Using food preparation equipment

Question 1

How to hold a knife

Answer 1

Hold the handle of a chef’s knife tightly with fingers curled and up against the heel of the knife. Having a firm but relaxed grip on the handle of the knife will allow for a more efficient cutting motion and will reduce the chances of the knife slipping, thereby preventing accidents.

Question 2

What is a chefs knife used for

Answer 2

Most commonly used knife. The blade is 20-25cm long. The handle is offset to allow for knuckle clearance of the chopping board. Used to roughly cut a mirepoix of vegetables and to precisely cut vegetables such as carrots and celery into julienne

Question 3

What is a boning knife used for

Answer 3

Has a thin, pointed blade 12-17cm long. Used for removing bones from raw meat such as chicken and beef, and to separate bones at joints and trim meat.

Question 4

What is a cleaver used for

Answer 4

A heavy knife with a wide blade. Used for chopping through meat with bones, it safely splits hard bones for stock preparation.

Question 5

What is a filleting knife used for

Answer 5

Has a very flexible thin blade and ranges from 15-30cm long. Is used to fillet fish and can get into hard-to-reach places.

Question 6

What is a paring knife used for

Answer 6

Also called a vegetable knife. Has a small pointed about 7cm long. Used for small tasks such as peeling, trimming, coring and making decorative garnishes. If the blade is curved it’s a turning knife, which is used for turning vegetables such as potatoes and carrots.

Question 7

Palette knife or spatula

Answer 7

The blade is long and flexible with a round end. Used to spread and scrape soft mixtures such as butter icing. Also used to lift and flip food items such as pancakes, and to remove small food items from baking trays.

Question 8

Serrated knife

Answer 8

Has a long blade with a serrated edge. Used for cutting through bread and removing crusts.

Question 9

Sharpening a knife on a steel is called…

Answer 9

honing

Question 10

It is the responsibility of all kitchen workers to ensure they have been trained to use the equipment in a safe and hygienic manner. This includes:

Answer 10

o Checking equipment has been correctly assembled before use
o Make sure cords are not frayed or wet
o Always following manufacturers guidelines for use
o Switching equipment off after use, before cleaning and before pulling out the power plug.

Question 11

Stock rotation helps eliminate the risk of…

Answer 11

…food-borne illness and food waste by ensuring that old or expired food isn’t served to customers and that food is used before they go out of date

Question 12

What is mine en place

Answer 12

Mise en place is a French culinary term used to describe all the preparation needed prior to a service period. Correct mise en place ensures a smooth workflow, minimises wastage and saves time.

Question 13

Mise en place includes the tasks involved in preparing, cooking and presenting food for a whole range of food types. Mise en place tasks include:

Answer 13

o Gather all ingredients
o Check ingredients are suitable for use
o Gather and assemble all equipment needs
o Check equipment is clean and safe
o Weigh, count or measure quantities of ingredients accurately.
o Basic cooking of ingredients to be added later in the recipe e.g., cooking pasta for minestrone soup
o Put the prepared ingredients into individual containers e.g., milk into small jug or chopped vegetables int bowls

Question 14

What is the purpose of using a standard recipe card?

Answer 14

Makes sure all staff are aware of how each dish is prepared, what is should like and the size of the portion. It will also help maintain the quality of the product, control the costs of food items and minimise waste. Preparing dishes to a standard recipe will provide consistency in service and regular customers will know what to expect when they order a dish, thus increasing customer satisfaction.

Question 15

What should a standard recipe card include?

Answer 15

o Ingredients and their specification
o The yield, volume or number of servings the recipe will make
o The ingredients and their quantities
o The method of cookery to be used and an ordered list of preparation steps or workflow
o The time required to prepare and cook the dish
o Cooking temperatures
o Equipment and utensils required
o Presentation
o Unit cost of ingredients
o Total cost of ingredients
o Date of costing
o Selling price of dish
o Accurate preparation times
o Portion cost
o Photograph of dish

Question 16

What are the effects of poor workflow on customers

Answer 16

o Customers have to wait a long time for a meal

o Meals may not be up to standard due to poor workflow and being rush causing to customer dissatisfaction

Question 17

What are the effects of poor workflow on employees

Answer 17

o The kitchen will be disorganised
o Chef and staff will be under pressure increasing risk of injury
o Staff may have to redo tasks that were inadequately completed by others
o Staff will become fatigues
o Time will not be used wisely
o Stress and tension builds among staff

Question 18

What are the effects of poor workflow on the business

Answer 18

o Increased customer complaints can give organisation a bad reputation
o Loss of sales and profit due to customers not returning
o Loss of profit due to wastage of food commodities.

Question 19

What is workflow

Answer 19

A workflow is the precise steps of a task, involving logical sequences, organisations, time constraints and cooperation.

