food and prodution note

Preparation of ingredients is popularly termed as Mise-enplace. Mise-en-place (pronounced mizãplas , i s literally "set in place"), it is a French phrase defined by the Culinary Institute of America as "everything in place". It is used in kitchens to refer to the ingredients, such as cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables and other components that a cook requires for the menu items that they expect to prepare. Recipes are reviewed, to check for necessary ingredients and equipment. Ingredients are measured out, washed, chopped and placed in individual bowls. Preparing the mise en place ahead of time allows the chef to cook without having to stop and assemble items, which is desirable in recipes with time constraints. Solid foods which are to be mixed have to be reduced into sizes which will allow them to combine readily. A certain amount of preparation is thus mandatory. Washing: Washin...

Thickening agents, or thickeners, are substances which, when added to an aqueous mixture, increase its viscosity without substantially modifying its other properties, such as taste. They provide body, increase stability, and improve suspending action. They also improve the nutritive value. Thickening agents are often food additives. Food thickeners are frequently based on polysaccharides (starches or vegetable gums) or proteins (egg yolks, demi-glaces, or collagen). Common examples are agar, arrowroot, coconut, tamarind, curd, poppy seeds, onion taste, coriander powder, gelatin, katakuri, pectin, rehan, roux, tapioca, guar gum, locust bean gum, and xanthan gum. Flour is often used for thickening gravies, gumbos and stews. It must be cooked in thoroughly to avoid the taint of uncooked flour. Cereal grains (oatmeal, couscous, farina, etc.) are used to thicken soups. Some of the thickening agents are discussed below: Roux Roux ( pronunced ROO) is a thi...

Liquid sweeteners include various syrups, honey, and molasses. Liquid sweeteners are typically less expensive than dry nutritive sweeteners. The following are some of the liquid sweeteners: Barley Malt Syrup: This tastes a bit like molasses, and it's not as sweet as sugar or honey. It's mostly used to make beer, but it's also used to make breads or other baked goods. Blackstrap Molasses: This has a strong, bitter flavor, and it's not very sweet. It's sometimes used to make chili. Brown Rice Syrup: Health buffs like this because it contains complex sugars, which are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream. It's about half as sweet as ordinary table sugar. Coconut Syrup: Hawaiians like to pour this syrup on pancakes, but it's also used in several mixed drinks. Corn Syrup: This is a thick, sweet syrup that's popular in America, but hard to find in other countries. Unlike other sweeteners, corn sy...