Unit 9: Dairy, Eggs, and Dry Goods

1. Unit 9: Dairy, Eggs, and Dry Goods These products require care and special handling American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

2. American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

3. General Guidelines for Purchase and Storage • Highly perishable • Check freshness dates • Store at 41°F (5°C) or less • Store dairy away from strong odors • Keep product in original containers • Wrap cheeses carefully • Rotate stock American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

4. Milk and Cream • Always use pasteurized milk and cream • Pasteurization kills pathogens • Product heated to 145°F (63°C) for 30 minutes or 161°F (72°C) for 15 seconds • Homogenization suspends fat globules throughout milk • Low-fat and skim milk is fortified with vitamins A and D, as these are fat-soluble vitamins lost in low-fat milk American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

5. Fermented and Cultured Products • Yogurt, crème fraîche, buttermilk, and sour cream are all inoculated to cause fermentation • Yogurt is made from any type of milk • Sour cream, 18 percent milk fat, is cultured sweet cream • Crème fraîche, 30 percent milk fat, great to cook with • Buttermilk, made from nonfat milk, has little fat American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

6. Ice Cream • Must contain a specific amount of milk fat to meet government standards • Vanilla, 10 percent, other flavors, 8 percent • Stabilizers, not more than 2 percent of content • Gelato, Italian for “ice cream,” creamier texture • Sherbet, no cream, high sugar • Sorbet, a type of sherbet, fruit based • Soy, rice milk, and frozen yogurt use stabilizers to prevent separation American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

7. Butter • Mixing cream with 30–45 percent milk fat, until separation • Best quality is labeled AA, at least 80 percent fat • Should have a sweet, creamy flavor • Color is pale yellow • Salted butter has no more than 2 percent salt to help keep better American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

8. Cheese • Natural cheeses grow and develop until ripe, will eventually spoil or overripen • Processed cheeses will not develop further or ripen • Cheese is made from a variety of milks • Texture, color, and flavor determined by the type of milk and by the way it is made, shaped, and aged • Mold- or bacteria-ripened cheeses American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

9. Fresh and Soft or Rind-Ripened Cheeses • Fresh cheese is very soft, creamy, white, and not aged • Soft and rind-ripened characteristics are: • Soft velvety skin due to surface mold • Ripens from outside in • Rind is edible and texture of cheese is almost runny when fully ripe American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

10. Semi-Soft Cheeses • Ideal for slicing, not grating • Some may have a wax rind to preserve moisture • Rubbed with flavors and herbs • Age a short to medium amount of time in comparison to hard cheeses American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

11. Hard and Grating Cheeses • Hard cheeses are somewhat dry, granular in texture, firm consistency • Good for slicing • Good for hot dishes • Grating cheeses: • Aged for long time and saltier and drier • Typically have a heavy wax rind • Do not slice well, but grate perfectly and shave easily American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

12. Blue Cheeses • These are mold-ripened cheeses • Injected with mold after they are formed • Very smooth and crumbly • Ripened under special conditions • Roquefort is ripened in special limestone caves with a perfect humidity and temperature American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

13. Eggs • A very important ingredient considering all the dishes they are used in • USDA top grade is AA • Freshness indicated by: • Well-centered yolk • Firm, viscous white • Yolk anchored by chalazae • Fresh eggs will sink in water, old eggs float; this is due to moisture loss • Sold by the dozen or in flats or cases American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

14. Bulk form, fluid, frozen Sold whites only, yolks only for baking Sold pasteurized Sold dried and powdered Sold fully cooked and frozen Should be inspected immediately upon delivery Discard eggs with cracked shells Keep chilled Sizes range from pee wee to jumbo Eggs (continued) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

15. Dry Goods • Referred to as nonperishables • Will loose quality over time • Should not overstock • Products have definite expiration dates • Must be rotated • You must inspect for ripped bags, dented cans, broken boxes • Must be stored in a clean, well-ventilated, dry, and accessible storage area, up and off the floor according to local codes • Some dry goods have special storage needs such as nuts, seeds, coffee (unless vacuum packed) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

16. Grains, Meals, and Flours • Grains are the fruit and seeds of cereal grasses; short shelf life • Whole grains have not been milled • Milled grains are polished and have a longer shelf life • Cracked grains are coarse particles • Meals and cereals have a finer consistency • Flours are usually milled to a finer powder • Stone-ground grains have usually retained more nutrients American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

17. Wheat and Flour • Whole berries are unrefined, used in hot cereal, pilaf, salads, and breads • Cracked wheat, coarsely crushed, used in hot cereals, pilaf, salads, and breads • Bulgur, crushed wheat used in making tabbouleh • Bran is separated from the wheat kernel, sold as flakes • Farina, made from polished wheat, typically used as hot cereal • Whole-wheat flour, made from hard wheat, nutty flavor, coarser grind American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

18. Wheat and Flour (continued) • All-purpose flour, blend of hard and soft wheat, many applications • Bread flour, made from hard wheat, higher percentage of protein, used for yeast-raised products • Cake and pastry flour, softer, less proteins, used for chemically leavened products • Durham flour, high in protein, used for pasta and bread • Semolina, milled from durham wheat, used in gnocchi, pasta, and couscous American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

