Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Topic 11
Topic 11
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
BUYING AND STORING POTATOES
Select potatoes that are firm and
relatively smooth. Potatoes that
are exposed to light or have
been sunburned may develop a
greenish color. This means the
potato contains SOLANINE
(SOLE-ah-neen), a bitter tasting
and somewhat toxic substance
that can cause intestinal
discomfort. Potato sprouts may
also contain solanine. Cut away
and discard sprouts and any
green portions before using the
potatoes.
Potato varieties differ in starch
and moisture content, shape, and
skin color. The starch content of
any potato increases with age.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
COOKING POTATOES…
Russet potatoes, also known as
Burbank or Idaho potatoes, are
white and oval-shaped. Those, as
well as sweet potatoes and yams
are high in starch and low in
moisture. They are best cooked Your choice of
toppings: butter,
by baking. sour cream,
All baked potatoes are served in cheese, chives,
their skins. Wrapping potatoes in bacon bits
Duchesse potatoes:
(duch-es)mashed
Parmentier: ‘served with eggs and
with potatoes’, such as squeezed through a
‘steak parmentier’ pastry tube
Potato croquette
(a little flat cake or Latkes (LAHT-keys): popular in
ball of tasty American-Jewish cooking, are
mixture coated in potato pancakes. They are made
egg & breadcrumbs, from grated potatoes, and
and fried) traditionally served with
applesauce and sour cream.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
DEEP-FRYING POTATOES…
Potato chips:
deep-fried, thin
crosswise cuts
Curly fries:
Steak fries: thickly
French fries
cut fries or wedges,
cut with a
with or without skins
special tool
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes have orange colored
flesh and are very sweet and high in
vitamin A. Yams are similar, but are
drier, less-orange (sometimes
yellow or nearly white), are less
sweet, and have only a trace of
vitamin A. Look for potatoes that
are small to medium in size, with
smooth, unbruised skin. Avoid any
with a white stringy "beard," a sure
sign the potato is overmature and
probably tough. Do not refrigerate,
as that will speed deterioration.
Sweet potatoes sprout easily, so
have a short shelf life.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
SWEET POTATOES…
Yams can be cooked in nearly
any preparation that you would
use for russet or chef’s
potatoes. Sweet potatoes can
be baked, mashed, candied, or
made into fries and chips.
Kidney Beans
• A subgroup of this family is sometimes called haricot
beans (haricot is the French word for “bean”).
Peas
• Dried green and yellow peas are the same peas we eat
as a fresh vegetable, but they are left on the vine until
mature and dry.
• They are usually split, with the hull removed.
• Split peas cook quickly without preliminary soaking.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
LEGUMES
TYPES AND VARIETIES
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
DRIED LEGUMES
TYPES AND VARIETIES (CONT’D)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS
• Grains are the edible seeds of various members of the
grass family.
• Each seed consists of four parts:
1. The husk: an inedible fibrous outer layer that is
removed during processing
2. The endosperm: the starchy mass that forms most
of the kernel
3. The bran: a tough but edible layer covering the
endosperm
4. The germ: the tiny embryo that forms the new plant
when the seed sprouts
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Rice
– Regular milled white rice
has been milled to
remove the outer bran
coating.
– This process removes
some vitamins and
minerals
– It produces a white,
lighter-textured product
most people prefer.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Enriched rice
– Has received a coating of vitamins to compensate for
some of the nutrients lost in milling.
• Short-grain and medium-grain rice
– Have small, round kernels that become sticky when
cooked.
• Long-grain rice
– Has long, slender grains.
– Stays separate and fluffy when properly cooked.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Instant rice
– Has been precooked and dried.
– It can be prepared quickly. It does not hold well after
cooking, and the grains quickly lose their shape and
become mushy.
• Brown rice
– Has the bran layer left on.
– Available as short, medium, or long grain.
– Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white
rice.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Arborio
– Arborio rice is one of several Italian varieties of a
type of short-grain rice essential for making the
highest-quality risotto.
• Basmati rice
– Extra-long-grain rice is widely used in India and
surrounding countries.
• Jasmine rice
– Long-grain white rice from Thailand and other parts of
Southeast Asia.
– A little like basmati rice.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Wehani rice
– Aromatic rice, red in color, with a rich, earthy flavor.
• Wild pecan rice
– Wild pecan rice is a cultivated, not wild, long-grain
rice from Louisiana.
• Glutinous rice
– Also called sticky rice and sweet rice.
– Sweet-tasting short-grain rice.
– Becomes quite sticky and chewy when cooked.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Top row: true wild rice, Wehani rice, cultivated wild rice.
• Bottom row: parboiled or converted rice, brown long-
grain rice.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Corn
– Corn, as a grain, is not often cooked whole.
– It is ground into cornmeal.
– Meal can be defined as a coarsely ground grain, as
distinguished from flour, which is finely ground grain.
• Polenta
• Hominy
• Grits
• Pozole
• Blue corn
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Wheat
– Wheat germ and wheat bran
• Usually used as additions to baked goods and
some other dishes to enrich their nutritional
content and to add flavor and interest.
