Chapter 5 Meal Planning

1. Chapter 5 Meal Planning

2. Dietary restrictions Appetiser Accompaniments Table d’hôte Á la carte Buffet Time/work plan Condiments Garnish 2

3. After completing this chapter and the homework, assignments and activities that accompany it, you should: Know what factors affect meal planning. Know the difference between a table d’hôte, an à la carte and a buffet menu. Be able to design one of each, taking account of the rules for writing menus. Be able to correctly set a formal table setting. Know what garnishes and/or accompaniments are suitable for the following: soup, fish, lamb, turkey, beef, pork and duck. Be able to suggest a variety of ways to decorate sweet dishes and carry this out in practical classes.

4. Factors that affect meal planning Dietary restrictions Nutrition Amount of time available to shop and cook Money/equipment available Climate and the availability of foods in season Cold weather: Hot dishes such as stew Hot weather: Cold dishes such as salads Ability of the cook Occasion 4 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

5. Meals Main meals are usually divided into courses. 1. Starter or appetiser This course should be something tasty and not too filling. 2. Main course A meat, fish or vegetarian dish is central to this course. Accompaniments are also served. 3. Dessert or cheese board Hot or cold desserts A cheese board Tea or coffee 5 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

6. Menus There are basically two types of menu: Table d’hôte À la carte 6 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

7. Table d’hôte menus Table d’hôte is a set-price menu. It is usually cheaper than the à la carte menu, although you pay the full menu price even if you don’t have all the courses. Two to five courses are usually on offer, with a limited number of dishes to choose from for each course (see the sample on the next slide). 7 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

8. Sample table d’hôte menu Table d’hôte menu Starters Pan-fried garlic mushrooms Bruschetta Toasted ciabatta bread topped with tomato, basil and olive oil Deep-fried Brie with red onion relish Main course Pork medallions Medallions of pork fillet, pan fried with julienne of onion, peppers and mushrooms in a pepper sauce Poached salmon Fillet of salmon poached in a light cream sauce Vegetable risotto Chicken piri piri Chargrilled corn-fed chicken fillet in a lemon and chilli sauce Desserts Meringue nest with fresh fruit Profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce Hot apple pie served with fresh cream or ice cream Tea or coffee Price €38 8 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

9. À la carte menus On an à la carte menu, each item is priced separately. The menu may be several pages long, with a separate page with lots to choose from for each course (see the sample on the next slide). 9 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

10. Sample starter page from an à la carte menu À la carte Starters Pan-fried garlic mushrooms €4.50 Homemade roasted winter vegetable soup €3.75 Bruschetta Toasted ciabatta bread topped with tomato, basil and olive oil €3.75 Tiger prawns in filo pastry Tossed in garlic butter and served with a sweet and sour dip €7.25 Deep-fried Brie with red onion relish €5.25 Greek salad Fresh vine tomatoes with peppers, onions and cucumber with feta cheese and oregano dressing €5.25 10 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

11. Rules for writing a menu Write down the centre of the page. List courses in the order they are eaten. Write the main dish of the course first and then the accompaniments. Leave a line or place a motif between courses. Describe dishes in some detail: give the cut of meat or fish and the cooking method, such as ‘roast loin of pork’. 11 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

12. Buffets When catering for large numbers, such as a twenty-first birthday party, a buffet is often best. Food should be laid out in a logical way, with drinks served at a separate table. 12 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

13. Buffet foods 13 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

14. Formal table setting • Everything should be spotless and should match if possible. • Fill clean salt and pepper containers (condiments). • Keep flower arrangements low. • Place a jug of iced water on the table just before the meal begins. • Cutlery used first is placed on the outside. • When serving, serve food to the left of the person eating and clear empty plates from the right. 14

15. Once you have decided what you are going to cook, you now have to shop for the ingredients, store them correctly before use and then prepare the meal using an effective time or work plan. Planning a meal 15

16. Shopping for food Shop for food only once a week. Make a shopping list. Buy food in clean shops with a large variety of goods and a high turnover. Stick to your shopping list. Avoid pre-packed fruit, vegetables and meat. Check use-by dates and that food in supermarket freezer cabinets is stored below –18°C and below the load line. Put foods away at home as soon as possible after purchase. 16 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

17. Time/work plans Both time and work plans list all the tasks involved in preparing, cooking and serving a meal in the order it makes sense to carry them out. Time plans, unlike work plans (see Chapter 9), include specific times. Basically, with both you work out how long it will take to make the various dishes on your menu and begin with the dish that takes the longest to make. 17 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

18. Presenting food • Before we taste food, we see it. How food is presented is very important. • All tableware must be spotlessly clean. • Wipe spills from dishes or plates before bringing them to the table. • Garnish or decorate food attractively, but don’t overdo it. 18 Essentials for Living, 3rd Edition

19. Garnishing and decorating food Garnish: Savoury foods Decorate: Sweet foods 19

20. Garnishes Garnishes can either be items placed on or beside food, such as lemon twists, or sauces, such as fillet steak with pepper sauce. 20

21. Dishes and their suggested accompaniments/garnishes 21

22. Desserts can be decorated with a fruit coulis and a sprig of mint. 22

23. Sweet dishes are decorated in lots of other ways • Piped cream • Pastry decorations • Fruit • Sugar-based decorations • Icing Strawberry fans Piped cream Glacé icing (feathering) 23

24. List six factors that affect meal planning. Name the three most common courses in a meal and give two examples of dishes suited to each course. What are the two main types of menu? List the five main rules for writing menus. When is a buffet most likely to be the chosen option? How should a buffet be laid out? Describe six guidelines for a formal table setting. 24

25. List four rules that should be followed when shopping for food. What are time/work plans and what is their purpose? Are savoury dishes garnished or decorated? How would you garnish or what would you use to accompany each of the following: (a) soup (b) fish (c) lamb (d) turkey (e) beef (f) pork (g) duck? What is a fruit coulis? What is it normally used for? Name three ways of decorating a sweet dish such as a cake or trifle. 25

26. Assignment 10 Now test yourself at www.eTest.ie. 26