General Cooking

Question 1

anchoring

Answer 1

choose one element of a dish and make it the foundation upon which you build a meal. It can be a particular ingredient; cooking method; specific recipe; cuisine; limitation of time/space/resources/stove or oven capacity

Question 2

How to toss salads

Answer 2

In a bowl with your hands

Question 3

panzanella

Answer 3

tuscan salad traditionally made with little more than stale bread, tomatoes, onions, and basil.

Question 5

Tossed v composed salads

Answer 5

For tossed salads, place greens in bowl and season lightly with salt, then add some dressing and toss to coat the leaves. For composed salads, season and dress every individual element.

Question 6

Blond onions

Answer 6

Onions cooked until they’re soft, remaining translucent. Cook them over medium-low heat to prevent them from taking on color.

Question 7

Browned onions

Answer 7

Cooked until they take on some color and begin to deepen in flavor add a result. Ideal for pasta sauces and as the base for braises and soups.

Question 8

Carmelized onions

Answer 8

Taken to the edge or browning and hence boast the deepest flavor

Question 9

stock

Answer 9

Use chicken carcasses and raw chicken wingtips etc, onion and carrot ends, then boil then let simmer for hours and hours. Don’t allow to boil again; avoiding emulsion and cloudy stock.

Question 10

soup categories

Answer 10

brothy, chunky, and smooth

Question 11

brothy soup

Answer 11

with only three or four ingredients (making quality stock integral) this is perfect for a light meal, appetizer, or food for the sick

Question 12

chunky soup

Answer 12

robust and rich, with longer ingredient lists and cooking times making more ways to build flavor, so you can use water instead of stock

Question 13

smooth soup

Answer 13

lies between brothy and chunky on the light-heavy spectrum, depending on the main ingredient. No matter which vegetables used, the result is smooth and elegant, good for light lunches or first courses.

Question 14

smooth soup recipe

Answer 14

start with fresh, flavorful ingredient. Cook a few yellow onions through, add the chosen ingredients, and stew together for a few minutes. Add enough liquid to cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until everything is just tender (pull vegetables that will fade off early so residual heat will continue to cook it). Remove from heat, puree, adjust the salt and acid, and choose a garnish as contrast to the simplicity.

Question 15

Steaming rice

Answer 15

Being chosen liquid (water, stock, coconut milk) to boil, season generously with salt, add the rice (or quinoa). Reduce to very gentle simmer, cover, and cook until the liquid has all be absorbed and grains are tender. Let rest covered for 10 minutes after turning off the heat. Never stir rice while it’s cooking, just fluff before serving.

Question 16

Rice servings

Answer 16

Rule of thumb: 1 cup of uncooked rice will serve 2-3 people

Question 17

Simmer and stir until tender

Answer 17

Usually starting with boiling water, add steel/cut and rolled oats; polenta and grits; Arborio rice for risotto; and stir continuously until tender

Question 18

What to boil

Answer 18

Pasta, farro, spelt, wheat or rye berries, barley, amaranth, or wild rice in ample salted water until tender. This method also works well for quinoa, brown, or basmati rice.

Question 19

Tahdig

Answer 19

The crispy crust on Iranian rice dishes

Question 20

Five pasta families

Answer 20

Cheese, tomato, vegetable, meat (ragu), and (shell)fish

Question 21

Two notes on pasta

Answer 21

Except with pesto (which will brown), hot, just cooked pasta should always be tossed with hot sauce.
And make sure to cook the pasta in adequate salty water.

Question 22

Ragù

Answer 22

Meat sauce, which begins with soffritto and simmered with meat etc

Question 23

To poach and egg

Answer 23

Fill a large saucepan with at least 2 inches of water, add a light splash of white wine vinegar (to encourage the egg white to coagulate). Over medium heat, bring to a brisk simmer, gently crack an egg into a ramekin, then slip the egg into the pan, right where the bubbles are originating. Keep water bubbling but not boiling. Poach until just set, about 3 minutes. Remove from water with slotted spoon, dab dry, and serve.

Question 24

To fry the perfect egg

Answer 24

Heat a small pan on high heat, add enough fat to coat the pan, and crack in egg. Add a small amount of butter and, tipping the pan with one hand, spoon the melting butter into the egg white with the other hand; this bastes the egg white to cook evenly while the yolk barely sets.

Question 25

Boiling eggs

Answer 25

Put into boiling water for 9 minutes for a perfect boiled egg (creamy, glossy yolk). To make an egg choppable for salads etc boil for 10 minutes. After boiling, drop into ice water and cool before peeling. If difficult to peel, roll them on the counter and put in ice water, so the water can get between the shell and white and make things easier.

Question 26

Spatchcock

Answer 26

To remove a bird’s backbone and splay so it lies flat.

Question 27

To break down a whole chicken

Answer 27

Cutting along dislocated joints and the breastbone (setting wings aside for stock), you cut two breasts and two legs, then cut those in half, making 8 pieces.