INTRODUCTION Cooking is one of the survival skills that each one of us should learn. We need to eat and be nourished so that we will have the energy to do our work. In this chapter, you will learn the basic methods of cooking as well as food preparation techniques.
You will also learn the types of kitchen layout, techniques in measuring ingredients, career opportunities and food business ideas that you can venture in the future. Practical activities such as actual cooking, food preparations, measurement of ingredients, and food packaging and labeling are also included in this chapter to further enhance your skills. These will encourage you and make you realize that cookery is not only a learned skill but can also be an income-generating business.
BASIC CONCEPTS IN COOKING Let’s Learn Together Cooking is a great way to express one’s creativity. The preparation of ingredients and the actual cooking activity provide a feeling of fulfillment because when you cook, you are able to nurture your family. In return, they nurture you through their words of appreciation.
Food Preparation Techniques Food preparation techniques are preliminary steps prior to cooking. Proper application of these techniques creates an appetizing presentation of dishes because the ingredients prepared are correctly done.
4. Cube is a technique similar to dice. This is done by cutting an ingredient into uniform sizes and shapes. 5. Mince is done by cutting an ingredient into very tiny, uneven pieces. This is smaller than chop and shapes. 6. Julienne is done by cutting and ingredient into match-like strips. It is commonly used in preparing vegetables such as carrots.
7. Beat is done by mixing in fast, circular motion. This makes the mixture light like beating the eggs. This can be done manually using a fork or effortlessly using an electric mixer. 8. Blend is done by combining two or more ingredients until one cannot be distinguished from the other. Blender and electric mixer can be used to perform this. 9. Dredge is done by coating solid food with powdered ingredient before cooking. This is frequently used when deep frying breaded food, such as fried chicken and calamares to make it crispy.
10. Marinate is done by soaking the food in a dressing or sauce for at least an hour before cooking to enhance its flavor. The sauce where the food is soaked is called. 11. Cream is done by rubbing or mashing ingredients against the side of the bowl. This can be done using the back part of the wooden spoon. 12. Blanch is done by soaking the ingredient into hot water followed by cold water.
13. Baste is done by moistening the food while it is being broiled, roasted or baked. Through basting, the food becomes juicier and more flavorful.
Basic Cooking Methods
a. Broiling is done by cooking over or under a direct source of heat, which may be radiated by electric, gas or charcoal. This is ideal for cooking smaller cuts of meat, poultry or fish that can be flipped over on a grill. b. Roasting refers to cooking on a spit before an open fire. This can be done using live coals or an oven with rotisserie ( is the skewer that holds the meat and poultry while being roasted.
c. Baking is simply cooking food in a enclosed equipment called oven. d. Sautéing refers to cooking in a small amount of fat or in a lightly greased pan. High heat is commonly used so that the moisture of the food will remain intact.
e. Pan frying is done by cooking the food in a moderate amount of fat or cooking oil, set in a medium heat . f. Deep-fat frying is done by submerging the food in a big amount of fat or cooking oil. Onion rings and French fries are cooked using this method to assure even cooking and crispy texture.
2. Moist-heat cooking method uses water or water-based liquids. It includes the following: a. Poaching is done by cooking the food in small amount of water using the lowest temperature method of 71°C – 82°C ( 160°F - 180°F ).
b. Simmering is done by cooking the food in liquid below the boiling point. This is essential for absorbing the flavors in stews, meats, and soups. c. Boiling is done by cooking the food until it reaches its boiling point. It uses the highest temperature for submersion which is 100°C ( 212°F )
3. Combination cooking method is popularly known as braising. This uses both dry heat and moist heat methods in cooking food. This is where the ingredients are first seared in fat at high temperature, then simmered in a small amount of liquid for better texture and flavour.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AND BUSINESS IDEAS IN COOKING Cooking for some is a hobby. They do it because they love and enjoy cooking and they also find it as a way to enhance their creativity. Some people considerate as a skill for survival while others look at it as a source of income, may it be in a form of business or employment.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES A CHEF has an important role in the food industry. He or she is basically responsible in creating recipes. He or she prepares, cooks and do the plating of the meals for the customers. He or she is also in charge of supervising other staff in the kitchen, as well as estimating food needs and ordering materials and ingredients
DIFFERENT JOBS IN THE BRIGADE DE CUISINE
The “king of chefs,” as one German magnate called him, invented the brigade de cuisine or “kitchen brigade”. Escoffier realized that if each kitchen worker specialized in different tasks, a restaurant could scale its operations and serve many more customers without sacrificing consistency and quality. Let’s look at some of the roles in this kitchen hierarchy. Georges Auguste Escoffier .
