Cooking Exam Review

Dishwashing Methods: First sink wash, Second sink rinse, third sink sanitize. 

FIFO- First in first out use oldest thing first

Cross contamination- Cross contamination is important when 1 food comes in contact with a surface or utensil that has been contaminated by another. 

Cutting Board Colors- Important to avoid cross contamination. Yellow is for poultry, red is for raw meat, green is for fruits and vegetables, white is for cooked foods, and blue is for seafood. 

The Danger Zone: From 41-135F/40-140. Or 4-60C. If food leaves the danger zone, germs begin to grow and food gets contaminated. Bacteria grow exponentially. One bacterium splits every 15 minutes. Bacteria can increase from 1-1 million in 5 hours. Bacteria eat, produce waste, and multiply. High cooking temperatures will kill most bacteria. 

Always keep uncooked meat, poultry and fish on the bottom of the fridge. 

The fridge should be 40F or 4C or less at all times. 

Frozen foods should be thawed in the fridge, under cold running water, or in the microwave/oven. 

Do not taste food with cooking utensils. 


Recipe Commandments: 

Mise En Place (Everything is in its place)

  1. Read the recipe

  2. Turn on the oven

  3. Gather Utensils

  4. Gather Ingredients

  5. Prepare your pans

Measurements:

1 teaspoon = 5 ml

1 tablespoon = 15 ml

1 cup = 240 ml

1 pound = 454 grams

Weight

1 gram = .035 ounce

100 grams = 3.5 ounces

500 grams = 1.10 pounds


Cooking Measurement Equivalents

16 tablespoons = 1 cup

2 cups = 1 pint

8 ounces in a cup

2 pints = 1 quart

3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

Cooking Terms: 

Mise en place: A French term meaning "everything in its place."

Beat: To mix ingredients vigorously to incorporate air or smooth out a mixture, Blend: To combine ingredients thoroughly, usually until smooth, using a mixer, blender, or spoon.

Brown: To cook food, typically meat or vegetables, over high heat until the surface turns brown, enhancing flavor.

Brush: To apply a thin layer of liquid (like butter, oil, or glaze) to food, usually with a pastry brush.

Cream: To beat ingredients (usually butter and sugar) together until smooth and fluffy, incorporating air.

Cut in: To mix fat (like butter or shortening) into dry ingredients (like flour) using a pastry cutter or two knives, creating a crumbly texture.

Chop: To cut food into pieces with a knife, usually in a rough, uneven manner.

Dice: To cut food into small, uniform cubes, often used for vegetables or meat.

Dredge: To coat food (typically meat or vegetables) lightly in flour or breadcrumbs before cooking.

Fold in: To gently mix ingredients (often whipped cream or egg whites) into a batter without deflating them, typically using a spatula.

Garnish: To decorate a dish with edible items, such as herbs, fruits, or nuts, for visual appeal or added flavor.

Grate: To shred food into small pieces using a grater or cheese grater, often used for cheese, vegetables, or zest.

Knead: To work dough by folding, pressing, and stretching it with your hands to develop gluten and create a smooth texture.

Peel: To remove the outer skin or rind from food, like fruits or vegetables

Roll: To flatten dough or a mixture by using a rolling pin, typically to make it thin or even.

Saute: To cook food quickly in a small amount of fat, such as oil or butter, over medium-high heat.

Season: To add spices, herbs, salt, or other flavorings to food to enhance its taste.

Stir: To mix ingredients together in a circular motion using a spoon, whisk, or spatula.

Sweat: To cook vegetables gently, usually without browning, in a small amount of fat until they release moisture and soften.

Toss: To mix ingredients by gently lifting and turning them over, often done with a salad or pasta.

Whip: To beat ingredients rapidly to incorporate air and create volume, often used for cream or egg whites.

Reduce: To simmer or boil a liquid (such as a sauce or stock) to evaporate some of the water, intensifying the flavor and thickening the texture.

Scald: To heat a liquid, like milk, just below the boiling point until small bubbles form around the edges, often used in recipes to prepare milk for baking or cooking.


Parts of the knife


Cookies Quality Elements: The three main elements for judging cookie quality are flavour, texture, and appearance.

Factors Affecting Texture: High-gluten flour can make cookies tough. Crisper cookies usually have a larger proportion of sugar. Softer cookies contain more fat and moisture. Chewy cookies have more sugar, moisture, and eggs. Overmixing dough creates too much gluten, leading to tough cookies. Baking too long or at too high of a temperature results in dry, hard cookies. Bake at the proper temperature for the appropriate time to achieve proper color.

Decorating Cookies: Cookies can be decorated with icing, nuts, sanding sugar, or confectioners' sugar for a uniform appearance.

Forming Methods for Cookies:

  1. Drop Cookies: Use a portion scoop to create equal-sized drops. Space the drops to allow for spreading.

  2. Rolled Cookies: Roll the dough, cut into shapes, and bake. Can be decorated before or after baking.

  3. Spritz/Pressed Cookies: Dough is pressed through a die using a special press to create shapes.

  4. Sheet Cookies: Entire sheet pan is baked and then cut into individual cookies.

  5. Icebox Cookies: Shape dough, refrigerate, and slice into individual cookies when firm. Can create designs like checkerboards or pinwheels.

  6. Bar Cookies: Shape dough into a log, bake, and slice into segments.

Questions & Answers:

Elements for Judging Cookie Quality: Flavour, texture, appearance.

Determining Cookie Flavor: Quality and proportion of ingredients.

