66 Hy | FOOD‘iii = Mise en place (pronounced meez ahn plahs) is the term used in professional Kitchens to describe the organizing and arranging of the workspace, ingredients and equipment before beginning to cook. It translates directly from French as, “to put in place.” It is an effective way to have efficiency in the kitchen. It helps the food handlers to save time by having everything/ingredients/cooking materials ready to use. It eliminates the chance of culinary disasters that occur from lack of preparation and at the same time, it saves space on counters. How to Properly Use Mise En Place Applying the practice of mise en place is a lot easier than the name may make it sound. To properly use mise en place, follow these simple guidelines Have your recipe handy and develop a plan, Gather all of your ingredients, utensils, and equipment needed. One by one, wash, cut, dice, chop, and measure all of your ingredients. Place them into appropriately sized dishes, bowls, and containers for easy grabbing. Set your ingredients around your cooking station for better accessibility. For a larger-scale cooking project, you can place all of your cold ingredients in containers that fit in a commercial refrigerator to easily grab from as you cook. | Source: www.webstaurantstore.com /blog/2886/what-is-mise-en-place.html << ae KA CUTLERY TECHNIQUES One of the most essential and basic skill that every cook or chef must master is their knife skill. Because knives are the most commonly used in the kitchen. This chapter will cover their handling and the different styles of cutting food. Knife Safety ] ‘The safe use of knives is imperative for obvious reasons. There are only a few rules to remember, but they are crucial: Y Asharp knife is a safe knife. Using a dull knife is an invitation to disaster. If you try to force a dull knife through the surface of a food product, it is more likely to slip and cause an injury. v Never, ever grab a falling knife. The best way to avoid having to think about | this rule is to make sure your knife is always completely on your work surface, without the handle sticking out into traffic areas. Use the right knife for the right job. Always cut away from - never towards — yourself. When you have a knife, keep your eyes on the blade, Carry a knife properly. SARS KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 52VY Never, ever put a knife in a sink full of water. ¥ Always cut on a cutting board. NEVER on Wooden Tables. Do not cut on metal, glass or marble. This will ultimately damage a knife’s edge. Handling Knives ‘The most frequently used knife is the chef's or French knife. The positioning of the grip and of the food under the blade both influence the degree of control and leverage a person has over the knife (Figure 5.1). (ut fingers of autding Figure 5.1 Proper holding of knife. KEY MESSAGE “© The proper way to hold a chef's knife is to grasp the blade firmly e between the pad of your thumb and the knuckle of your index finger just in front of the bolster, curling your remaining fingers around the bottom of the handle. + A good grip will allow the user to control the movement of the knife, avoiding slippage. ‘» Resist the temptation to extend your index finger along the spine of your knife, because that method results in a lack of control of the angle vou are working with. Blade & Blade Positions Different sections of a blade are used for different tasks (Figure 5.2). The tip of the blade is usually used for delicate or light tasks. The base of the blade is good for heavy duty cutting such as chopping off tough base of celery. The center of the blade is usually used for most other cutting tasks. 53 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATIONFigure 5.2 Blade position used in different tasks Different materials can be used to make a blade. It can be made of carbon steel, stainless steel, plastic and ceramic blades. The modern kitchen usually use steels for blades. The best combination of metals is of iron, chromium, carbon and other metals. It provides no rust and no discoloration of blades. The blades are casily sharpened and are inexpensive. sig Parts of the Kitchen Knife tip rivets i yi butt Figure 5.3. Parts of the i 4 kitchen Knife : / Source and Photo by: Ben ‘ PaaS a) Ns ia Borchardt of Culinary lore ; i tang scales ‘Tip: The tip is the end of the blade. ‘The tip serves to create a pivot point used in several different cutting methods. Includes the knifepoint. Belly: The belly is the portion between the tip and heel. Knives with “curvy” bellies and small tips are good in chopping vegetables as they allow quick and smooth cutting motions. Heel: The heel of the blade is the end of the blade just before the handle, opposite the tip. Some blades have the heel blended into an extended bolster for more protection at the cost of versatility. The heel allows for high advantage providing strength for heavy cutting chores (sce figure 5.4) KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 54Bolster: The bolsters’ primary function is to actually add strength where the handle joins the blade. In hidden tang knives, it is