Principles of Cooking

Principles of Cooking

Introduction to Cooking

                                                    Cooking is defined as a "chemical process", the mixing of ingredients, the application and with drawl of heat, decision making, technical knowledge and manipulative skills. In the more advanced stages, a further element occurs that of creativity- cooking is considered to be both an art and a technology.

                                                  Food production is a modern term in professional cooking. It denotes preparation and cooking. It follows a flow pattern which commences with the purchasing and selection of materials, their handling, processing and the ultimate presentation of the dishes to the customer where "food service" takes over. In French, the word "cuisine" denotes the art of cooking, preparing dishes, and the place (kitchen) in which they are prepared.

Origin of Cooking

                                   The art of cooking is ancient. The first cooking was a primitive man who had put a chunk of meat close to the fire, which he had lit to warm himself. He discovered that the meat heated in this way was not only tasty but it was also much easier to chew (masticate). From the moment in undiscovered past, cooking has evolved to reach the present level of sophistication. 

Classes of Professional Cookery

                                  There are three classes of professional cookery associated with the craftsman and they are graded according to the quality if the materials used. The classes are:

• Cuisine Simple or Plain Cookery: In this type of cookery the basic necessities are used and the craftsman produces dishes of the highest standard possible with a minimum number of materials.
• Cuisine Bourgois or Middle Class Cookery: This type of cookery provides better materials and in the hands of the craftsman, these materials produce more complicated dishes of a better quality.
• Cuisine Haute or High Cookery: In this cookery the very best possible materials are used. The craftsman use these materials to their best advantages and produce dishes of the best quality. This class produces highly complicated dishes i.e. classical dishes for professional cookery this is popular. The high class cookery has a wide range of variety. The expensive materials are used to prepare complicated and elaborated dishes. 

Aims and Objectives of Cooking

1. Cooking kills or inactivates harmful organisms/ bacteria and makes the food safe for consumption.
2. Cooking assists in mastication. It makes the food easy to chew.
3. Cooking soften the connective tissues in the meat and coarse fiber of vegetables and makes the food more digestible.
4. Cooking gives variety to the menu, as one food item could be cooked in various ways and given different textures.
5. Cooking preserves food for a longer time. The high temperature destroys bacteria and limits spoilage.
6. Cooking adds more nutritive value to food.
7. Cooking changes the appearance of the food and make it more appetizing
8. Cooking improves the taste and enhance the flavor of the food.

Cooking Techniques

• Methods of heat transfer: Heat can be transferred by three methods- Conduction, Convection and Radiation. Two or three methods can be also combined. For example in baking a cake, connected heat cooks the mixture, when the cake comes in contact with the coking utensils. Heat is also transferred by conduction and the browning of the cake is by the radiation.

1. Conduction: 
                       It is the passage of heat through a solid or one solid to another provided when they are in contact or by putting in hotplate. Some materials heat better than others. Copper, for example, heats up iron and ceramic cooking ware, on the other hand, retain heat well. Heat conduction includes shallow-frying, sauteing and stir- frying.
2. Convection:
                      It is the transfer of heat in liquids and gases. In heating liquids or gases, Convection currents are produced which distribute the heat. For example, when water is heated in a sauce pan, the water at the bottom is heated first. It rises to the top because it is lighter and the heavier cold water takes its place at the bottom of pan.
3. Radiation:
                      It is the passage of heat in straight rays from a heat object. Any object in the part of the rays becomes hot. E.g. gas and electric grills.

Methods of cooking

                             Cooking helps to preserve color get a variety of texture, enhance flavors and make the nutrients easily available though a few of the nutrients which are water soluble are lost or oxidized.

        1. Moist heat method ( Medium of liquid)
                   It refers to various methods of cooking food with or in any type of liquid whether it is steam, water, stock, wine or some other liquids. Cooking temperature are much lower anywhere from 140° F to a maximum of 212° F. Moist heat cooking is ideal for less tender (tough) cuts of meat. Cooking by this method requires much longer cooking time. e.g.: boiling, poaching, steaming, stewing and braising.

