HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

PREPARATION OF MARKETABLE MEALS

Meal
A meal is taking food at one time. Example: breakfast, lunch, supper, brunch
Marketable meals
It is the meals meant be sold. Cooking marketable meals means cooking for a
fee, since the goal is customer satisfaction through making it appetizing, market
delicious, and nutritious.

Meal Planning Principles

1. Budget
Every family has a food budget. Most families have to work hard to stay
within their allotted food budget.
When trying to stretch food dollars, you could consider sale items,
coupons, store-brand products, buying items in bulk, and utilizing leftovers when
planning meals.
2. Nutrition
Your health and well-being is dependent on eating nutritious food.
Try to incorporate each part of my plate into all your meals.
Focus on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
3. Time
Having little time does not mean your meals need to be “fast food”.
Plan ahead or use convenience food.
Precut fruits/vegetables
Salad mixes
Microwaves, crockpots, dishwashers and food processors can be time
saving tools
4. Meal Appeal
 Color- combine different colors to make a meal interesting and vary
the nutrients with the meal.
 Shape- contrasting shapes within a meal make it fun and appealing.
 Flavor- experiment with different flavors in a meal to stimulate the
taste buds.
 Texture- all meals should include a variety of textures. The texture
can vary from soft, crunchy, smooth or chewy.
 Temperature- serving food at various temperatures is another way to
add appeal to a meal. A cool side salad with a warm meal is one way to
vary the temperature.
 HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

Example of Meal on a Pattern

Breakfast
• Slice of papaya
• Longganisa
• Sunny-side up egg
• Fried rice
• Coffee/chocolate/tea

Lunch/Dinner
• Squash soup
• Kaldereta
• Spicy shrimp
• Chopseuy
• Rice
• Buko pandan
• Iced tea
Steps in Meal Preparation
1. Decide on the kind of menu or recipes for the occasion.
2. Take note of the ingredients and study the procedure of the chosen recipe.
3. Make a list of the ingredients and equipment needed.
4. Make a market list.
5. Make a work schedule for the preparation.
6. Prepare the meal.
7. Serve the meal.
8. Evaluate prepared meals in terms of appearance, taste, and time of preparation.

Menu
A menu is a list of prepared dishes available to the family or customers. Menu
planning is one of the functions required before cooking quality meal.

Menu Planning
Menu planning is the process of deciding what you will eat for
each meal, including main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. It also
entails knowing how many meals to plan for and when to serve them.
Daily activities and scheduling variations may complicate the menu
planning process.

Different Types of Menu

1. Table d’hote – a package meal with a set price (value meal or budget meal)
 HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

2. A la Carte - all dishes are priced individually but arranged in courses

3. Function Menu – offered for parties or special occasions. It may consist of four
to eight courses

Basic Considerations in Menu Planning

1. A variety of dishes- should be well combined; they have different flavors
2. Adequate knowledge about the different types of menu
3. Nutritional requirements, food habits, age, gender, and customs of customers
4. Number of people to be served
5. Capabilities and skills of the employees – personnel and staff
6. Budget
7. Balance of the basic ingredients; presentation and color should be varied
8. Food preferences of the customers

Menu Pattern – is an outline of food to be included in each meal.

Breakfast
 It is important since it is the first meal of the day after a long overnight fast.
 It is also the most neglected meal in many homes.
 All should make an effort to have breakfast.
Lunch
 It is often simple meal but should be nutritious.
 One dish meals are very popular at lunch time because they can have
prepared quickly.
 Examples: pork or beef nilaga, chicken tinola, and pork sinigang
Dinner
 It is normally consisting of two or three dishes.
 Serves in the evening wherein all members of the family are all home in
the evening.
 Opportunity for the family to have dinner together.
 It is also important that essential nutrients are present in the dishes to be
prepared.
Brunch
 It is a meal eaten between 10:00-11:00 AM.
 A combination of breakfast and lunch and usually happens on a holiday or
on weekends.
Food Safety Hygienic Handling of Food to prevent food contamination
1. Foods that are not stored well get spoiled easily especially in a hot and humid
climate.
 HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

2. Food may be contaminated and spoiled because of the presence of

microorganisms which is called food contamination.
3. Contaminated food, when eaten, can lead to food poisoning and digestive
disorders.
4. Sanitation is keeping things clean and free of harmful levels of contamination. It
is also maintaining conditions favorable to good health.

