food and prodution note

Flavouring and seasoning are the process of adding or improving flavor of food. Flavouring combines taste and smell such as essences, cardomon, nutmeg, thyme etc. Seasonings include herbs, spices, and all other condiments. Example: black pepper, basil, kosher salt, etc. Spices and herbs give flavouring and seasoning to the dishes. To get effective results, not only should the food, please the eye, but should also flatter or stimulate the palate. The success of cooking largely depends upon the help we obtain from flavoring and seasoning. The spice we use for this purpose should be used sparingly, as well as with skill. All palates may not crave for high spiced food, yet majority of people demand, that the food be moderately flavoured with the right constituents. To use flavouring and seasoning rightly is a great accomplishment; the dish could be spoilt by being overseasoned. Seasoning should bring out the natural flavours of the main ingredients and blend with them. Seasonings...

Stock is a flavoured liquid. It forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces. Stock is prepared by simmering various ingredients in water, including some or all of the following: *    Bones (veal, beef and chicken bones) - The flavour of the stock comes from the cartilage and connective tissue in the bones. Connective tissue has collagen in it, which gets converted into gelatin that thickens the liquid. Stock made from bones needs to be simmered for longer than stock made from meat (often referred to as broth).  * Mirepoix - A combination of onions, carrots, celery, and sometimes other vegetables). Often the less desirable parts of the vegetables (such as carrot skins and celery ends) are used since they will not be eaten. *   Herbs and spices - The herbs and spices used depend on availability and local traditions. In classical cuisine, the use of a bouquet garni (or bundle of herbs) consisting of parsley, bay leaves, a sprig of thyme ...

A raising agent (also called leavening or leaven) is a substance used in doughs and batters that causes a foaming action intended to lighten and soften the finished product. The function of the raising agent is to puff up the food that it spreads and rises and becomes full of holes, thus making it light and not close and heavy. The holes made by the raising agents are retained during the process of cooking. The leavening of the flour mixture is accomplished by the expansion of water vapour and carbon dioxide. When the product is heated the air expands and part of the water vaporizes. The formation of carbon-dioxide requires the presence of suitable microorganisms or chemical agents. During the first part of heating gas production is accelerated and the gas formed expands as the temperature rises. The following are the different types of raising agents: · Biological raising agents · Chemical raising agents · Mechanical leavening · Other leaveners Biological Leavene...

Salt is a crystalline solid, white, pale pink or light grey in color, normally obtained from sea water or rock deposits. Salt is an essential ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes. Salt helps to bring out the flavor of other ingredients. If too much is added, food becomes inedible and too little makes food insipid. The right amount to be added is known by experience. It adds to the nutritive value of food by providing the essential mineral, sodium chloride. Salt has physical effects on the gluten of flour. In reasonable quality it strengthens gluten and increases its resistance to the softening effects of fermentation. Too much salt on the other hand will remove the power of gluten to hold gas. Salt also acts as a preservative; it speeds up coagulation of eggs and lowers the freezing point. Salt is available in three forms: 1. Table salt (fine) containing phosphate 2. Coarse or freezing salt for culinary purposes 3. Celery salt (used as an alternative to fresh celery ...

Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Fats may be either solid or liquid at normal room temperature and melt when heated. Example: butter, margarine , lard , suet , dripping and hydrogenated fat. Cooking oil is purified fat of plant or animal origin, which is liquid at room temperature. Some of the many different kinds of edible vegetable oils include: olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil, pumpkin seed oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, grape seed oil, sesame oil, argan oil and rice bran oil. Many other kinds of vegetable oils are also used for cooking. Fats and oils are nutritionally useful. It gives a satiety value to the dish. They also contribute characteristic palatability, qualities of flavour and texture. They are popularly used as the medium of cooking. Fats are solid at ordinary temperature and melt when heated. Oils are liquids at ordinary temperature but solidify at lo...

Cereals: Rice is washed before cooking. Excessive washing removes the water-soluble vitamins and mineral. The proactive of cooking rice in large quantities of water and draining away the excess of water at the end of cooking leads to further loss of B-group vitamins and minerals. Rice, therefore, must be cooked with just enough water so that all the water is absorbed at the end of cooking-this is usually 2 or 2 ½ times the volume of rice. All cereals (eg. water flour) absorb water and during cooking the starch granules swell up and burst. This renders the digestion of starch rapid and complete. Pulses: Pulses are rich in protein (20 to 25 per cent). They also contain small quantities of starch. It is very important to boil pulses very thoroughly. T his destroys the antitypic substance present in them. Green Leafy Vegetables: Green leafy vegetables are prized for vitamins and minerals. The vitamin A which occurs in the form of thiamine and vitamin C are partially...

FOOD CONSTITUENTS Food is composed of the following five constituents:   Carbohydrates   Fats   Proteins   Minerals   Vitamins Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates used in cooking include simple sugars such as glucose (from table sugar) and fructose (from fruit) and starches from sources such as cereal flour, rice, arrowroot and potato. F ats : Fats and oils come from both animal and plant sources. In cooking, fats provide tastes and textures. When used as the principal cooking medium (rather than water), they also allow the cook access to a wide range of cooking temperatures. Common oil-cooking techniques include sauteing, stir-frying, and deep-frying. Commonly used fats and oils include butter, olive oil, sunflower oil, lard, beef fat (both dripping and tallow), rapeseed oil or canola, and peanut oil. The inclusion of fats tends to add flavor to cooked food. Proteins: Edible animal material, including muscle, offal, milk and egg whi...

LIGHT EQUIPMENTS Cookie, Cake and Bread Pans: The most fundamental components of a baker's kitchen are good quality baking sheets and baking pans. Invest in good-quality commercial-type pans which are heavier and retain heat better than lighter pans, and won't warp or buckle. Most cookie, bread, and cake pans are made from light-coloured aluminum, providing quick steady heat to allow the ingredients to rise evenly and produce tender, delicate crusts. Cookie and Baking Sheets: Cookie sheets are rimless, flat metal sheets, perfectly designed for placing rows of cookies. They normally have a small rim on the short sides for easy gripping. The long flat edges allow you to slide cookies off the sheet after baking. Shop here for cookie sheets. Baking sheets have raised edges all around, and are normally the choice for professional bakers. They are a good, all-purpose pan and can be used for everything from baking cookies to toasting nuts. Shop here for baking sheets. Yo...