Food Preparation Skills

1. Food Preparation Skills

2. Using Equipment • 1. Appliances • a. Major • (1).Dishwasher- a machine for washing dishes • (2.) Microwave oven- microwave cooking is done by high frequency energy waves called microwaves. In a microwave oven, a magnetron tube generates microwaves. The energy from the microwaves vibrates the molecules of the food. The resulting friction creates heat, which cooks the food. • (3.) Range- There is two kinds Gas or Electric. A range is a combination of a cook top, an oven and a broiler. • (4.) Refrigerator-- a refrigerator’s main job is to keep foods cold and retard food spoilage.

3. Using Equipment • b. Portable • (1) Blender- A blender can shred, chop, puree, liquefy, and blend food quickly and easily. • (2) Electric mixer- one of the most frequently used appliances in the kitchen. Standard mixers are larger and heavier then hand mixers. They are better for heavy-duty mixing jobs. Hand mixers are smaller and lighter then standard mixers. You must hold them during the entire mixing operation. Hand mixers are less expensive then standard mixers. • (3) Electric skillet- a thermostat controls the temperature of the skillet. This appliance is useful for frying, roasting, steaming, and baking. • (4)Food processor- handles many time-consuming kitchen tasks quickly and efficiently. Processors grind meats, shred vegetables, mix dough, and perform many other preparation jobs. • (5)Toaster- They brown bread quickly on both sides at once. Most toasters have an adjustable knob to control the darkness of the toast.

4. Utensils • Cooking and baking- spoons, turner • Cutting- knifes, pastry blender, peeler • Measuring- measuring cups and spoons • Mixing- sifter, Wisk, spoons, slotted spoons, spatulas

5. Reading Recipes • (1) Ingredients and amounts- The ingredients should be listed in the order in which they are used. • (2) Directions/pan size- what size pan to use • (3) Time and temperature- what temperature to cook the food at and for how long. • (4) Yield- the number of servings or amount the recipe makes. • (5) Nutrition information- tells you the number of calories and the amount of fat and sodium for each serving of food.

6. Measuring techniques 1. Liquids can be measured by a. Teaspoon b. Tablespoon c. Cup d. ounce e. Pint f. Quart g. Gallon Follow these steps to measure liquids: 1. Set the cup on a level surface. 2. Carefully pour the liquid into the measuring cup. 3. Bend down to check the measurement at eye level for an accurate reading. 4. Add more liquid or pour off excess, if needed, until the top of the liquid is at the desired measurement mark.

7. 2. Dry ingredients can be measured by: a. Teaspoon b. Tablespoon c. Cup d. Ounce/pound e. Pint f. Quart g. Gallon 1. put a piece of waxed paper under the measuring cup to catch any extra ingredients. Don’t measure an ingredient while holding the cup over the bowl in which you are mixing. 2. Fill the cup with the ingredient. Some ingredients must be spooned into the cup lightly (flour). Others can be packed down if specified in the recipe (brown sugar). 3. Level off the top of the cup using the straight edge of a spatula. Let the excess fall on the waxed paper. Put the excess back into the original container. Level off solids in a measuring spoon the same way. 4. Pour the ingredient into the mixture. With semisolid foods, such as yogurt, use a rubber scraper to be sure the entire ingredient has been emptied out of the cup.

8. Food preparation techniques 1. Cutting (a.) Mince- Very small irregular pieces (b.) Dice/cube -Small square pieces 1/8 to ½ in. (c.) Slice- Large thin slices (d.) Chop- Small irregular pieces (e.) Pare- Cut a very thin layer of peel away (f.) Score- Make shallow straight cuts in the surface (g.) Grate- Cut food into small pieces by rubbing against a grater.

9. Food preparation techniques 2. Mixing (a.) Cream- To beat together ingredients such as shortening and sugar until soft and creamy (b.) Fold- A technique used to gently mix delicate ingredients, usually with a rubber scraper or wooden spoon. (c.) Beat- To thoroughly mix foods using a vigorous over and over motion (d.) Whip- To incorporate air into a mixture to make it light and fluffy. (e.) Stir- To mix by hand, using a wooden spoon. (f.) Cut in- To mix solid fat and flour using a pastry blender (g.) Sift- Add air, remove lumps or mix two dry ingredients together. (h.) Mix/combine/blend- Incorporate one ingredient into another.

10. Cooking Dry (1) Preheat- Means turning the oven on about 10 minutes before using it. (2) Broil- Refers to cooking food under direct heat. (3) Bake/roast- Involve cooking food uncovered in an oven.

11. Cooking Moist (1) Braise- Combines browning food with a long period of simmering to tenderize the food and enhance the flavor. (2) Poach- Refers to simmering whole foods in a small amount of liquid (3) Stew- Involves covering small pieces of food with liquid and then simmering until done. (4) Simmer- Bubbles in the liquid rise gently and just begin to break the surface. (5) Boil- Large bubbles that rise to the surface and break. (6) Steam/cooking bags- Steaming is a method of cooking food over, but not in boiling water. Cooking bags are plastic bags made specifically for cooking. Place food in a plastic cooking bag, along with a small amount of liquid. Close the bag and place it in a baking pan.

12. Cooking Fry (1) Stir fry- Combines frying and moist-heat cooking. Small pieces of food are fried quickly in a small amount of oil at high heat. Stir the food constantly to keep it from sticking to the pan. During the last few minutes of cooking, add a small amount of liquid to the food and cover the pan, allowing the food to steam briefly. (2) Pan fry- The food may need to be turned several times during the cooking process for complete even cooking. It is often used to brown meat before cooking it in moist heat. (3) Deep fry- Food is immersed in hot fat and cooked until done. (4) Sauté’- Brown or cook foods in a skillet with a small amount of fat. This method is often used for chopped vegetables.

13. Cooking Microwave (1) Moist- foods high in water, such as vegetables, will cook faster than foods with lower water content, such as meat. (2) Dry- pasta and rice need time to absorb liquids as they cook, as a result, no real time is saved when cooking such foods in the microwave. (3) Density- The denser the food, the longer the cooking time. (4) Shape- Foods of uniform thickness cook most evenly. If foods are unevenly shaped, the thinner parts will cook through before the thicker parts. Small pieces cook faster than large ones.