• Boiling:
  
  
                     Boiling is cooking by immersing the food in a pan of liquid, which must be kept boiling all the time i.e. quite a number of bubbles should be seen on the surface. Boiling is suitable for meat and poultry. For the first few minutes in order to seal the pores to retain natural juices and the gentle boiling must take place which is known as simmering at 82° C to 89° C. Boiling temperature is 100° C. This method is not suitable for delicate food such as fish as bubbles damages the food.
  
  Basic Rules:
• The food items should be completely immersed throughout the process, if excess evaporation takes place the liquid must be replenished.
• The flavor of meat and poultry is enhanced by the addiction of herb and vegetables to the cooking liquor.
• Scum that arises during the boiling must be removed or it will discolor and spoil the taste.
• Fast boiling should be done to green vegetables as it preserves the green color and prevents excessive loss of vitamins and mineral salts.
• Root vegetables with the exception of new potatoes must be placed in cold water to boil. This helps to improve their flavor.
• Stocks or sauces and soups should be simmered gently.
  
• Poaching:
  
  
                     Poaching is cooking gently in  water which is just below boiling point (93° C - 95° C). Poaching liquid shouldn't show any visible signs of bubbles. Poaching is suitable for delicate food such as egg, fish, poultry or fruits. Poached dishes are delicate in texture, rich in flavor and easy to digest.
  
  Basic Rules:
• Food items should be completely immersed in the liquid and left in throughout the cooking process.
• As soon as the liquid with the food item being to boil, lower the temperature to allow poaching.
• Whole fish must be placed into cold liquid to poach. Cuts of fish must be placed into boiling liquid, temperature lowered and allowed to poach.
• The liquid for poaching eggs at one side of the pan should be simmering and fresh eggs must be added one at a time; this will help to get rough shape.
• Adding vinegar and salt helps in quicker coagulation and prevents disintegration.
• It is important that fresh egg should be used for poaching.
  
• Steaming:
  
  
                     Steaming is cooking by moist heat i.e steam (water vapor). It uses the process of convection to transfer heat from the steam to the food. Steaming works by boiling water continuously, causing it to evaporate into steam, the steam then carries heat to the near by food, thus cooking the food. Steaming tends to enhance food's natural flavor and help to retain its nutrients. Overcooking or burning food is easily avoided when steaming. Steamed foods are easily digestible.
                      Food can be cooked by direct or indirect steaming. Direct steaming is done by placing the food in perforated container placed over a sauce pan of water. As water boils steam rises and cooks the food in the perforated container. Steam penetrates into food directly. Indirect steaming is done by placing the food in a closed pan which is surrounded by plenty of steam from fast boiling water or in a streamer.
  
  Basic Rules:
• Only suitable small food items should be steamed as it is cooked slowly. Green vegetables aren't suitable as they loose their color.
• Make sure that food to be cooked together are of a similar or even size so that they will cook in  same time.
• Prepare the vessel that boils water fast. Ensure the lid fits well to prevent the steam escaping and thus prolonging the cooking time.
•  Do not allow the liquid in the base compartment to touch the food, or the food will boil and not steam.
  
• Blanching:
  
  
                     Blanching is a process of food preparation where in food substance usually vegetables or fruit is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief timed interval and finally refreshed under cold running water to stop the cooking process. The purpose of this process is to destroy the enzymes which are responsible for discoloration and also to prevent loss of nutrients.
  
  
• Simmering:
  
  
                      It is a cooking technique in which foods are cooked in hot liquid kept at or just barely below the boiling point of water.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Stewing:
  
  
                      Stewing is a long slow method of cooking where food is cut in pieces and cooked in minimum amount of liquid (water, stock, sauce) until the cut of food items are tender. The food and the cooking liquid are served together. Stewing is done in covered sauce pan or casserole on top of the stove or in the oven. Stewing is done relatively at a low temperature. Items suitable for stewing are those which are of a tough nature.
                       During stewing nutrients are conserved and tough foods are tenderized. The meat juices are retained as a part of the stewing.
  
  Basic Rules:
• While stewing, the liquid should just cover the food items.
• foods for the stewing are cut into small uniform pieces.
• Have a thick bottom pan with a well fitting lid.
• The liquid shouldn't reach high temperature, as the slow process of cooking by gentle heat make the food tender, digestible and give concentrated flavor. Stew boiled is a stew spoiled.
  
