Chapter 7 Preparing to Cook

1. Chapter 7 Preparing to Cook

2. Grams (g) Millilitres (ml) Recipe modification Preheating Conventional oven Fan oven See also the glossary of terms on pages 67–68 in your textbook. 2

3. After completing this chapter and the homework, assignments and activities that accompany it, you should: Understand the rules for kitchen safety and implement them in your practical classes. Know how to set up and prepare to cook. Put this into practice in cookery class. Know how to measure both solid and liquid ingredients. Be able to suggest ways that recipes can be modified to make them healthier (reduce fat, sugar and salt, increase fibre). Be able to identify a range of common cooking utensils and know what they are for. Know the routine for washing up and clearing away after cooking. Put this into practice in cookery class. Be able to set an oven to the temperature stated in the recipe. Know the meaning of a range of cooking terms commonly found in recipes. 3

4. Kitchen safety guidelines 2. Never touch anything electrical with wet hands. 1. Never leave a frying or chip pan unattended. If overheated, oil will spontaneously burst into flames. 3. Use oven gloves. 4. Keep saucepan handles turned in to the back of the cooker. 8. Never run in the kitchen. Kitchen safety 6. Never walk around holding a knife or a hot saucepan. 7. Wipe up spills immediately. 5. Curl fingers in when chopping. 4 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

5. Follow this work routine before you start to cook You should study the recipe before class. Tie back or cover hair. Wash hands and remove jewellery. Gather all equipment. Is it clean? Set the table. Weigh ingredients accurately. Preheat the oven. Wash as you go. 5 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

6. Recipes A recipe has: The name of the dish Sometimes a picture of the finished dish A list of ingredients The method (instructions on how to make the dish) Serving suggestions Oven temperature and cooking time  Before starting to cook, read the recipe well. 6 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

7. Weighing (solids) and measuring (liquids) Solids Solids are weighed in grams (g). Since a gram is a very small amount, you will rarely see less than 25g written in a recipe. If less than 25g is needed, the recipe will usually say a teaspoon (5g), dessertspoon (10g) or a tablespoon (15g). Recipes mean a level spoon unless otherwise stated. Note: 1,000g = 1kg. 7 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

8. Weighing Digital scales: Place the ingredient to be weighed on the scale, adding or taking some away until the scale reads the correct amount. Spring scales: Make sure the dial is at 0 after you place the empty bowl on the scales. Balance scales: Select the weight you need, such as 100g. Add the ingredient to the other side until the scale is level or balanced. Measuring margarine: Blocks of margarine are usually marked out so that you don’t have to use a weighing scales (see photo). 8 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

9. Measuring • Liquids are measured in millilitres (ml). • There are 1,000ml in 1 litre (L). A measuring jug is used to measure liquid; again, less than 25ml is rare in recipes. Teaspoons (5ml), dessertspoons (10ml) and tablespoons (15ml) can also be used to measure liquids. • Measuring spoons, while not essential, can be used for small amounts, e.g. baking powder. level heaped Recipes mean a level teaspoon unless otherwise stated 9 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

10. Recipe modification • Modifying a recipe means changing it in some way. • Possible reasons to modify a recipe: • To make the dish healthier • To make it suitable for people with special dietary needs, e.g. vegetarians, coeliacs • To increase or reduce the size of the dish • To substitute available ingredient(s) for an unavailable one 10 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

11. Ways to modify a recipe for health reasons Reduce fat – how? Reduce sugar – how? Reduce salt – how? Increase fibre – how? 11 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

12. Equipment Equipment consists of: Utensils, e.g. cutlery, bowls Large appliances, e.g. cooker, fridge Small appliances, e.g. mixer, food processor 12 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

13. Utensils • Baking tins • Bowls • Casserole dishes • Chopping board • Cutlery • Frying pans • Measuring jug • Pie dishes • Potato peeler • Rolling pin • Saucepans • Sharp knives • Wooden spoons 13 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

14. Silicone bakeware Unbreakable, does not rust Easy to clean Non-stick Freezer, oven and microwave safe Variety of products available 14

15. Some other utensils Balloon whisk Fish slice Garlic crush Flour dredger Pâté tin Pot stand 15

16. Some less common utensils (continued) Palette knife Sieve Pastry brush Spatula Wok Grater 16 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

17. Washing dishes and kitchen utensils Soak dishes if necessary in cold water to loosen stubborn food. Use hot water with a good-quality washing-up liquid. Scrape dishes off completely before washing. Stack all the dirty dishes to one side. Wash using a clean dishcloth. Drain dishes on the other side of the sink (on a tea towel if there is no double draining board). Fill the sink with cold water. Rinse all the dishes. Dry thoroughly. 17 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

18. Care of metal and wood To wash metal utensils: Never use abrasives on metal utensils or non-stick surfaces or it will be destroyed. Store saucepans when completely dry with the lids off. • To wash wooden utensils: • Scrub with the grain in warm soapy water. • Do not store away until completely dry or the wood will warp. 18 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

