Chapter 11 - Knives And Small Wares Flashcards
What do food handlers use knives for?
For most cooking preparations, from slicing to chopping to shredding.
What is a good knife made from?
Stainless steel
A good knife is ________ _________ and stays ______ for a long time.
Very durable and stays sharp
Name to the two main parts of a knife
The blade and the handle
The blade of a knife is made from _______.
Metal
What is honing?
The regular maintenance required to keep knives in the best shape.
What is a sharpening stone used for?
To grind and hone the edges of steel tools and implements
What is a steel used for?
To remove the microscopic burrs that are created as a knife is used.
What is the meaning of the term “small ware”?
Small hand tools and small equipment
What are hand tools designed to do?
Aid in cutting
Shaping
Moving
Combining foods
What are hand tools an essential part of in the food service industry?
Hand tools are easy to use.
Examples of small tools:
China cap Funnel Strainer Wire whip Zested Sieve Grater
What are measuring utensils used for in the restaurant and food service industry?
Used to measure everything from spices to liquids to dry ingredients like oats, grains, sugar, and flour.
Examples of measuring utensils:
Balance scale Digital/electric scale Ladle Measuring cups Measuring spoons Portion scale Scoop Thermocouple
What are pots and pans made from?
A variety of materials -
Copper, cast iron, chrome, stainless steel, and aluminum with or without a nonstick coating
What is the difference between a pot and a pan?
Pots - larger vessels with straight sides and two loop handles
Pans - tend to be shallower with one long handle and either straight or sloped sides
What is the meaning of the term “mise en place”?
Getting ready to cook
Everything in its place
Give examples of how mise en place is applied in the kitchen:
Ingredients gathered and measured Pans Utensils Equipment Serving pieces needed for a particular dish or service
What is the goal of pre-preparation?
To do as much of the work in advance without any loss in ingredient quality.
Name the basic elements of mise en place:
Knife cuts
Flavoring
Herbs and spices
Basic preparation
Mise en place forms the building block for any trained professional chef and will be essential throughout a professional chef’s career.
Just FYI
What is usually one of the first steps in mise en place?
Cleaning and cutting raw foods.
Which foods often require trimming and cutting?
Fresh vegetables
Fruits
Meats
What is the guiding hand and what does it do?
The hand that is not holding the knife. It prevents slippage and helps control the side of the cut.
When cutting or slicing, how should one move the knife?
Move the knife in a smooth downward and forward slicing motion
List the basic cooking techniques in pre-preparation:
Separating eggs
Whipping egg whites
Setting up a Bain-Marie
Making parchment liners for pans
What is blanching?
A pre-preparation technique. A moist heat method of cooking that involves cooking in a liquid or steam just long enough to cook the outer portion of the food. The food is immediately placed in ice water to stop carryover cooking.
Blanching is also referred to as _________.
Shocking
Foods that are often blanched include tomatoes to remove the skin.
Blanch fresh vegetables that you wish to freeze. Blanching destroys the enzymes that cause fresh vegetables to discolor if frozen without blanching.
What are the ten safe knife handling practices?
- Sharp knife
- Never touch sharp edge
- Never leave knives soaking under water
- Never try to catch a falling knife
- Carry knife with blade down, away from your body
- Place damp cloth under cutting board
- Stop cutting and put knife down if interrupted
- To pass a knife, put it down so the other person can pick up
- Store knives properly in rack or sheath
- Use knife only for intended purpose
Common uses for boning knife:
Used to separate raw meat from bone
Blade is thin and flexible
Common uses for chef’s knife (aka French):
8 to 14 inches, has tapered point
All-purpose knife for chopping, slicing, mincing
Common uses for cleaver:
Heavy, rectangular knife to chop all kinds of food
Common uses for Fillet knife:
6 inches long
Used for using fish fillets
Thin flexible blade
Common uses for paring knife:
2 - 4 inches long
Used to trim and pare vegetables and fruits
Common uses for Santoku knife:
5 to 7 inches long
General purpose kitchen knife
Designed for comfortable, well-balanced grip.
Common uses for slicing knife/slicer:
Can be as long as 14 inches
Slices cooked meat
What is a steel and why and how is it used?
What: a long metal rod that is slightly grooved and magnetized
Why: it removes microscopic burrs that are created as a knife is used, also returns blade to convex shape.
How: run the edge of the blade along the steel
What is a China cap?
A pierced metal cone-shaped strainer used to strain soup, stock, and other things.
What is a colander?
Drains liquid from cooked pasta and veg - stands on metal feet
What is Chinois?
Very fine metal China cap made of metal mesh, used to strain out very small solid ingredients
What is a strainer?
Made of mesh-like material or meat with holes. Used to strain large solid foods cooked in liquid.
What is a sieve?
Has a mesh screen to sift flour and other dry baking ingredients.
What is an offset spatula?
Turns food on griddle or broiler. It has a wide chisel edged blade and a short handle.
What is a sandwich spreader?
A short stubby spatulas to spread sandwich filling and condiments.
What is a rubber spatula (aka scraper)?
Has a long handle, used to fold ingredients together, and to scrape the sides of bowls.
What is a straight spatula?
A flexible round tipped tool used for icing cakes, spreading filling and glazes.
How do you care for aluminum?
Hand wash in soapy water, use a non-abrasive cleaner to remove stains
How do you care for cast iron?
Wash in warm suddy water. Keep properly conditioned and dry to prevent rust and pitting.
How do you care for chrome?
Wash in warm water with soap or detergent. Don’t use abrasive cleaners.
How do you care for stainless steel?
Wash in hot soapy water or warm ammonia and water solution. Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately to prevent spots.
How do you wash non-stick coating?
Use a plastic mesh scrubber and scrub inside of pan to avoid scratches. Remove all residue from the bottom of the pan or food may burn.
What are the steps for pre-preparation?
- Assemble the tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Wash, trim, cut, prepare, and measure ingredients
- Prepare the equipment
