Section C: Cooking & Food Preparation Flashcards
Give reasons why food is cooked?
To destroy harmful bacteria, to make food easier to digest and to improve flavour
What are 3 basic methods of transferring heat in cooking?
Conduction, convection and radiation
What methods of cooking use conduction?
Boiling, baking and frying
What methods of cooking use convection?
Roasting, frying, blanching
What methods of cooking use radiation?
Barbecuing, grilling, microwaving
What are some examples of moist-heat cooking methods?
Boiling, simmering, poaching and steaming
What are some examples of dry-heat cooking methods?
Frying, baking, roasting and stir-frying
What is the difference between simmering and boiling?
Simmering is gentler
How is fat affected by cooking processes?
Grilling drains fat out of food, however cooking food in fat increases content and calories
How is thiamine affected by cooking processes?
It is soluble in water, so cooking liquid should be used in gravy or sauces. It is easily destroyed by heat
What B vitamin is most resistant to heat than any of the others?
Niacin
Give an example of a cooking method that is not suitable for certain foods
Grilling a thing piece of beef would be difficult to swallow as the fibres of meat are long with lots of connective tissue, so a long slow cook would make them tender
What cooking methods makes food light in texture?
Steaming
What are the working characteristics of starch?
To thicken mixtures
What is dextrinisation?
When dry heat is added to products, causing the crust to become brown
What is gelatinisation?
When flour is mixed with liquid and heated such as in a sauce, causing the mixture to thicken
Why does gelatinisation occur?
The starch grains cannot dissolve in the liquid so form a suspension and as the liquid is heated, the starch grains swell and as more heat is applied the starch grains break open, causing thickening
What are some starch foods that thicken mixtures?
Potato flour, rice flow, arrowroot and swedes
What are the working characteristics of sugars?
To add flavour and bulk out ingredients
What is caramelisation?
The process of changing the colour of sugar from white to brown when heated
What is a Maillard reaction?
When foods containing proteins and carbohydrates are cooked by dry methods
What is aerating in terms of sugar?
When sugar is beaten with a fat or egg, causing air to be trapped in the mixture, allowing for rising
What is enzymic browning?
A reaction between a food product and oxygen resulting in a brown colour
What gases are used in raising agents?
Air, carbon dioxide and water vapour
