Food Preparation Techniques

Question 1

How do you prevent cutting yourself while using a knife, no matter how fast you’re chopping?

Answer 1

Keep your fingers away from the blade. Make sure to keep your thumb at the back and your fingers in. Never use your fingers to get food off the edge of the blade, instead you can gently tap the knife on the cutting board to get the food off.

Question 2

What are three different types of chopping?

Answer 2

The three most important types of chopping are tap chopping, rock chopping and cross chopping.

Tap chopping: Keeping your thumb at the back and your fingers tucked in, lift the blade just above the food and tap down over and over while moving your fingers back and pushing the food forwards. The faster you move your fingers back, the larger the slices will be.

Rock chopping: Keeping your thumb at the back and your fingers tucked in, keep the tip of the knife on the board and gently glide (or rock) the knife back and forth, slicing the food. Don’t lift the knife too high or you will cut your hands.

Cross chopping: You hold the knife in one hand and place the other at the tip of the spine of the blade. Hold the tip down with your hand and chop, sweeping back and forth across the food you’re cutting. Keeping your hands in place, you can also scrape any escaping food back to the center of the board.

Question 3

If something that you’re chopping is round or wobbly, how can you make it more secure?

Answer 3

Take the end off and use the flat surface to chop.

Question 4

Why use rock chopping instead of tap chopping on peppers?

Answer 4

Because peppers have a skin, tap chopping snags the skin and doesn’t fully cut it. Use rock chopping on foods with skins and soft foods.

Question 5

Marinate

Answer 5

To soak a food in a seasoned liquid (the marinade) before cooking.

Question 6

What are some marinating tips?

Answer 6

1. As with most cooking, less is more. Choose a simple theme or defining ingredient and don’t stray too far from the course.
2. Don’t make the marinade too salty or acidic. If too much salt is added, it will not only have an overpowering flavour, it will dry out the protein.
3. Be flavourful but don’t overspice the marinade. Instead of using a ton of spices, flavour the spices. That means bruising herbs, toasting spices, smashing garlic and chopping alliums.
4. Use some olive oil to help the marinade really get into all the nooks of the protein.
5. Soak the protein in the marinade for a few hours at least.
6. Separate the marinade into two batches. Soak the protein in one batch and use the second to baste and/or glaze the protein during cooking. Never reuse the marinade used to marinate the raw protein to baste/glaze the protein.

Question 7

Brush

Answer 7

To spread oil, butter, or some type of sauce on food. This is done with a basting brush, also known as a pastry brush.

Question 8

Bread

Answer 8

To cover food in a coating of bread crumbs or another type of crumbs and then fry or bake.

Question 9

What does a cutlet go into first?

Answer 9

The cutlets get dried with a paper towel, then get put into either cornstarch or flour (if dredging with cornstarch, cook right away, if dredging with flour, let is rest for 15 minutes before cooking). Have a wet hand and a dry hand to make it easier to dredge the cutlets in the different mixtures. Make sure to shake off any excess.

Question 10

Why should you not season a cutlet before?

Answer 10

The seasonings will pull out the moisture in the meat and the dry coating won’t.

Question 11

What does a cutlet go into second?

Answer 11

Next, dredge the cutlet in either buttermilk or egg. This is where the seasonings would go.

Question 12

What does a cutlet go into third?

Answer 12

Finally, lay the cutlet in the breadcrumbs (with a bit more cornstarch/flour) and cover completely. Then press them down to really seal the breading. Shake off the excess and cook ( you can cook in the oven or a fryer).

Question 13

Sift

Answer 13

Usually referring to flour, to put a substance through a sieve in order to eliminate larger particles and be left with a fine substance.

Question 14

Beat

Answer 14

To stir rapidly in order to completely combine into a smooth mixture, typically done with an electric mixer or a whisk.

Question 15

Fold in

Answer 15

To gently combine two ingredients.

Question 16

Knead

Answer 16

To press, squeeze, push and turn dough until it produces a smooth mixture.

Question 17

How do you knead dough?

Answer 17

Kneading strengthens the gluten strands that form the bread structure. Without well developed gluten, the bread will come out flat and tough. Kneading can be done in a stand mixer but also by hand:

1. Prepare your work surface by sprinkling with flour.
2. Using a plastic bowl scraper, a wooden spoon, or just your hands, scrape the risen dough onto the floured work surface. The dough will probably be sticky.
3. Knead. Fold the dough in half and use the heels of your hands to push the dough into itself. Turn the dough a quarter and repeat until the dough is smooth, silky and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Question 18

What are the nine culinary knife cuts?

Answer 18

The nine culinary knife cuts are julienne, brunoise, slice, large dice, medium dice, small dice, chiffonade, turned, and chop,

Question 19

Julienne

Answer 19

Cut thin matchsticks, 1/8 inch wide by about 2 inches long.

Question 20

Brunoise

Answer 20

This is a tiny dice, about 1/8 inch wide, made by slicing julienned vegetables.

Question 21

Slice

Answer 21

Cut into thin pieces. The recipe will specify the thickness.

Question 22

Large dice

Answer 22

Cut 3/4 inch cubes.

Question 23

Medium dice

Answer 23

Cut 1/2 inch cubes.

Question 24

Small dice

Answer 24

Cut 1/4 inch cubes.

Question 25

Chiffonade

Answer 25

This means shreds, made by rolling up leafy foods like a cigar, then slicing thinly.

Question 26

Turned

Answer 26

You almost never see this anywhere outside of culinary school, but it’s a classic French shape, kind of like a seven sided football.

Question 27

Chop

Answer 27

Cut into equally-sized pieces with no specific shape. “Rough chop” means large pieces; “mince” means small pieces.

Question 28

Core

Answer 28

To remove the core of a fruit.

Question 29

Cube

Answer 29

To cut food into a cubic shape.

Question 30

Grate

Answer 30

To rub food against a grater to produce small shreds.

Question 31

Mince

Answer 31

To cut food up into very, very small pieces.

Question 32

Score

Answer 32

To make shallow cuts across a meat’s surface to allow meat to absorb marinade, or to allow fat to drain from the meat during cooking.

Question 33

Trim

Answer 33

To cut away excess fat from meat or unnecessary parts from vegetables.

Question 34

Bake

Answer 34

To cook food by heating in the oven.

Question 35

Barbeque

Answer 35

To cook food on a barbeque (grill, pit, or outdoor fireplace).

Question 36

Baste

Answer 36

To brush or pour liquid (sauce, melted fat, or butter) over food during cooking.

Question 37

Boil

Answer 37

To cook food in water that has reached boiling temperature.

Question 38

Braise

Answer 38

Combination cooking method where food is first fried lightly (browned) and then cooked in liquid.

Question 39

Fry

Answer 39

To cook in a shallow pan in some source of fat.

Question 40

Poach

Answer 40

To cook in a simmering liquid.

Question 41

What are some tips for poaching eggs?

Answer 41

1. Use very fresh eggs.
2. Use simmering, not boiling water.
3. Use a bowl to put the egg in the water.
4. Three minutes for a soft egg
5. Stir the water before putting the egg in to help hold the egg together
6. If cooking more that 2-3 eggs at a time, use safe plastic wrap to hold eggs in

Question 42

Roast

Answer 42

To cook food in an oven for a longer duration.

Question 43

Sautee

Answer 43

To quickly fry while stirring.

Question 44

Steam

Answer 44

To cook food by boiling water and placing the food over the water vapour.