especially important and protects the blade from high shearing forces that may cause failure. As well, the bolster often formed into a guard in order to help keep the hand from slipping forward. It provides more comfort and adds weight to the back of the blade to create more balance. Bolsters can make sharpening the entire blade more difficult. Figure 5.4 Knives with different heel Source and Photo by: Ben Borchardt of Culinary lore Spine: The spine is the back of the blade opposite the cutting edge. Point: This is the front part of the knife. It is used for scoring and piercing. Cutting edge: The cutting part of the blade. It is used for chopping and slicing. Butt: The butt or pommel is there to serve as a reference point for the hand. It is commonly seen indexed to aid in grip and so the user can identify the blade orientation by feel. CUTTING SYLES Uniformity is the usual goal in cutting food. It allows for even heating and gives food an appetizing appearance. Cutting styles include slicing, shredding, dicing (cubing), mincing, and peeling. 55 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATIONSlice- Cutting of food into large or thin pieces. The base of the knife is lifted up and down with a forward and backward motion. Julienne- This cut looks like a matchstick and has the nickname “shoestring.” This cut is usually used for vegetables like celery and onion. It is also a good size for cutting potatoes for French fries. A julienne of potato is sometimes referred to as an alumette. Shred- To cut leaf vegetables into thin strips. Dice- To cut food into even-size cubes (1/8 to ‘% inch) Cube- To cut food into even-size cubes (about ‘4 inch) Mince- To chop food into very fine pieces (less than 1/8 inch) Chiffonade- This cut is mainly used for vegetable leaves and fresh herbs, in particular, basil. The leaves are stacked, rolled, and then sliced perpendicularly, creating thin strips. KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 56Chop- Uneven cutting of foods in smalll pieces (less than ¥% inch) or a coarse chop with % or % inch irregular pieces. Pare- To cut off the outer coating (peel) of vegetables or fruits. Brunoise- The brunoise knife cut (pronounced BROON-wahz) measures 5 mm on each side, which makes it the smallest of the dice cuts. Bruncise is usually used for garnishes. Paysanne- The paysanne cut consists in slices, of vegetables about 1 mm thick. It is useful for soups or trims. Jardiniére- French cooking term meaning to cut a vegetable into thickish batons. This is the size of vegetables commonly used in frozen vegetable mixes. Macedoine- Macedoine is a French cooking term for a mixture of vegetables. For a Macedoine of vegetable, the vegetables should be cut into a larger Brunoise of 1/4 inch dice or cut into larger and thicker cubes based on jardiniére. 57 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION< i MEASURING INGREDIENTS Correct measuring is another essential aspect of basic food preparation. The three major steps in measuring are: 1. Approximating the amount required for a specific measurement (e.g., 4 ounces of cheese yields 1 cup shredded) 2. Selecting the right measuring utensil 3. Using an accurate measuring technique Whether an ingredient is liquid or dry determines the kind of measuring utensil that will be used. The previous chapter had describe these in detai REMEMBER To measure liquid ingredients, a graduated measuring cup with a lip for pouring is best used. % Flat-topped measuring cups are best for measuring dry ingredients. Dry ingredients are best measured by first stirring them to eliminate any packing or lumps. * Amounts less than % cup should be measured with measuring spoons. * An efficient way to blend and distribute ingredients evenly, sift flour with dry ingredients such as baking soda or salt. Few basic equivalents that cooks and food handlers must remember: 1 teaspoon = about 5 grams (when weighing with water) 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons 2 tablespoons = 1 fluid ounce or 28.35 grams 1A cup = 2 fluid ounces 12 cup = 4 fluid ounces 1 cup = 8 fluid ounces, 16 tablespoons, or 48 teaspoons 1 pint = 2 cups, or 16 fluid ounces (1 pound) 1 quart = 2 pints or 4 cups 1 gallon = 4 quarts, 8 pints, or 16 cups KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 581 pound = 16 ounces 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds General units allow measuring with accuracy especially when using largest measuring device possible. For example, use 1 tablespoon when measuring 3 teaspoons of sugar. To measure a % cup, one should use % cup plus ¥% cup. Liquids When measuring liquids, transparent graduated measuring cups must be used. The cup should sit on a flat surface and all measuring done at eye level in order to accurately read the line at the bottom of the meniscus. However, some liquids must be read at the top of the meniscus such as of milk. Viscous liquids, which have a tendency to stick to sides as they are poured must be scraped by a rubber scraper to remove remaining contents. If this is not done, the amount that was measured may diminished by the amount stuck