Cooking Lessons Recipe Costing and Scaling 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A case of tomatoes costs $24.00 and contains 20 lb. A recipe uses 3 lb. What is the tomato cost for the recipe?
- $3.60 (Correct answer)
- $2.40
- $4.80
- $1.20
Correct answer: $3.60
Unit cost is $24 ÷ 20 = $1.20 per lb, so 3 lb costs $3.60.
Question 2: When scaling a soup recipe up by a factor of 4, which ingredient usually should NOT be multiplied by the full factor?
- Spices and seasonings (Correct answer)
- Stock
- Diced vegetables
- Meat
Correct answer: Spices and seasonings
Seasonings and spices do not scale linearly and should be adjusted to taste when recipes are enlarged.
Question 3: A carrot has a yield percentage of 80%. How many pounds AP must be purchased to end up with 12 lb of peeled carrots?
- 15 lb (Correct answer)
- 9.6 lb
- 14.4 lb
- 12.8 lb
Correct answer: 15 lb
AP quantity equals EP quantity divided by yield percent: 12 ÷ 0.80 = 15 lb.
Question 4: What is a standardized recipe's primary role in cost control?
- It ensures consistent quantities, yield, and cost every time the dish is made (Correct answer)
- It guarantees the dish will sell well
- It eliminates the need for inventory
- It lets any cook change ingredients freely
Correct answer: It ensures consistent quantities, yield, and cost every time the dish is made
A standardized recipe fixes ingredients, amounts, and methods so cost and yield stay predictable.
Question 5: A menu item sells for $14.00 and its food cost is $4.90. What is its food cost percentage?
- 35% (Correct answer)
- 28%
- 30%
- 40%
Correct answer: 35%
Food cost percentage equals cost divided by selling price: $4.90 ÷ $14.00 = 0.35, or 35%.
Question 6: A recipe scaled up from 10 to 60 portions calls for 1.5 tsp of salt originally. Roughly how much salt is a sensible starting point?
- About 9 tsp, then adjust to taste (Correct answer)
- Exactly 90 tsp
- 1.5 tsp unchanged
- About 3 tsp maximum
Correct answer: About 9 tsp, then adjust to taste
The factor of 6 gives 9 tsp as a starting point, but salt should be verified by tasting in large batches.
Question 7: Which cost is NOT part of a plate cost calculation?
- The cook's hourly wage (Correct answer)
- The protein on the plate
- The garnish
- The sauce ingredients
Correct answer: The cook's hourly wage
Plate cost covers food ingredients only; labor is tracked separately as a labor cost.
Cooking Lessons Recipe Costing and Scaling 3
A case of tomatoes costs $24.00 and contains 20 lb.
A recipe uses 3 lb.
What is the tomato cost for the recipe?