The science of cooking food Flashcards
state four reasons why we cook food
to kill pathogenic bacteria talks and toxins making the food safe to eat
To soften the food making it easier to chew and swallow
To make the food more digestible
It improves an intensifies the flavour of food
what is conduction?
The transfer heat by direct contact from hot surface
-slow method Because there must be physical contact between the surfaces to transfer energy between molecules
Examples : lamb chops, bacon, sausages are Welsh cakes touching the hot surface of a frying pan
Uses : dry frying, griddling, searing, sautéing 
what is convection?
The transfer of heat by the mass movement of heated passes into a cooler mass or area
Natural convection uses the tendency of warm liquid or gases to rise and cooler wants to sink leaking into constant circulation of heat
Examples : hot water, air or oil riding the food such as boiled potatoes, chicken stew, roast beef, poached eggs, deep-fried fish
Natural convection -making cheese or white sauce, gravy
Uses: baking, roasting, deep frying
Wet heat methods-boiling, braising, simmering, poaching, steaming, pressure cooking
what is radiation?(infrared radiant heat.)
The heat is transferred using electric magnetic radiation waves of heat or light strike the food
There’s no physical contact between the source and the food being cooked
Examples : waves of heat dry directed at the food, i.e. grilling sausages, bacon, Welsh rabbit, kebabs
Uses : toast, grilling and barbecued food
what is radiation?(microwave.)
The Magnetron in the microwave oven converts electricity to radio waves called microwaves which penetrate the food 
examples : ready meals, microwave only meals of food, scrambled eggs, burgers, bacon
Uses : heating up leftovers, quick defrosting frozen food, ready meals such as lasagne
Name four dry heat methods
Bacon, roasting, toasting, grilling
name three frying methods
Shallow frying, deep frying, stir frying
Name nine moist heat methods
boiling, simmering, poaching, stewing, braising, pressure cooking, steaming, blanching, sous vide
what is poaching?
Examples-meat, fish, and eggs
Advantages -small pieces of tender food such as space are cooked very gently and quickly, a healthy way of cooking
Disadvantages -lots of water side vitamins, the food can break apart, some foods may taste bland when poached
what is stewing?
Examples-tough guts of meat, fish, pulses, beans, and vegetables
Advantages -tough cut of me are tenderise, good flavour, what a sort of vitamins are absorbed in the sauce/gravy
Disadvantages -need to plan ahead because it takes a long time, it can take up to 2 or three hours to tenderise the meat and develop the flavours
What is brazing?
usually cooked in the oven the vegetables are surrounded by liquid with the seed meat cooking in the steam on top of the vegetables. The dish must have a well fitting lid.
Examples -tough cut of meat, beans, and vegetables
What is pressure cooking?
food is cooked in a pressure cooker where the temperature of the boiling liquid can be increased from hundred to 105 to 120 Celsius allowing the food to cook very quickly
What’s a mallard reaction?
When proteins and carbohydrates are heated with dry heat a mild reaction occurs and mainly different flavoured compounds are created
What happens to fats when cooked?
Because fats contain a small amount of water they soften they liquefy when he eat this property is called plasticity and it reflects the fact that fact cannot evaporate. The chemical make up of fact determines its hardness at room temperature and how quickly and will soften or melt.
what happens to carbohydrates when cooked?
The change that starts is undergo during cooking is called gelatinisation when starch and liquid are heated together visible changes cure the starch granules absorb water causing them to soften and swell up. This makes a liquid mixture thicken that thickness of starch is turned by the ratio of starch liquid.