– Cracked wheat
• Whole wheat grains that have been cut into
smaller pieces.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Wheat (cont’d)
– Wheatberries
• Wheatberries are the whole grain minus the hulls.
– Bulgur
• Type of cracked wheat that has been partially
cooked or parched.
• It is usually available in coarse, medium, and fine
granulations.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Wheat (cont’d)
– Green wheat
• Wheat that is harvested while immature and then
dried.
– Couscous
• Is not actually a grain.
• It is made from semolina wheat and is sort of a
granular pasta.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• Other Grains – Farro
– Wild rice – Spelt
• Not actually rice but – Kamut
rather the seed of – Flaxseed
an unrelated grass – Buckwheat
native to the – Quinoa
northern United – Barley
States and Canada. – Triticale
– Oats
– Amaranth
– Millet
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
STORING AND HANDLING GRAINS
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
COOKING GRAINS
Simmering Methods
• The exact amount of liquid needed varies considerably,
depending on these factors:
– The type of grain, its age, and its moisture content.
– Tightness or looseness of the cover (degree of moisture
loss during cooking).
– Desired moistness of the finished
product.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
COOKING GRAINS (CONT’D)
Pasta Method
• It is so called because, like pasta, the item is cooked in a
large quantity of water and drained.
Simmering Meals and Cereals
• Large particles such as oats are usually stirred into
boiling water and don’t lump.
• Granular meals such as cornmeal must be stirred slowly
into boiling water to prevent lumping.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS
COOKING GRAINS (CONT’D)
The Pilaf Method
• The pilaf method is equivalent to braising.
• The grain is first sautéed in fat and then cooked in liquid.
• The fat helps keep the grains separate and adds flavor.
Risotto Method
• After sautéing the rice, add a small amount of hot stock or
other liquid and stir until the liquid is absorbed.
• Repeat this procedure until the rice is cooked but still firm.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS &LEGUMES
LEGUMES… Grains and legumes must
be cooked before eating:
1. To change their texture
so they can be digested
easily
2. To develop their flavor
3. To remove dirt, dust, and
other natural substances
that may be harmful to
Dried legumes include adzuki beans, humans
black beans, black-eyed peas, (such as the toxic
chickpeas (garbanzo beans), fava substances in fava and lima
beans, Great Northern Beans, kidney beans if eaten raw)
beans, lentils, lima beans, mung Whole grains include barley,
beans, split peas, whole dried peas, buckwheat, rice, and
pink peas, pinto beans, and soybeans. cornmeal (ground field corn).
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS & LEGUMES…
Most legumes and some
whole grains such as
barley need to be
soaked in cold water or
a flavorful liquid for 4
hours or overnight
before cooking. This is
done to soften the tough
seed coatings and
shorten the cooking
time. Rinse them
carefully before soaking,
and discard any that
float to the surface of
the soaking liquids.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
GRAINS & LEGUMES…
There are 3 methods for
cooking grains:
A. steaming Grains can be cooked in a
B. pilaf (PEEL-ahf) steamer over boiling liquid,
C. risotto (ree-ZO-toe) leaving them tender and flavorful.
In a pilaf, the grain
is sautéed briefly in
fat, then simmered
in a seasoned
stock. Grains will
be tender, but
remain separated.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
ITALIAN-STYLE PASTAS (CONT’D)
Kinds, Characteristics, and Quality Factors
• Macaroni
– Any dried pasta made from flour and water
• The best dried macaroni pastas are made from semolina,
a high-protein flour from the inner part of durum wheat
kernels.
• Lower-quality products are made from farina, a softer flour.
• Egg pastas
– Contain at least 5.5 percent egg solids in addition to the flour
and water.
– They are usually sold as flat noodles of various widths.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
ITALIAN-STYLE PASTAS (CONT’D)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
OTHER NOODLE PRODUCTS
• Chinese noodles
• Cantonese noodles
• Udon
• Somen
• Soba, Chasoba, and
Chukasoba
• Rice noodles
• Bean thread noodles
• Cellophane noodles
• Couscous
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
COOKING PASTA
Doneness
• Pasta should be cooked al dente, or “to the tooth.”
• Many suggestions have been made for testing
doneness, but none is more reliable than breaking off a
very small piece and tasting it.
• As soon as the pasta is al dente, the cooking must
be stopped at once.
• Pasta is best if cooked and served immediately.
• One pound (450 g) uncooked dried pasta yields
about 3 pounds (1.4 kg) cooked pasta.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
The rule of thumb for pasta is that it ‘doubles in size’
PASTA… as it cooks, and to use ‘1 gallon of liquid to cook 1#
of pasta’. Cook pasta ‘al dente’ (ahl-DAN-tay)… firm
to the bite.
(far-FALL-lay)
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Dumplings can be made
DUMPLINGS from doughs or batters, and
may have bread or potatoes
… by cutting into
Test the doneness of
dumplings
as a main ingredient.
A bread dumpling is
steamed on top of a stew Potstickers: a
(chicken & dumplings) or Chinese dumpling
poached in a flavorful filled with vegetables
broth. or meat
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.