Midterm BFP

• Food Preparation Basics


  • Understanding the basics of food preparation is essential to getting a meal together
  • Not an exact science: results vary from meal to meal
• Factors that can affect final food products

  • Type of heat used
  • The cooking utensils
  • The amount of food prepared
• Heating Foods


  • Simple term for introducing heat into a food system to either cook it through or to reheat it
  • Destroys microorganisms that cause illness and changes the molecular structure of foods, altering their texture, taste, odor, and appearance making food easier to digest
  • Transferred by either moist- or dry-heat methods
• Heat Transfer


  • Exchange of thermal energy between two objects
  • The rate of heat transfer depends upon the temperatures of each entity and the medium through which the thermal energy is being transferred
  • In cooking, heat transfer refers to heating your food items through a cooking appliance, such as a stove, fryer, microwave, or oven
• 3 Types of Heat Transfer

  • Conduction
  • Convection
  • Radiation
• Conduction


  The process of heat being transferred between objects through direct contact, and it's the most common type of heat transfer
• Convection


  • Combines conduction heat transfer and circulation to force molecules in the air to move from warmer areas to cooler ones
  • Natural convection occurs when molecules at the bottom of a cooking vessel rise and warm while cooler and heavier molecules sink
  • Mechanical convection occurs when outside forces circulate heat, which shortens cooking times and cooks food more evenly
• Radiation Cooking


  • The process where heat and light waves strike and penetrate your food with no direct contact between the heat source and the cooking food
  • Infrared radiation utilizes an electric or ceramic heating element that gives off electromagnetic energy waves
  • Microwave radiation utilizes short, high-frequency waves that penetrate food, which agitates its water molecules to create friction and transfer heat
• Moist-Heat Preparation


  • A method of cooking in which heat is transferred by water, any water-based liquid, or steam
  • Liquids not only heat the food, but may also contribute flavor, color, texture, and appearance to the final product
  • Helps to soften the fibrous protein in meats and the cellulose in plants
  • Color, flavor compounds, vitamins, and minerals may leach out and be lost in the liquid
• Types of Moist-Heat Preparation

  • Scalding
  • Poaching
  • Simmering
  • Stewing
  • Braising
  • Boiling
  • Steaming
• Scalding


  • Reaches a temperature of 150°F (66°C), indicated by the appearance of large, but relatively still, bubbles on the bottom and sides of the pan
  • Frequently used with milk to improve its function in recipes and to destroy bacteria
• Poaching


  • Temperature of 160–180°F (71–82°C) in which the food is either partially or totally immersed, with small, relatively motionless bubbles appearing on the bottom of the pan
  • Used to prepare delicate foods, like fish and eggs, which could break apart under the more vigorous action of boiling
• Simmering


  • Water simmers at just below the boiling point, never less than 180°F (82°C), characterized by gently rising bubbles that barely break the surface
  • Preferred over boiling in many cases because it is gentler and will usually not physically damage the food, and foods will not overcook as quickly as they do when boiled
  • Essential when cooking tough cuts of meat that require gentle cooking in order to become tender
• Stewing


  • Simmering ingredients in a small to moderate amount of liquid, which often becomes a sauce as the food cooks
  • Consist of chopped ingredients such as meat and vegetables placed in a large casserole or stock pot with some water, stock, or other liquid
  • Pot is covered and the food simmered for some time on the range or in a moderate oven
• Braising


  • Similar to stewing in that food is simmered in a small amount of liquid in a covered casserole or pot
  • Liquid may be the food's own juices, fat, soup stock, and/or wine
  • Flavors blend and intensify as foods are slowly braised on top of the range or in an oven
• Boiling


  • Water must reach 212°F (100°C) at sea level, a temperature at which water bubbles rapidly
  • The high temperature and agitation of boiling water are reserved for the tougher-textured vegetables and for dried pastas and beans
  • Common technique is to bring a liquid to a rolling boil, gradually add the food, distributing it evenly, and then bring the liquid back to a full boil before reducing the heat so that boiling becomes gentle
  • Parboil: partially boil, but not fully cook, a food
  • Blanching: sets the color of green vegetables; loosens the skins of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for peeling; and destroys enzymes that contribute to deterioration
• Steaming


