564083 Sat Oct 11 16:51:23 -0700 2008 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4098289 When a recipe calls for, say, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, what does that really mean? I assume (perhaps incorrectly) the phrase originated with the green shaker container. In this instance, I usually use the medium hole on a box grater. It's often a recipe that needs the cheese to melt, so too chunky doesn''t work. A microplane is much too fine and I don't think reliable in this case. Has anyone done a weight comparison, i.e., 2 ounces of Parm equals 1/4 cup of box grated cheese on small, medium, large holes? Thanks for your comments! Sat Oct 11 16:51:23 -0700 2008 84890 nemo 1 4098300 I've never compared, but I wouldn't assume that it refers to what comes out of the green shaker container. I usually use a small holed grater when grating parmesan for pasta. I just grate, measure, and then usually add a little more! Sat Oct 11 17:08:31 -0700 2008 4098289 10985 MMRuth 2 4113781 Reminds me of Lydia B (PBS Create) grating 'a little formagio' on her soups. Then she grates some more, and a bit more saying 'a lot of formagio' Sat Oct 18 21:41:02 -0700 2008 4098300 12139 paulj 1 4098306 Personally, i wouldn't be to concerned with exact measurements. You can never have to much parmesan cheese! Sat Oct 11 17:11:29 -0700 2008 4098289 224358 lrbarbie 1 4098658 You may be looking at those recipes thought up by chemists and engineers. Heck, most people just eyeball it. Sat Oct 11 21:17:19 -0700 2008 4098289 55316 mpalmer6c 1 4098841 It's not exact, and as others have pointed out it needn't be, but as a rule of thumb 2 ounces of Parmesan = 1/2 cup grated. Sun Oct 12 04:38:01 -0700 2008 4098289 11407 JoanN 1 4099011 Thanks, all! Sun Oct 12 07:59:04 -0700 2008 4098289 84890 nemo 1 4112538 1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano using the Moulii grater is exactly 4.05 ounces. Sat Oct 18 02:24:23 -0700 2008 4098289 18222 maria lorraine 2 4113732 ML, Sounds good to me! If in doubt, hit the grater two - three more times. Hunt Sat Oct 18 20:50:37 -0700 2008 4112538 11329 Bill Hunt 1 4113731 If we are using my "imported" Parmesan, I grate (medium-fine) the amount required, and then hit the grater maybe three more times. Yes, there is air in the mixture, but the extra runs on the grater compensate for this. For me, if I am not sure, a few more passes will make me feel more comfortable. Now, this is not at all scientific, but it seems to work well. Hunt Sat Oct 18 20:49:22 -0700 2008 4098289 11329 Bill Hunt