Factors Impacting Cookie Texture: Ingredients, mixing, and baking procedures.

Appealing Cookie Appearance: Uniform size/shape, proper baking, and decoration.

One-Stage Mixing Method: Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Creaming Mixing Method: Mix butter/shortening with sugar and spices, add eggs and liquids, then blend in flour and leavening agents.


Fire Safety- Use baking soda for grease fires. Fires need heat oxygen and fuel. 


Dish order: Dangerous, delicate, everything else. 


Recipe essentials: ingredients, amount, yield, method, directions


Mother sauces: 

Bechamel- comprised of butter and flour that have been cooked together (also known as roux) and milk. 

Veloute- a light cream sauce made from a roux and a light stock. 

Espagnole- a brown sauce made with stock, a dark brown roux, and a mirepoix. 

Hollandaise- is a mixture of egg yolk, melted butter, and lemon juice (or a white wine or vinegar reduction.) 

Sauce Tomat- a bright tomato sauce made from tomatoes and mirepoix. 

Steel is worst metal for conducting heat

Following a recipe verbatim CAN lead to disaster


Kitchen Brigade Chef, Sous Chef etc. 


Mirepoix- equal parts of celery and carrots and double the amount of onions. 


Place Settings: Napkin and fork goes on the left, and knife and spoon go on the right. 


The one diet that works is home cooking 


Japanese knives- cost over 900$ and take over 10 years to make. Their blades are lighter and sharper and can cut food without even having to hold on to it. THey also never have to be sharpened. 


Standard Breading Procedure: Flour, eggs, then breadcrumbs. 


Chilis:
Where were chiles discovered and by whom? Chiles were discovered in the Caribbean by Columbus during his voyage.

Explain the “pungency” level. Pungency refers to the level of heat or spiciness in chiles, which is caused by the presence of capsaicin. 

Explain capsaicin and its effects on the body when consumed or touched. Capsaicin is a chemical compound that causes the burning sensation or heat in chiles. When consumed, it can cause pain and inflammation, and when touched in high concentrations, it can irritate the skin. Capsaicin is in pepper spray.

What can you eat and drink to help extinguish the “burning” effect of hot peppers? Drinking milk works best to soothe the burning effect, but yogurt and sour cream can also help. Eating bread or rice can absorb the capsaicin, as it is fat-soluble and not water-soluble.

What scale is used to measure the heat or hotness of peppers and who invented it? The heat of peppers is measured using the Scoville Scale, which was invented by Wilbur Scoville in 1912.

Identify the SHU ranges for the below heat levels:

  • Mild Heat: 0 to 5,000 SHUs

  • Medium Heat: 5,000 to 20,000 SHUs

  • Hot Heat: 20,000 to 70,000 SHUs

  • Extreme Heat: 70,000 to 1,000,000 SHUs and beyond for newer varieties like Bhut Jolokia.

Chiles are available in four different forms. What are they? Chiles are available in fresh, dried, smoked, and roasted forms.

How many different types of chiles are cultivated throughout the world More than 100 different types of chiles are cultivated worldwide.

Bread Making:

  1. Straight Dough (Conventional) Method:
    This is the simplest method. All the ingredients are mixed together, kneaded, allowed to rise, and then baked. It's quick and easy.

  2. Refrigerator Method:
    In this method, the dough is mixed, kneaded, and then placed in the refrigerator to rise slowly over several hours or overnight. The slow fermentation develops more flavor.

  3. Rapid Mix Method:
    This method is faster, often using a bread machine or rapid-rise yeast. The ingredients are mixed quickly, and the dough rises faster, saving time.

  4. Batter Method:
    The ingredients are mixed into a batter (no kneading required), then poured into a pan and left to rise before baking. This method results in a bread with a soft, cake-like texture.

  5. Sponge Dough Method:
    This method starts by making a yeast mixture called a sponge (flour, water, and yeast), which ferments for several hours. The rest of the ingredients are added afterward. It results in a more flavorful bread due to the extended fermentation.

  6. Brown and Serve Method:
    Dough is partially baked, cooled, and stored. When ready to serve, the dough is fully baked. This method is convenient for having fresh bread on demand.

  7. Freezer Bread Method:
    Dough is shaped, frozen, and then thawed and allowed to rise before baking. This allows you to make bread ahead of time and bake it fresh later.


2. Key Ingredients and Their Effects:

  1. Flour:
    Flour is the foundation for bread structure. It contains gluten-forming proteins that give bread its elasticity and chewiness. The higher the protein content (like bread flour), the denser and chewier the bread.

  2. Yeast:
    Yeast ferments the sugars in the dough, producing carbon dioxide gas, which makes the dough rise. It also contributes to the flavor of the bread.

  3. Liquid (Milk or Water):
    Liquid is needed to hydrate the flour and activate the yeast. Water typically leads to a lighter bread, while milk results in a richer, softer loaf.

  4. Sugar:
    Sugar feeds the yeast, helping it ferment and grow. It also adds sweetness to the bread and contributes to browning during baking.

  5. Salt:
    Salt controls yeast activity and strengthens the gluten network, helping to regulate the rise of the dough. It also enhances flavor.

  6. Fat:
    Fat (like butter or oil) tenderizes the bread by limiting gluten formation, resulting in a softer texture. It also helps the bread stay fresh longer.

Eggs:
Eggs add structure, richness, and color to the bread. They help the bread rise and make it fluffier, with a finer crumb texture.