  • Any food heated by direct contact with the steam generated by boiling water
  • Retains texture color, taste, and nutrients
  • En papillote: is to wrap the food in foil or parchment paper before it is baked or grilled
• Dry-Heat Preparation


  • Heat is transferred by air, radiation, fat, or metal
  • Higher temperatures are reached in dry-heat preparation than they are in moist-heat methods
• Types of Dry-Heat Preparation

  • Baking
  • Roasting
  • Broiling
  • Grilling
  • Barbecuing
  • Frying
• Baking


  • Heating of food by hot air in an oven
  • Average baking temperature is 350°F (177°C), although temperatures may range from 300°F to 425°F (149°C to 219°C)
  • Baking results can be affected by rack position, color of the pan, and baking time
• Pan Color


  • Shiny metal pans reflect heat and are best for cakes or cookies
  • Darker, duller metal pans tend to absorb heat ideal for pies or bread baking
  • Glass pans heat quickly
• Baking Time


  It is important to check the food's progress at the suggested minimum baking time and then at intervals after that until the food is done
• Rack Position


  • Food should be placed in the middle of the center rack
  • Foods placed on the uppermost rack may brown excessively on their top surface, whereas on the lowest rack foods are prone to burning on the bottom
  • Best to position foods using only one rack; if this is not possible, the foods should be staggered
  • At least 2 inches should be left between pans and between the pans and the oven walls
• Roasting


  • Similar to baking except that the term is usually applied to meats and poultry
  • Also refer to cooking on an open fire and to cooking with a rotisserie
• Broiling


  • Cook foods under an intense heat source
  • The high temperatures of broiling cook foods in approximately 5 to 10 minutes, so only tender meats, poultry, and fish are broiled; tougher foods require longer heating times
  • Temperature is controlled by moving the rack closer to or farther away from the heat source
  • Foods are often slightly oiled to prevent drying and sticking, placed under the broiler only after it has been preheated to its full heat, and then turned over only once
• Grilling


  • Reverse of broiling, in that food is cooked above, rather than below, an intense heat source
  • Grill may be a rack or a flat surface on a stove
  • Also refer to foods that are seared on a grill over direct heat
• Barbecuing


  • Once synonymous with grilling over a pit, now refers to foods being slow-cooked, usually covered in a zesty sauce, over a longer period of time
  • Temperature in barbecuing is regulated by adjusting the intensity of the heat source (charcoal, wood, gas, or electric); adjusting the distance between the food and the heat source; and moving the food to different places on the grill
• Frying


  • Heating foods in fat
  • Oils used in frying serve to transfer heat, act as a lubricant to prevent sticking, and contribute to flavor, browning, and a crisp outside texture
  • Types of frying are distinguished by the amount of fat used and temperature
• Sautéing


  Use the least amount of fat to heat the food
• Stir-frying


  Use the least amount of fat to heat the food
• Pan-broiling


  Placing food, usually meat, in a very hot frying pan with no added fat and pouring off fat as it accumulates
• Pan-frying


  Fat is not poured off
• Deep-frying


  Food is completely covered with fat
• Cutlery Techniques


  • Another basic pillar of food preparation
  • 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
• Cutting Styles


  • Slice
  • Julienne
  • Shred
  • Dice
  • Mince
  • Peel
• Slice


  To move the food under the blade while keeping the point of the blade firmly on the cutting board, lifting the base of the knife up and down with a forward and backward motion
• Julienne


  Sliced food can be further cut up, resulting in delicate sticks that are usually 1 to 3 inches long and only 1⁄16 to 1⁄8 of an inch thick
• Shred


  To cut leaf vegetables into thin strips, by first rolling the leaves into cigar-like shapes and then cutting them into shreds
• Dice


  To cut food into even-size cubes
• Mince


  To chop food into very fine pieces, by placing the holding hand on the tip of the knife and rocking the base up and down in short strokes while moving it across the food several times