Special Methods of Cooking

Special Methods of Cooking Food

Microwave Cooking:

                           Although a form of energy, it is not heat. The principle of microwave involves a type of electronic heating and oscillator tube called a magnetron. The electromagnetic waves have energy and this energy is transported to the desired load for heating. The energy created penetrates article of food to a depth of 3" and cause the molecules that make up food to rub together and create friction, supplying heat which cooks or reheats the food.

                     

                          The advantages lies in the speed of the operation, although browning is possible. It is excellent as a reheated. Microwave oven allow direct customer participation with the use of time taken.

Microwave Energy and Electronic Cooker:

                         The hotter a substance becomes the more rapidly it's molecules or atoms begin to vibrate. The common methods of applying heat by conduction, convection or radiation all involves supplying heat energy to excite.

                          Electricity can be changed into microwaves using a special wave called magnetization. The microwave pass through air or glass, china clay, plastics and paper without heating them but when they strike solid and liquid foods, they are absorbed. Their energy is transformed to the food molecules which vibrate rapidly. The resultant heat cooks the food. Microwaves are absorbed by most types of food in varying degrees depending on the cellular structure of the food.

Factors affecting Microwave Cooking:

1. Density: The denser the food, the more difficult it is to cook. A joint of red meat will not be easily and uniformly penetrated by microwaves whereas liquids, fish, white meats etc offer less resistance.
2. Quantity: The heating is proportional to the quantity of food placed in the oven for instance if one portion takes 30 sec to heat, two portions will take 45 sec where as three portions will take 60 sec. For each additional portion, half the time taken by the first portion is added.
3. Shape: The thicker the product, the longer it will take to cook- shape as far as possible should have uniform thickness.
4. Containers: The container should be of glass, china clay, plastic or paper to allow transmission of microwaves.

Summary:

• Microwaves heat the food by agitating the food molecules.
• It is a rapid method for small quantities and small portion of uncooked food.
• There are no food odors and less steam.
• Excellent method for reheating frozen cooked food, canned food or assembled food on a plate or precooked snack meals.
• Rapid service and needs less staff.
• Foods of uniform shape and size should be used in microwaves cooking.
• It is more efficient in smaller quantities.
• No metal containers should be used in microwaves.
• Normal microwave ovens don't brown the food but there are models available now which have a heating element that can brown the food as well. They are better for reheating than prime cooking.

Disadvantages:

• The food doesn't gets brown.

Introduction of Induction Cooking:

                           Induction cooking is one of the safest, most efficient and precise cooking methods available. Induction cooking employs an electromagnetic mechanism under the ceramic cook top surface, when turned on; it generate an electromagnetic field that keeps the cooking surface cool while heating the cookware placed on it. The magnetic quality of the cookware reacts and becomes part of the electrical circuit, gathers energy and becomes hot. Cookware made from aluminium or copper will not work with an induction system, because they do not contain iron.

How Induction Cooking works:

• The element electronics power a coil that produce a high- frequency electromagnetic field.
• The field penetrates the metal of the ferrous (magnetic- material ) cooking vessel and sets up a circulating electric current, which generates heat.
• The heat generated in the cooking vessel is transferred to the vessel's content.
• Nothing outside the vessel is affected by the field as soon as the vessel is removed from the element or the element turned off, heat generation stops.

In Packet Cooking:

                            This is a traditional method of cooking where the article of meat is placed inside oiled grease proof paper cut according to the shape of the food. It is generally applied to items that need less cooking time. Eg. tender cuts of fish or vegetables that need less cooking time.

                             Meat when cooked by this process is set rapidly by shallow frying, without cooking fully. This was done to seal natural juices. Only tender meat is used for this method such as minute streak, kidneys, liver etc.

Under Bell Cooking:

                             Sous Belle is the French term; the name is derived from a belle container made of glass or silver. It has two parts a base and a lid. The dish is cooked in the cloche ( a glass or plastic cover for protecting or forcing outdoor plants) and is served in the same container. The bell shape lid is opened in front of customer.

Infrared Cooking:

                             Dry heat is excellent for cooking meat, fish and other items which is fairly tender to begin with. The food is placed a few inches above or below the heat source. Some of the heat which is given off by the heat source is carried to the food means convection, the rest by means of radiation. Infrared rays are a form of radiation which are just a little longer than those waves which are seen as red and shorter than radio waves & microwaves.

Molecular Gastronomy:

                             It is a sub discipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking. Its program includes three ones, as cooking was recognized to have three components which are social, artistic or technical. Molecular cooking is a technical one.

                             The maturity of egg depends on the temperature of the white and the yolk. Egg white starts to coagulate in the range 62°- 65° C. At these temperatures it is the most heat sensitive protein, the ova transferring which constitutes 12% of the egg white which coagulates. The major protein of egg white, ovalbumin makes up to 54% of the white and doesn't coagulate until the temperature reaches 80° C. The yolk begins to thickens around 65° C and sets around 70° C.

Solar Cooking:

                              It is similar to what we use in the kitchen to cook food. Solar cooking works only on solar energy, it emits no smoke, no soot spoils the cooking utensils. It keeps the surroundings clean and is environmental friendly.

Principle of Solar Cooking:

Solar cooking can be broadly divided in to two categories.

• Cookers utilizing solar heat with little or on concentration of rays. It may be termed as a "hot box".
• Cookers which deflect solar energy from a large surface to a smaller area to produce high temperatures.

The cooking time is about 2-2.5 hrs for cooking depending upon the kind of food and the season. The time taken for cooking is less in summer than in winter.

Advantages of Solar cooking:

The solar cooking has a number of advantages over the traditional cooking devices. They are:

• It cooks up to four items at a time.
• It preserves the nutrition value of food because the cooking is done at low temperature.
• It doesn't require constant attention.
• It is safe and doesn't burn.
• Saves fuel.
• Keeps food hot for a long time.

Disadvantages:

• It needs sun and will not give result on a cloudy day.
• Only simmering method is adopted.

These are some of the special methods/ ways of cooking. After the primary or traditional way of cooking the new development in technologies have brought change in way of cooking too. Te special methods of cooking are more easier than the traditional ones. It have been familiar to everyone with the modern or special methods of cooking. For more updates Stay tuned.

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