PRINCIPLES OF FOOD PREPARATION

The phrase "Principles of Food Preparation" refers to a set of conceptually

simple guidelines that are commonplace in the restaurant and cafeteria businesses.
These guidelines outline the standards that have to be fulfilled when preparing a meal,
especially for a larger company. They consist of planning a menu that balances food
groups to ensure nutritional value, handling raw and cooked food properly for health
reasons, maintaining a clean kitchen to reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses,
practicing good personal hygiene, and storing food properly to avoid spoilage and
rodent and bug infestation.
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Chef’s Knife - used for cutting meat, dicing vegetables, disjointing some cuts, slicing
herbs, and chopping nuts.
Paring Knife - use them to peel or cut fruit and vegetables into small pieces, or to carry
out other similar precision work.
Bread Knife - used for cutting bread and are one of many kitchen knives used by
cooks.
Knife Sharpening - removes material on the blade to produce a fresh, sharp edge.
Cutting Board - used in preparing food; other types exist for cutting raw materials such
as leather or plastic.
Kitchen Shears - used for difficult kitchen tasks that might require a more precise cut,
such as cutting herbs, snipping flower stems, opening packaging, or even working
around small meat and poultry.
Vegetable Peeler - removes the peel or skin from fruits and vegetables.
Garlic Press - turns fresh garlic into minced garlic by pressing it through small holes.
Grater - use for cutting food into very small pieces.
Kitchen Scales – used to measure the weight or mass of an ingredient, expressed in
pounds, grams, fluid ounces, or milliliters.
Measuring Jug – used to measure the volume of liquid or amount of solid substances
that are used as cooking ingredients.
Measuring Spoons - used to measure an amount of an ingredient, either liquid or dry,
when cooking.
Measuring Cups - used to measure the volume of liquid or bulk solid cooking
ingredients such as flour and sugar.
Mixing Bowl - used for storage, working doughs, mixing dry ingredients, mixing salads,
organizing, and more.
Colander - used to rinse vegetables or strain foods such as pasta.
Sieve - to aerate and separate dry ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, and powdered
sugar, which will lead to a lighter and more tender crumb in baked goods.
Rolling Pin - used to evenly flatten everything from pie and pastry doughs to cookie
and pasta doughs.
Can Opener - used to open tin cans
Blender - used for mixing liquids and soft foods together or turning fruit or vegetables
into liquid.

FOOD AND NUTRITION

Nutritional management and proper food consumption control are essential for
optimum health. Healthy eating and dietary choices can aid in illness prevention. Your
body may deal with a persistent sickness more successfully if you eat the correct
nutrients. You may maintain or enhance your health by understanding healthy nutrition
and being mindful of what you consume.
CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS AND RESOURCES
Terrestrial Foods
a) PLANT FOODS - These are obtained from plant source.
For example: cereals, fruits and vegetables, etc.
b) ANIMAL FOODS – These are obtained from animal source.
For example: eggs, milk, meat, etc.
Non – Terrestrial Foods – These foods are cultivation in sea or water. They include
fishes, lobsters, etc.
NATURE AND TYPES OF FOODS
VEGETABLES – plant consumed by humans as food including roots, stems, leaves,
flowers, fruits, and seeds
FRUITS – plant structure that contain seeds
CEREALS – is any fruit of a grass, usually known as a grain
SEEDS AND NUTS – is an embryonic plant and a nut is a seed that’s in a hard shell.
HERBS – plants that are valued for their savory or aromatic properties
SPICES – plants that are valued for their flavor, perceived health benefits and special
properties such as their contribution to food preservation
SALT – a unique food because it is an inorganic mineral, namely sodium chloride, that
has a long history of culinary use
MEAT – animal flesh that is eaten as food such as chicken, beef and pork
SEAFOOD – includes any sea life that is consumed as food including fish, shellfish and
edible sea plants such as seaweeds and algae
EGGS – eggs of birds, particularly chicken, duck and quail eggs
DAIRY – milk of mammals such as cows, goats and sheep\
PLANT MILKS – milk such as soy, almond and coconut milk
FUNGI – include yeasts, molds and mushrooms
HONEY – is a relatively unique food because it is produced by an insect, namely honey
bees