Michael Ruhlman is the author of numerous books about food. His latest is Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking, which examines the relationships between basic ingredients that form the backbone of cooking. Some common ratios include:
Bread Dough
5 parts flour : 3 parts water (plus yeast & salt)
Pie Dough
3 parts flour : 2 parts fat : 1 part water
1-2-3 Cookie Dough
1 part sugar : 2 parts fat : 3 parts flour
Vinaigrette
3 parts oil : 1 part vinegar
Hollandaise
5 parts butter : 2 part yolk : 1 part water
Music Break: Movin' by Eddie & the Showmen