Cooking and Baking Flashcards
Learn essential Cooking and Baking Skills, from cooking techniques to pastry tips, and elevate your culinary expertise one card at a time.
What are the two methods of cooking?
- dry heat
- moist heat
Dry heat methods include grilling, roasting, and baking, where heat is applied without added moisture.
Moist heat methods involve the use of water or steam, such as boiling, steaming, and braising.
What is the French culinary term that translates to “everything in its place”?
mise-en-place
It refers to having all ingredients measured, prepared, and ready before starting the recipe.
What is the difference between cleaning and sanitizing in cooking?
- Cleaning removes soils from the surfaces.
- Sanitizing reduces the microorganism on the surface.
Cleaning comes first before sanitizing.
These procedures must be part of the SOP that make up your food safety program.
Improperly cleaned and sanitized surfaces allow harmful microorganisms to be transferred from one food to other foods.
What is the equivalent of 1 tablespoon to teaspoon?
3 teaspoons
How many grams are there in a kilogram?
1000 grams
In cooking, accurate measurement is crucial for consistent results.
To convert kilograms to grams, multiply the weight in kilograms by 1,000.
For example, 1.5 kg of flour is equal to 1,500 g.
What’s a good substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk in a recipe?
1 cup of milk +
1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar
Mix the milk and lemon juice or vinegar together, then let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Buttermilk is often used in baking and cooking to add moisture and a slight tangy flavor to recipes. It also reacts with baking soda to help baked goods rise, resulting in a lighter and fluffier texture.
What is this knife cut?
Julienne
A Julienne cut refers to cutting food into long, thin matchstick-like pieces, typically about 1/8 inch wide and 2 inches long. Commonly used for vegetables like carrots and bell peppers.
What is this knife cut?
Brunoise
A Brunoise cut is a fine dice, where food is cut into tiny cubes, typically 1/8 inch on each side. This cut often follows a Julienne cut.
What is this knife cut?
Mince
A Mince cut involves cutting food into very small pieces, smaller than a dice. This cut is often used for garlic, shallots, or herbs.
Which kitchen tool is used to verify the accuracy of your oven’s temperature when baking?
oven thermometer
Oven temperatures can vary from the dial setting, sometimes by as much as 25-50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using an oven thermometer helps ensure that your baking temperature is precise, leading to better and more consistent results.
Which kitchen tool is used to measure liquid ingredients accurately in baking?
liquid measuring cup
Liquid measuring cups typically have a spout and measurement markings on the side, allowing you to pour liquids without spilling.
They are designed for accuracy when measuring liquids like water, milk, and oil, which can be difficult to measure precisely with dry measuring cups.
Which kitchen tool is used to measure ingredients by weight in baking?
kitchen scale
Use a kitchen scale when a recipe calls for weight measurements (like grams or ounces) or for precise baking.
What is a Maillard reaction?
This reaction is responsible for the browning of baked goods, such as bread crusts, cookies, and cakes, and contributes significantly to their flavor development.
A complex chemical process that occurs when proteins and sugars in food are exposed to heat, typically above 140°C (284°F).
During baking, the Maillard reaction produces a range of flavorful compounds and aromas, enhancing the sensory appeal of the final product.
What role does fat play in baking?
It adds moisture, richness, and tenderness to baked goods, while also affecting flavor and texture.
Fats provide a rich flavor, contribute to browning by promoting Maillard reactions, and extend the shelf life of baked goods by reducing staling. Different types of fats, such as butter, margarine, shortening, and oils, each impart distinct characteristics to the finished product.
What type of dough is made with flour, fat, and water to create a tender, flaky crust?
pie dough
It is also known as pâte brisée, it is primarily used for making pie crusts and tarts, where a sturdy structure is needed to hold various fillings. It is less technically demanding than puff pastry but still requires careful handling to ensure a flaky texture.
What type of laminated dough has multiple layers of butter, resulting in a light, crispy, and airy texture?
puff pastry
It is also known as pâte feuilletée, when baked, the water in the dough and butter turns into steam, causing the layers to puff up and separate, resulting in a light and airy texture.
It is commonly used in a variety of baked goods, such as pastries, tarts, and savory dishes like vol-au-vent.
Fill in the blank.
_____ is a protein found in wheat and rye that gives dough its elasticity and helps it rise during baking.
Gluten
Gluten forms when water is mixed with flour, creating a network of proteins that trap air and give structure to baked goods.
This protein is essential for the texture of bread, pasta, and many other baked items, but it can cause health issues for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
What is the most common type of white sugar used for sweetening?
granulated
It is a refined sugar made from sugar cane or sugar beets.
In baking, it not only provides sweetness but also helps to tenderize baked goods, create a golden-brown crust, and trap air during the creaming process, which contributes to the light and fluffy texture of cakes and cookies.
What technique is used to apply egg white on the surface of dough before baking to give it a golden-brown color and shine.
egg wash
An egg wash, made from beaten eggs (sometimes mixed with water, milk, or cream), is brushed onto pastries before baking for a glossy, golden-brown finish. It also helps toppings like seeds or sugar stick. Whole eggs yield a shiny, golden color; yolks give a darker finish; and whites produce a lighter, less glossy appearance.
What temperature is considered “room temperature” for most baking ingredients?
68-72°F
(20-22°C)
This temperature range allows ingredients like butter, eggs, and milk to mix more easily and evenly, resulting in better texture and consistency in baked goods.
Having ingredients at room temperature is especially important for recipes where proper emulsification and aeration are key, such as cakes and cookies.
Which gas is produced by yeast during fermentation that helps bread rise?
Carbon dioxide
(CO2)
The gas becomes trapped within the dough’s gluten network, causing it to expand and rise. This process is essential for leavening bread, creating the light and airy texture characteristic of well-risen loaves.
The alcohol produced during fermentation evaporates during baking, contributing to the bread’s flavor.
What does “punching down” dough refer to in the baking process?
Deflating the dough after its first rise to redistribute yeast and remove large air pockets.
If dough isn’t punched down after the first rise, it can lead to over-proofing, where the dough becomes overly inflated with gas. This can result in a bread with a coarse, irregular crumb, large air pockets, and a collapsed or deflated structure after baking.
Fill in the blank.
______ method is the process of combining butter and sugar until light and fluffy in baking.
Creaming
It involves beating butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, incorporating air into the mixture. This creates a stable structure for cakes and cookies, resulting in a tender, fine crumb and a lighter texture. The process also helps to evenly distribute sugar and butter, enhancing flavor and consistency in baked goods.
What are the three main types of meringue?
- French meringue
- Swiss meringue
- Italian meringue