to the sides. Examples of viscous liquids are honey, oil, syrup and molasses. Eggs When measuring eggs, it is helpful to remember the following volume equivalents: + 1 large egg = 2 ounces + 4 large eggs = 7 ounces (just under 1 cup) * 8 to 10 egg whites, or 12 to 14 yolks = 1 cup Fat Manufacturers of butter and margarine have made it easy to measure their products. For these kinds of product, simply cut off the amount you need, this is sometimes called as the “stick method.” Solid fats may also be measured by using the water-displacement method. For example, if % cup of fat is required, a 1-cup liquid measuring cup is filled with cold water to % cup. The fat is added and pressed below the water line until the water line reaches the 1-cup measuring line. Other Important Things to Remember ¥ When measuring liquid with less than a quarter cup, you may use measuring spoon. Y Syringes may also be used to measure small amount of liquid. 59 _ KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATIONY Dry ingredients can be measured with measuring spoon. Y Deep and sweep method is used for dry ingredients such as sugar or flour. Deep the measuring cup into the container to get dry ingredients. Sweep excess ingredients off the measuring cup. VY Weighing scale can be used to measure ingredients by weight. Weight measurement is more accurate than volume measurement. MIXING TECHNIQUES Once the ingredients have been selected and measured, the next step is often to mix them alll together. Mixing is a general term that includes beating, blending, binding, creaming, whipping, and folding. Generally, two or more ingredients become one product. Beat: The ingredients are moved vigorously in a back-and-forth, up and down, and around-and-around motion until they are smooth. Blend: Ingredients are mixed so thoroughly that they become one. Bind: Ingredients adhere to each other, as when breading is bound to fish. Cream: Fat and sugar are beaten together until they take on a light, airy texture. Whip: Air is incorporated into such foods as whipping cream and egg whites through very vigorous mixing, usually with a beater of some type. Fold: One ingredient is gently incorporated into another by hand with a large spoon or spatula. There are many methods for combining the ingredients of cakes and other baked products, but the most commonly used are the conventional (creaming), conventional sponge, single-stage (quick-mix), pastry-blend, biscuit, and muffin methods. i Conventional (Creaming) Method ‘The conventional method, also known as the creaming or cake method, is the most time consuming, and is the method most frequently used for mixing cake ingredients. It produces a fine-grained, velvety texture. The three basic steps are: 1. Creaming 2. Egg incorporation 3. Alternate addition of the dry and moist ingredients KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 60REMEMBER Cae The process of creaming begins and ends with the dry é ingredients. Conventional Sponge Method ‘The conventional sponge method, also known as the conventional meringue method, is identical to the creaming method except that a portion of the sugar is mixed in with the beaten egg or egg white, and the egg foam is folded into the batter in the end. Single-Stage Method In the single-stage method, also known as the quick-mix, one-bowl, or dump method, all the dry and liquid ingredients are mixed together at once. Pastry-Blend Method Fat is first “cut into” the flour with a pastry blender, or with two knives crisscrossed against each other in a scissor like fashion, to form a mealy fat-flour mixture. Once the liquid is added, the dough should be mixed well, but not beaten at length for this will toughen the gluten. Biscuit Method ‘This method is similar to the pastry method except that all the dry ingredients— flour, salt, and leavening—are first combined. The fat is then cut into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Liquid is added last. The dough is mixed just until moistened. Muffin Method This is a simple, two-stage mixing method. The dry and moist ingredients are mixed separately and then combined and blended until the dry ingredients just become moist. Over-mixing will result in a tough baked product riddled with tunnels. Kneading The pressing, folding and stretching of uniform mixture of dough, clay and other ingredients. 67 __ KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATIONaE Tossing ‘To mix the ingredients of a recipe, such as salads or pasta, by using a light lifting and fluffing gesture. The food is gently turned over and mixed together enabling sauces and food items to be seasoned with the flavors of each item without breaking them apart. (www.welike2cook.com) Stirring Mixing of ingredients using spoon, spatula or other mixing utensils in a circular motion. SEASONINGS AND FLAVORINGS Even the most nutritious or beautifully presented meal cannot be truly enjoyed or appreciated by the people eating them if they do not tastes good. Seasoning and flavorings are added to foods to enhance their flavor. ‘Types of Seasonings and Flavorings ‘There are many varieties of seasonings