Posts: 1043
From:Portland, Oregon
Registered: Jun 99

posted December 09, 2008 12:12 AM            

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What does the Symbol "#" mean to you when you see it in a recipe?

I've always known that symbol to refer to the imperial pound (lb), as have my co-workers. Then today we had a culinary school student trying out for a position and he said that they strongly enforce that "#" in a recipe refers to "each". The subject came up when he put in 2.5 mushrooms into a beef carbonade dish for 30 people (rather than the 2.5 pounds that was meant to be there). That was easily fixed though, and he got the job too :-)

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Posts: 275
From:Tucumcari,NM
Registered: Sep 2003

posted December 09, 2008 01:07 PM               

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Well it is called the pound sign when you are on automatic phone call you are ask to enter your number then push the pound sign. So I would imagine it is the same in recipes. When did they stop putting LB and adding the # sign? any way?

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Posts: 254
From:Wasaga Beach, Ontario, Canada
Registered: May 2003

posted December 09, 2008 08:02 PM               

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Hi Ira
I have never seen it used in a recipe before. If I was seeing it I would assume that it meant lb. Hope this helps
God Bless
Brian

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Posts: 75
From:Diamond Springs, Calif.
Registered: May 2003

posted December 09, 2008 09:20 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ira:
What does the Symbol "#" mean to you when you see it in a recipe?

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I can mean either "pound" or "number." It just depends on the context.

It generally means "number" when it comes before the number -- Diamond and Caldor #4 locomotive is the same as Diamond and Caldor No. 4.

It usually means "pound" when it comes after the number -- 4# is the same as 4 lb. or 4 pounds.

While I do use the pound symbol when writing notes and making a shopping list, I avoid its use in published recipes on my blog or in Master Cook, etc. I rarely see it used in recipes on the Internet of in cookbooks.

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Posts: 1043
From:Portland, Oregon
Registered: Jun 99

posted December 10, 2008 02:04 AM            

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Thank you - all good points.

It's only that way for our internal recipe database, not for anything available to the public or published in any way. I'm wondering too if they teach #3 vs 3# as Steve mentioned. You're right, if something was #3 I would think of it as a number too.

Mind sharing your blog link Steve? I'd love to check out your recipes there!

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Posts: 134
From:Alabama (but travel out of country most of the year)
Registered: Jun 2004

posted December 10, 2008 10:33 AM               

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Yeah, I get around a bit and I would have to agree with Chef Steve...

And don't forget those #10 Cans!!!

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Posts: 75
From:Diamond Springs, Calif.
Registered: May 2003

posted December 10, 2008 11:41 AM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by Ira:
Mind sharing your blog link Steve? I'd love to check out your recipes there!

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Thanks, Ira and Tyrone ... I forgot about #10 cans ...

Here you go:
'Round the Chuckbox

[This message has been edited by ChefSteve (edited December 10, 2008).]

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Posts: 1373
From:Rocky Mount, North Carolina, USA
Registered: May 2003

posted January 11, 2009 03:17 PM            

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Y'all got it...the ol' # 10's 303's etc....and they do teach that but indicating a size or description not an amount....I use them alot in what I do and prefer LB as I am writing recipes where #10 and 10# may be in the same line...

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Leo Griego
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