19. Large appliances Cooker Dishwasher Freezer Fridge Microwave 19

20. Using the cooker Cookers can run on either electricity, gas or solid fuel. A cooker can consist of: A hob A grill (sometimes also a small top oven) An oven Preheating: Ovens can take 10 minutes to heat up (gas ovens heat up more quickly). You must preheat the oven for bread and cakes in particular. Setting the oven: Oven temperature is written in degrees Celsius (°C) or gas mark 1 to 9. Some older ovens may be in degrees Fahrenheit (°F). Each recipe will give an oven temperature and a cooking time. 20

21. Types of oven • There are basically two different types of oven: • Conventional • Fan (fan in oven at the back) • The temperature in a fan oven is the same on every shelf. In a conventional oven, the top shelf is hottest, the middle shelf is as you set it and the bottom shelf is coolest. Note: Arrange the shelves before you turn the oven on. Never place food on the floor of the oven, as it will burn. A conventional oven set at 200°C 21

22. Small appliances • Electric knife • Food processor • Hand-held electric mixer • Liquidiser 22

23. Small appliances Food mixer Used tocream sugar and margarine, whip cream, whisk egg whites, no heavy-duty work. Liquidiser Used to blend soups, make breadcrumbs, purée cooked fruit and vegetables, no heavy-duty work. Food processor Can do everything a liquidiser and mixer can do, plus shred, dice, chip raw vegetables and mix stiff doughs and cakes. 23

24. How to care for and clean small motorised appliances • Remove loose parts and wash in hot soapy water. • Dry thoroughly and store without putting the appliance back together. • Never put the motor in water. Just wipe it with a damp cloth. 24

25. Glossary of common cookery terms Aerate: Introduce air to a mixture (sieving, rubbing in or whisking). Al dente: Cook food (pasta, vegetables) so they still have bite and are not too soft. Augratin: Food cooked in sauce, sprinkled with cheese or breadcrumbs, then browned under the grill or in the oven. Bake blind: Baking a pastry case before filling it, e.g. for lemon meringue pie. Baste: Spoon hot fat and meat juices over roasting meat to stop it from drying out. Bind: Bring a mixture together, e.g. adding beaten egg to minced meat to make burgers. Blanch: Plunge foods into boiling water, then into cold: this removes skins (tomatoes and almonds) or destroys enzymes (vegetables) before freezing. Blend: Gently add an ingredient to a mixture. Bouquet garni: A bunch of herbs (or a commercial sachet) added to flavour soups and stews and later removed. Brine: Salty water. 25

26. Glossary (continued) Coat: Cover with, for example, batter, breadcrumbs or sauce. Consistency: Thickness of a mixture. Cream: Beat foods together until they are soft and creamy. Croutons: Small cubes of fried bread, used as a garnish for soups. Dice: To cut into small cubes. Dredge: To sprinkle sugar or flour, e.g. dredging a table with flour so that pastry does not stick to it while rolling. Fold: Gently adding an ingredient to a mixture. Garnish: A decoration for a savoury dish. Glaze: Brushed over bread and cakes before baking to give them a shine when cooked. Infuse: To give flavour to a liquid by gently heating flavouring ingredients in it, e.g. a vanilla pod in milk. Knead: To work dough with your hands, e.g. when making bread. Marinate: Steep foods in flavoured liquid before cooking. 26

27. Glossary (continued) Parboil: Partially cook by boiling (potatoes can be parboiled before oven roasting). Poach: To cook in gently simmering water, e.g. eggs. Purée: Mincing fruit or vegetables. Raising agent: Produces gas in a mixture (such as bread dough) and causes it to rise. Roux: A mixture of equal quantities of fat and flour, used as a base for many sauces. Rub in: To crumble fat into flour using the tips of the fingers. The mixture should resemble breadcrumbs. Sauté: Fry gently for a short time in hot fat. Season: Add salt, pepper, herbs or spices to food. Shortening: Fat added to bread and cakes. Simmer: Cook gently just below boiling point. Texture: The feel of something: smooth, lumpy, coarse, crisp, soft, etc. Whisk: Beat vigorously to introduce air, e.g. egg whites. 27

28. List eight kitchen safety guidelines. Outline the work routine that should be followed in cookery class. List six different pieces of information that a recipe gives. In cookery, what unit is used to measure solids? Name three different types of weighing scales. In cookery, what unit is used to measure liquids? If it is not specifically stated, does a recipe mean a heaped or level teaspoon? List four reasons why you may want to modify a recipe. List four ways a recipe may be modified to reduce its fat content. List two ways a recipe may be modified to reduce its sugar content. List two ways a recipe may be modified to reduce its salt content. List two ways a recipe may be modified to increase its fibre content. 28

29. 13. Name the following cooking utensils. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 29

30. 14. Name the following cooking utensils. (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) 30

31. Outline the procedure that you should follow while doing the washing up by hand. How should metal utensils be cared for? How should wooden utensils be cared for? What does it mean to preheat the oven? How long should it be done for and why? What three oven settings will commonly be given in recipes? In a conventional oven, which area of the oven is hottest? 31

32. Name each of the following small electrical appliances and state what each is commonly used for. (b) (c) (a) • Outline how you should clean small appliances with a motor. 32

33. 23. What do the following cookery terms mean? Aerate Al dente Au gratin Bake blind Baste Blanch Bouquet garni Marinate Parboil Roux Raising agent Sauté Season 33

34. Assignment 12 Now test yourself at www.eTest.ie. 34