19. Rice • White rice is polished to remove the bran layer • Brown rice has only husk removed, bran layer intact • Converted, polished rice is fluffy and will stay separated when cooked • Basmati rice, very fragrant, is aged to remove moisture • Arborio rice, short grains, high starch content, is creamy when cooked • Wild rice is really marsh grass seed, firm and nutty flavor • Sticky and pearl rice, very starchy • Rice flour, very finely milled, used for true tempura American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

20. Corn • Comes in many forms • Hominy is whole, dried kernels soaked in lye to remove hull • Grits are ground hominy • Masa harina is fine flour made from hominy • Cornmeal is ground, dried kernels • Cornstarch is made from dried kernels, hull and germ removed, ground to powder American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

21. Other Grains • Oats and groats, steel cut or rolled, used for cereals and baking • Oat bran, water-soluble fiber, very healthy • Millet, used for cereal, pancakes, and baked goods • Rye, milled to flour, used to make very popular bread • Quinoa, a mountain barley from Ecuador, looks like tiny circles • Barley, used in pilaf, salads, and soups and to make beer and whiskey American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

22. Pasta and Noodles • Stores well and long unless fresh • Comes in many shapes and sizes • Different applications for shapes • Combined with herbs and different powdered vegetables to make different flavors • Great variety of uses and applications • Fresh should be stored like any other fresh product American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

23. Legumes • Dried beans, peas, and lentils come from mature pod-vegetables • Wash and sort before using • Check for pest infestation • As legumes age, they take longer to rehydrate and cook American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

24. Nuts and Seeds • Fruits of various trees • Peanut is not a true nut, but a legume that grows underground • Peanuts introduced from Africa • Seeds come from a variety of plants and herbs • Available blanched, sliced, hulled, roasted, canned, bagged, boxed, and as paste • Keep raw and shelled nuts and seeds refrigerated American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

25. Dried Herbs and Spices • Spices are sold whole or ground; herbs are sold as leaves or powders • Keep in a cool, darker area, sealed • Spices, whole, keep about 6 months • Smell spices and herbs for potency • Discard flat- or musty-smelling product • Toasting spices before use brings out more flavor • Grind close to service to retain flavor American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

26. Salt is an enhancer, preservative, drying agent Lasts indefinitely if kept dried Kosher salt is courser and has no anti-caking additives or anything but salt Sea salts and flavored salts are popular now Peppercorns are berries from tropical trees Black are most pungent White are mild in flavor Green are harvested young Red is actually the seed of a baie rose Whole peppercorns retain flavor indefinitely Salt and PepperUniversal Flavor Enhancers American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

27. Sweeteners • Sugars and syrups used to flavor a wide range of products • Dark sugars have stronger flavors • Granular sweeteners can be extracted from beets, cane, and corn • Syrups are liquid sweeteners • Maple and corn syrup are extracted from plants • Molasses is a by-product of refining granular sugar • Honey is nectar from flowers, collected by bees American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

28. Fats and Oils • Oils are featured is dressings, sauces, and sauté items and are very versatile • Oils come flavored; extracted from different vegetables, seeds, corn, or soybeans; have high smoke points; are pourable at room temperature • Oils that are solid at room temperature have been hydrogenated • As a rule of thumb, the more flavorful the oil, the shorter the shelf life • Fats are solid at room temperature, come from animals, have lower smoke points • Lard is rendered animal fat that has been strained and purified American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

29. Chocolate • Tremendous popularity in restaurants today • Produced from cocoa beans from pods of the cocoa tree • Good quality has a high percentage of cocoa butter • Store it well-wrapped in a cool, dry, ventilated area to prevent blooming • It is still usable even after blooming • Cocoa powder can be stored almost indefinitely if sealed American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

30. Vinegars and Condimentsand Other Miscellaneous Items • Introduce a sharp and piquant flavor to most foods • Used as an ingredient or a condiment • Condiments include a wide range of pickles, preserves, relishes, chutneys, mustards, etc. • Extracts are made from herbs, pods, seeds, and fruits that are treated with alcohol • Store extracts tightly sealed and away from heat • Leaveners used to give baked goods a light airy texture, need to be stored sealed and in cool, darker places • Yeast, an organic leavener, should be stored in the cooler • Thickeners and other gels must be well-sealed and stored in cool, dry areas to prevent spoiling by moisture American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

31. Wines, Cordials, and Liqueurs • A general rule of thumb for these materials is “if it is not fit to drink, don’t cook with it” • Store dry wines and beers in a cooler after opening, covered • Sweeter items are used in many fine pastries and baking applications, as well as dessert sauces and sauté applications • Fortified wines and liqueurs need not be refrigerated, only kept tightly covered or capped American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

32. Prepared, Canned and Frozen Products • Anything can come frozen these days • Check packaging for crystals that indicate thawing en-route or holes that would let in contamination • Check expiration dates • Store immediately upon inspection and delivery • Rotate the stock each delivery • Do not purchase too far ahead • Maintain the freezer at the correct temperature American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

33. Prepared, Canned and Frozen Products (continued) • Check any canned goods for dents, bulging, or slipped labels • Return any canned goods that are sticky or damaged in any way • Rotate canned good stock • Conduct random samples • Always inspect any received goods before the truck driver pulls away American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.