Positions in the Brigade de Cuisine Technically, there are more than 25 types of chefs who could work in the kitchen under the brigade de cuisine. However, every kitchen is a little different, as are the types of chef jobs available. Generally speaking, these are some of the most common positions in the kitchen brigade system:
Chef de Cuisine (Executive Chef) To put it simply, the executive chef is in charge of the entire kitchen. He or she prepares the menu, decides what ingredients to purchase and oversees the operation as a whole. Executive chefs may act as kitchen expediters, meaning they help ensure that food coming out of the kitchen is correctly made and designated for the appropriate table. Executive chefs may also add finishing touches such as a drizzle of balsamic extract or a swirl of berry compote.
Sous Chef (Deputy Chef) The sous chef is second-in-command in the kitchen. They have a hand in just about every kitchen operation, including overseeing all of the other chefs in the kitchen, creating staff schedules, handling inventory management, enforcing safety standards, aiding in equipment maintenance and being ready to hop on any station as needed.
Garde Manger (Pantry Chef) The garde manger role is uniquely responsible for preparing chilled dishes like hors d’oeuvres, salads, charcuterie boards, caviars, and pâtés, to name a few. The person in this position must have a blend of culinary expertise, creativity in food arrangement, and expert food handling skills since their dishes must stay cold.
Patissier (Pastry Chef) The pastry chef is responsible for creating the dessert menu, helping to select ingredients and suppliers, overseeing pastry cooks and collaborating with the head chef on menu development. Fine restaurants typically hire a pastry chef to run the dessert department. The person in this position may work independently or may be responsible for supervising a team of pastry cooks. Food presentation and intricate plating are often skills required or expected from pastry chefs.
Saucier (Sauce Chef) Don’t let the name fool you. While the saucier is indeed responsible for whipping up all the sauces needed for the restaurant’s various menu items, they also work on soups and stews, stocks and broths, gravies, and even the occasional pasta or dessert. They must possess the knowledge and skill to season sauces to perfection and ensure they’re just right consistency-wise.
Commis Chef (Line Cooks) Line cooks are the workers who do the bulk of the actual cooking. Many restaurants will have a head line cook for each station, also known as a chef de partie , who oversees apprentices for that station. They’ll typically need to have a host of culinary skills, including all the basic techniques, knowledge of flavors and seasonings, knife skills, and more.
Line cooks and their apprentices are usually assigned to one or more of the following stations, either on a permanent or a rotation basis: Fry station. Grill station. Saute station. The cold-service station (in charge of salads, cold appetizers and sometimes soups). Pastry or dessert station.
Prep Cooks Last but not least, prep cooks do a lot of the preliminary work, like peeling and chopping vegetables. Some restaurants will task line cook apprentices with prep tasks, while others staff designated prep cooks. At the very least, having knowledge of mise en place – the organizational system that keeps the kitchen running smoothly – is pretty crucial for prep cooks. In fact, prep cooks’ sole job might be to arrange the ingredients and equipment that higher-level cooks and chefs need.
FOOD BUSINESS IDEAS People all over the world patronize food dishes that are unique in taste matched with creative presentation. Here are the possible business ideas that food experts can put.
FOOD BUSINESS IDEAS 1. Bakery is a store that specializes on different types of baked goods such as breads, pastries, cookies and cakes.
2. Catering business is one of the traditional types of food business yet popular especially during special occasions like weddings and birthdays.
3. Buffet restaurant is one of the most trending food businesses at present. It varies from single to multiple cuisines that allow customers to eat the food of their choice at their own pace.
4. Food cart is a small business that literally uses a cart to sell food products. It may be a rolling cart or stationary type that sells snacks, dimsums and finger foods in a more affordable price to customers.
5. Food truck is a restaurant that makes use of a mobile truck to sell food products. The products sold in a food truck may vary from light to heavy meals depending on the specialty that the owner wants to offer.
6. Coffee shop is a business that provides a nook for people of different ages to relax. Aside from handcrafted coffee, it sells pastries, sandwiches and sometimes, heavy meals like pasta