Preventive Measures to prevent Food Contamination

1. Maintaining personal cleanliness and wearing proper cooking outfit.
2. Working in a clean kitchen and using clean and sanitized equipment.
3. Preparing and serving food hygienically.
4. Cooking food thoroughly.
5. Keeping food covered at all times.
6. Storing food properly.

Guidelines in Proper Handling of Foods

1. Wash hands before handling food.
2. A sick cook or kitchen staff should never handle or prepare food.
3. Wear proper cooking outfit.
4. Avoid wearing jewelry.
5. Do not sneeze or cough near the food.
6. Apply the two-spoon method in tasting (one spoon will pour the food to the
spoon for tasting).
Proper Storage of Food
 It may be stored in open shelves, kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, or freezers.
 Every storage space must be dry, clean and cool.
 Different kinds of food need to be store in different ways.
 Regularly inspect foods stored in refrigerators, freezers, and cupboard.
 Keep food in clean wrappers or containers.
 Perishables need to be placed immediately in the freezer or refrigerator.
 Staples should be stored in an orderly and systematic arrangement.
 Should be protected from pests, rodents, and insects.
 Proper ventilation to help prevent spoilage.
 Properly labeled for proper identification.
 Follow the FIFO (first in, first out) principle.
 Food placed inside the freezer or refrigerator should be taken out first also.
 HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

COSTING OF MEALS

Costing meals
It should be based on the number of servings and the portion size to be offered
to a person or a customer.
The quality of food served or delivered should be carefully supervised and
controlled for customer’s satisfaction.
How can you produce quality meals?
 Using a standardized recipe
 Having qualified personnel
 Having enough equipment and facilities
 Providing high standards of sanitation safety

Quantifying a recipe
Quantifying or expanding a recipe means doubling or increasing the yield of the
recipe according to the number of people to be served.

Portion control
It is to determine the serving sizes and quantity of food served for each
customer.
It is decided according to:
 Number of courses offered for meal
 Size of the serving dish
 Type of customer
 Pricing structure

Costing a recipe
1. List all the ingredients and the quantities used in the standardized recipe.
2. Calculate using the formula:
Ingredient cost= quantity of ingredient required
unit size purchased
3. Total the cost of the ingredient used. This will give the food cost of the recipe.
4. Determine the cost of each serving or portion by using the formula:
Portion cost= total cost of ingredients
number of portion or serving
5. Determine the percentage mark up to arrive at the selling price. If the expected
food cost percentage markup is 45 percent, then it is:
Equivalent amount= cost per serving x percentage markup
Selling price= equivalent amount+ cost per portion
 HE 2400 – Principles of Food Preparation

PROCESS AND DELIVERY OF PREPARED MEALS

Assembly
It refers to combining prepared menu items to complete the entire meal.
Delivery
It refers to the transportation prepared food.
Service
It involves assembling, preparing, and attractive costumer.
It is a delivery and service system should ensure microbial safety, maintain the
quality of food, service foods that are satisfying, appetizing, and attractive to the
customer.

Delivery system
Centralized system
Foods are portioned and assembled for individual meals at a central
location in or adjacent to the main kitchen.
Completed orders then transported and distributed to the customers.
Fast food, restaurants, banquet services, hospitals, long-term care
facilities.
Close supervision, control of food quality and portion size, less labor
required.
Span required for service can be excessively long.

Decentralized system
Bulk of quantities of prepared toward kitchens located in a gallery.
Reheating, portioning and meal assembly take place in remote locations.
Dishes returned to central kitchen for washing.
Facilities where there is a great distance between the kitchen and
customer.
Foods travel better in bulk than plated.
Large hospitals, medical centers, school districts, hotels