  
• Braising:
  
  
                         Braising is a combined method of roasting and stewing. It is a gentle form of cooking where the foods are first browned (searing) in fat, then cooked in a little liquid for long period of time at a low temperature. Braising is done in a pan with tight fitting lid or casserole to prevent evaporation, so that the food retains its own juices together with the articles added for flavoring. Braising is a long method of cooking where larger pieces of meats are tenderized.
  
  Basic Rules:
• Braising pan should be in keeping with the size of the food then to be braised. This is to ensure over cooking.
• Fresh vegetables and herbs with aroma should be a bed for the joints to be braised.
• Food items i.e. meat, poultry and game should be evenly colored while frying before being braised.
• It should be done slowly so as to enable the interchange of flavor between the item and the liquid.
• Items of meat/ poultry and game is suitable for braising as they are of a tough nature.

     2. Medium of fat

                                   It refers to any cooking technique where the heat is transferred to the food without using moisture. Dry heat cooking uses hot air or fat to transfer heat to the food. It involves high heat, with temperature of 300° F or hotter. It is best for naturally tender cuts of  meat. Examples are Frying, Broiling, Baking, Roasting, Grilling.

•  Roasting:
  
  
                          The term roasting as originally applied to the cooking of large pieces of meat, on a turning spit over an open fire a practice which would be reasonably called grilling or perhaps barbecuing today. Traditional methods of roasting practiced today are pot, oven and spit roasting.
  
  
• Pot Roasting:
  
  
                         It is a kind of roasting in which the cut of joints are used. In this roasting the meat is placed on top of fresh root vegetables with herbs. Tender meat, game or whole spring chicken is well cooked by this method. The vegetables used as a bed performs as a stock and can be made as accompany grave or sauce. Enough fat is added or melted to cover the bottom of pan. After the joints are brown they are left using skewers in the pan to prevent sticking and then covered with tight fitting lid and cook over slope fire.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• It is suitable for tender meats, ducks, spring chicken and game.
• Mirepoix and bouquet garni are added for flavor and later are used to form accompanying sauce.
• after the joints are cooked brown they are left with skewers in a pan and then cooked by covering them with tight fitting lid.
  
    
• Oven Roasting:
  
  
                          The food that is roasted in a close oven at the temperature. There is a fan inside the oven which helps to cook food evenly. Roasting requires temperature varying from 90° C to 160° C in a low temperature oven and 200° C at high temperature. Roasting at moderate temperature makes better food and reduces the contraction where as in high temperature the meat tends to get dry when unless it is tender enough. The water inside the muscles gets lost at higher rate.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• Tender cuts of meats should be used to roast.
• The oven should be  preheated at 280° C for 10-15 minutes. That should be reduced to 160° C - 170° C through out the process.
• Fat side should be facing up in meat.
• Brushing the food with sauce or marinade should be done frequently.
• Suitable time for roasting is 15- 20 minutes.
  
• Spit Roasting:
  
  
                             It is a kind of roasting in which meat is skewered on spit in a long solid rod and is cooked in a radiated heat that can be open flame or on the charcoal. Large joints of meat or entire animals like: pigs, turkey, chicken, etc are cooked by this method. To cook the meat evenly in its juices the meat is roasted which also allows for continuous basting.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• The large joints of meat or entire animal should be roasted over an open fire or charcoal.
• The joints should be basted frequently during entire  roasting process.
• Frozen food should be defrost before cooking.
• Secure the meat using skew on the spit.
• Control the speed of cooking by adjusting the speed of rotation, moving it to parts of the joint which require more heat.
  
  
  
• Tandoori Roasting:
  
                               It is a kind of roasting in which the food is cooked in tandoor. It is an Indian traditional way of cooking in  a clay oven. These days both gas tandoor and charcoal tandoor are found. The meat is marinated and after sometime it is skewed on rod and placed inside vertically. Even traditional Indian breads like roti, naan, paratha are cooked in this oven by sticking in its wall.