and flavorings. In this chapter we include salt, pepper, herbs and spices, marinades, batters and condiments Salt Salt is considered the second most frequently used additive, the first is sugar. Although introduced as a preservative, the function of salts expanded to many functions as seen in table 5.1. Function Description Flavor enhancer The best known function of salt is to enhance flavor of foods. Texture enhancer _| Salts contribute texture of ham, processed meats and bread. Color aid The color of processed meats such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, and sausage is partially due to salt. Control agent Bacteria and yeast are sensitive to salt concentrations and so salt is used to control their growth during fermentation in such foods as bread, cheese, pickles, sauerkraut, and ie sausage KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION 62Binder Food manufacturers use salt to help form a gel on sausage and other smoked meat products. Preservative Salt cures and has been used for thousands of years to REMEMBER * Salt must be added in small increments because it can overwhelm the taste buds if too much is added. Pepper Pepper is just behind salt in popularity as a seasoning. Pepper is added most frequently to meats, soups, sauces, and salads. Herbs and Spices Herbs: Charlemagne described herbs as “a friend of physicians and the praise of cooks.” Herbs are well known for their seasoning capabilities in food preparation The best-known seasoning herbs include basil, sage, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, cilantro, dill, marjoram, mint, parsley, tarragon, rosemary, and savory. For the best in flavor and texture, fresh herbs are generally preferred over dried. Spices: Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are derived from leaves, by the other parts of the plant from which they are derived. Some examples include allspice, saffron, cinnamon, mustard, sesame seeds, ginger and turmeric. REMEMBER * Although garlic, onions, and shallots can serve as a spice, they are officially recognized as vegetables. 3 __ KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATIONFlavor Enhancers First isolated in seaweed by a Japanese scientist and called it umami. Meaning “delicious”, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the widely used flavorings. It is commonly used in processed foods. Marinades Marinades are seasoned liquids that flavor and tenderize foods, usually meats, poultry, and fish. A vinaigrette is a marinade used for vegetables served cold. The basic marinade consists of one or more of the following ingredients: a.) oil, which helps preserve the food's moisture, b.) acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine), which helps to enhance flavor and tenderize the food during margination and c.) Flavorings or seasonings (herbs, spices), which add life to the marinated meats and release their natural flavors. There are different kinds of marinade: cooked, raw, instant and dry. Breading and Batters Breading and batters enhance the flavor and moisture retention of many foods. Breading and batters are usually used as “coating” substances. The base usually used in breading or batters are flour bases and the addition of binding agent to facilitate cohesion. Examples of these include eggs and milk. Most foods coated in this manner are deep-fried, pan-fried, or sautéed to give them a browned, crisp outer texture. Breading ‘The flours most frequently used for breading are either wheat- or corn-based. Coating the food lightly in flour, called dredging or a la meuniere (ala moon-yare), results in a light, golden crust. Crumb coatings differ in that they are applied in three steps: a. Dredging into flour to seal moisture and provide base. b. The coated food is dipped in an egg wash of beaten eggs and water or milk. The proteins in the eggs or milk act as binding agents to “glue” the breading to the food. c. Coated food with binding agent is placed in a bowl of crumbs for final coating, Batters Another way to coat foods is with batters, which are wet flour mixtures containing water, starch, and seasonings into which foods are dipped prior to being fried. KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION — 64DS —-E&)— Ea— Figure 5.5 Procedure for Breading and Batter Coating Techniques Source: Understanding Food by Amy Brown, 2008 Condiments Condiments are seasonings or prepared relishes used in cooking or at the table. Some of the most common condiments are mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, relish, tartar sauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, chili sauce, soy sauce, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, chutney, and steak sauce. REMEMBER ‘Add seasonings carly enough in the cooking process to release their flavor but not so soon, that flavor is lost. key + Foods tend to better retain the flavor of seasonings and flavorings | —&#&— if their surfaces are partially cooked. Professional chefs refer to it as “sweating.” ** Flavor retention is affected by length of heating and temperature. 65 KITCHEN ESSENTIALS & BASIC FOOD PREPARATION