and "has always been good enough before" - but how do you feel about it? How would you feel about joining the rest of the world in this? Do you feel strongly about it, one way or the other?
One little story about my own difficulty with change - I happened to be in England in 1971 at the time of their switch from their old (and rather complicated) money system to metric. I had spent some time learning the old way (as I had lived within the system for several years) (12 pence to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound), and was quite familiar with it. I also was (am) American by birth and upbringing. On the date of the British changeover I was as incensed as any Englishman; I was furious that THEY had changed things that I had finally learned to navigate; How DARE they? And yet, they were changing from a very antiquated, and not very logical system to one that I was perfectly familiar with. I must admit that I still rather miss the old shillings and pence. But 100 pence to the pound makes so much more sense than 240. I know that, and I (finally) admit it. Will America ever admit that metric makes more sense than our present antiquated way of measuring?
Along with all the other stuff - corned beef etc - I decided to bake some soda bread --- which I love, and my diet strongly discourages - but its only one day, right? As it turns out, the best recipe I have comes from one of my Irish cookbooks. And, as it also turns out, I have an American cookbook with exactly the same recipe, but "translated' (the latter is credited as being from the former). So, looking at both, I see that the American version has a lot more leeway, more "about 1 cup", and such - quite obviously because "1 cup" (for example) of flour can be so variable, depending on how it is measured. Whereas a measurement in grams is pretty exact no matter who is measuring it. The only variable in the Irish recipe was in the amount of buttermilk, which is perfectly natural, as different flours will take up liquid at a different rate. As I have a scale I chose to follow the Irish recipe.
So, I ask, when will this country finally decide to join the rest of the world (except, I understand, Myanmar - but I'm not sure what their standard of measure is) and go metric? I understand that it is "how it has always been done", and "how my parents did it", and "has always been good enough before" - but how do you feel about it? How would you feel about joining the rest of the world in this? Do you feel strongly about it, one way or the other?
One little story about my own difficulty with change - I happened to be in England in 1971 at the time of their switch from their old (and rather complicated) money system to metric. I had spent some time learning the old way (as I had lived within the system for several years) (12 pence to the shilling, 20 shillings to the pound), and was quite familiar with it. I also was (am) American by birth and upbringing. On the date of the British changeover I was as incensed as any Englishman; I was furious that THEY had changed things that I had finally learned to navigate; How DARE they? And yet, they were changing from a very antiquated, and not very logical system to one that I was perfectly familiar with. I must admit that I still rather miss the old shillings and pence. But 100 pence to the pound makes so much more sense than 240. I know that, and I (finally) admit it. Will America ever admit that metric makes more sense than our present antiquated way of measuring?
. The advantage that I see with metric is in baking, as a little more exactitude is required. Especially now that I have a grain mill I appreciate being able to weigh the grain before grinding, and ending up with the proper amount of flour after grinding - not a cup more or less. Keeps those little jars out of the 'fridge, and the flour is fresher when I use it.