• Frying:
                            This is a method of cooking using hot oil or fat. In this method the food are either immersed completely or partially in oil. It is also the quickest method of cooking. The food is cooked in 190° C heat and is cooked until its brown in color. There are two types of frying.
  
  
• Deep Frying:
  
  
                            In this type of cooking the food is completely immersed into preheated oil which has temperature of 190° C. The food is cooked until it is brown in color. This is the most simplest and quickest method of cooking. For deep frying, most of the food are covered with or coated with protective layers in the form of bread crumbs and battler crumb. This helps to prevent discoloration, shrinkage or loss in shape, absorption of oil into food, loss of moisture and nutrients.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• Food should be evenly sized.
• Food should have golden brown color after preparation.
• Food should be served immediately after done.
• Food must be drained while taking out.
• Extra water or moisture should be drained out before frying and should be careful while lowering into fryers.
• Never try to reduce heat by pouring water into oil.
• Food can be seasoned before or after cooking depending on nature of food. Example: French Fries, Deep Fried Chicken.
  
  
  
• Shallow Frying:
  
  
                             It is a type of cooking in which the food is cooked in a little amount of fat in any kind of metal work or pan. It is typically used to prepare portion sized cuts of meat, fish and some vegetables. As the fact is a shallow layer it coats the food, stops it from sticking to the pan during cooking. Before cooking the oil is preheated up to 170° C to 200° C. Saute is also considered as a shallow frying in which the food is tossed in small amount of oil over the pan or woke in strong heat. The food that are used for saute are precooked food.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• Food must be seasoned before cooking.
• Food must be drained while taking out.
• Extra water or moisture must be drained out or dried using paper towels.
• For shallow fry the pan or woke should be of thick bottom.
• Food must be tossed quickly while sauteing.
  
  
•  Grilling:
                            Grilling is synonymous to broiling. The food to be grilled is supported on the iron grids over the fire or an a grid placed in a tin under a gas or electric grills, or between electrically heated grill bars. There are two types of grilling:
• Grilling over heat ( Griddles):
  
  
                             Cooking food in a greased grill bars with the help of fat over direct heat is known to be over heat grilling. Small cuts of meat, poultry and certain fish can be prepared this way. The grill bars are brushed with oil to prevent food sticking and can be heated by charcoal, gas or electricity. The bars should cook the food on both sides to give the distinctive flavor of grilling.
  
• Grilling under heat ( Salamander):
  
  
                              Cooking on grill bars or on trays under direct heat is known as under heat grilling. Steaks and chops are cooked on the bars but fish, tomato, bacon and mushroom are usually cooked on trays.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• The temperature to be adjusted depends upon the nature and size of food.
• For flavor and moisture, should marinate food for minimum 30 minutes.
• To prevent dryness and sticking basting and greasing should be done frequently.
• After the food has got its color, it should be cooked by keeping on in less hotter side.
• Smaller and thinner pieces of food should be grilled quickly.
• While grilling the sides should be changed frequently.

3. Dry Method:

• Baking:
  
  
                               Baking is cooking of food by the action of dry heat in an oven. The dry heat of baking causes the outside of the food to brown giving it an attractive appearance and taste as well as sealing in the food's moisture. The action of dry heat is modified by the steam which arises from the food while cooking. Bread, cakes pastry, puddings, vegetables and potatoes may be cooked by this method.
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• Items should be placed in the right position in the oven.
• The oven should have the correct temperature according to the baking items. Food raised with yeast should have preheated oven at 220° C.
• Products may be placed on greased tins, trays or molds.
• Minimize the opening of oven doors as the oven temperature is reduced and it may affect the quality of the products.
  
• Broiling:
  
  
                              It is cooking by direct heat with the aid of very little fat and is used synonymous with grilling. In pan broiling, food is cooked uncovered on hot metal such as a grill or a frying pan. Excess fat accumulated while cooking should be poured off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Basic Rules:
• Tawa or pan or grill may be oiled slightly to prevent sticking.
• Dry cooking should take place.
  
                                                                                       

There are still a lot of methods of cooking like Microwave cooking, Solar cooking, Induction etc.. About those type will be detailing in another post. Stay tuned..

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