Question 20

What is portion control

Answer 20

refers to the amount of a particular food item to be included in each serve for example 200g of steak or 4 strawberries on a pancake stack or 250mL ladle of soup

Question 21

What is the purpose of portion control

Answer 21

o Ensure each customer receives the same sized meal
o Accurately cost each meal
o Achieve maximum profit and minimum waste

Question 22

Size and use of julienne cuts

Answer 22

• 2mmx2mmx40mm, matchstick like shape
  E.g., Carrots, celery
• Used in soups, stirfrys and salads

Question 23

Size and use of Jardinere cuts

Answer 23

• 4mmx4mmx20mm, short fat matchsticks
  E.g., Carrots, asparagus
• Used in soups, stirfrys and salads

Question 24

Size and use of brunoise cut

Answer 24

• Fine 3mm dice
  E.g., onion
• Garnish, stirfrys

Question 25

Size and use of Lausanne cut

Answer 25

• 1-2mmx15mm slices of vegetables cut into squares, triangles or rounds
• Roasting or steaming vegetables

Question 26

Size and use of mirepoix cuts

Answer 26

• Mixture of equal quantities of roughly cut carrots, celery and onion
• Stock and soups

Question 27

Size and use of turned cuts

Answer 27

• Cut into a barrel like shape

- Roast potatos

Question 28

Size and use of macedoine cut

Answer 28

• 10mmx10mmx10mm
  E.g., Carrots, turnips
• Salad or fruit salad

Question 29

Size and use of concasse cut

Answer 29

• 10mm E.g., Tomatoes

- Blanched tomatoes

Question 30

Size and use of

Answer 30

• Cut into wedges with no pith visible e.g peaches, oranges

- Desserts and salads

Question 31

Where is the rump of beef cut from

Answer 31

Cut from the round hind quarter into steaks or roasts

Question 32

Where is the T-bone beef cut from

Answer 32

Cut from the middle of the short loin

Question 33

Where is fillet beef cut from

Answer 33

The most tender cut and is cut across the grain

Question 34

Environmentally friendly work practices

Answer 34

o Responsible use of resources, water and energy is essential.
o Kitchen waste can be managed by ensuring that recyclables are stored from non-recyclables by providing different and clearly marked receptacles in the kitchen.
o Only putting dishwasher on when it needs to
o Use offcuts
o Using recyable products for takeaway packaging such as paper straws and boxes

Question 35

Waste minimisation work practices

Answer 35

o Purchase correct quantities of commodities.
o Use effective food storage practices in the
cool room, freezer or dry store - First In, First Out (FIFO)
o Don’t precook large amounts of food for an a la carte menu as these items may not be used and will contribute to food waste.
o Correct portion control

Question 36

A la carte menu

Answer 36

A list of dishes in order from entrees to desserts. Each dish is individually priced, and customers can choose to have one, two or three courses. Each individual customer can choose a different meal that is on the menu from the person next to them.

Question 37

Table d’horte menu

Answer 37

A multi-course meal with only a few choices and is charged to fixed price despite what has been ordered. For example, there are three entrée options, three main options and three dessert options but each combination is the same price.

Question 38

Set menu

Answer 38

Commonly used for large functions. The dishes are pre-determined and are offered at a fixed price per person.

Question 39

Function menu

Answer 39

Prepared for special occasions, such as a wedding reception or workplace celebration. Usually consists of two or three dishes that are chosen by the host, who pays a set price per head

Question 40

Buffet menu

Answer 40

Customers can select and serve their own food and portions of their choosing from pre-prepared dishes, which are served hot and cold on a table or counter.

Question 41

Cyclic menu

Answer 41

Often used in places like camps, hospitals, boarding schools, jails and nursing homes. The menu is on a cycle and the cycle gets repeated over a certain amount of time. For example, a school camp association might have 7 meals on rotate, these meals would be offered one through seven at the end of the cycle it would begin again with meal number one. An appropriate food item found on this menu is burgers.

Question 42

Alternate drop menu

Answer 42

Alternate drop menus include two dishes served alternatively around the table. Guests don’t actually order their choice of dish, but the idea is that they are free to swap with their neighbour if they wish.

Question 43

Cocktail menu

Answer 43

Bite-sized pieces of food, often called ‘finger food’. The host or organiser chooses the selection of food pieces for the party, Guests are usually not seated.

Question 44

Specials menu

Answer 44

A specials board is written up separately to a menu and is designed to showcase seasonal produce and talents of the chef, to add variety and interest for customers and sometimes to utilises ingredients and stock.

Question 45

Special Requests and dietary requirements menu

Answer 45

A special request are when a guest is ordering a meal and prefer it to be cooked in a specific way for example, they want their steak to be cooked medium rare. A dietary requirement is an order from the customer as they could be allergic to a certain food for example a customer could ask for no butter on their toast as they are lactose intolerant, or they could be trying to avoid unnatural sugars therefore they ask to have the jam taken off the meal.