Topic 11

POTATOES, LEGUMES, GRAINS,
PASTA, AND OTHER STARCHES
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.
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
foil prior to baking keeps the skin

soft, but makes the inside less No matter how they are baked,
fluffy. (these are actually potatoes should be scrubbed clean
‘steamed’ potatoes) Rubbing the and pierced with a fork before baking.
potato with fat, such as The piercing allows heat and steam to
shortening or oil, keeps the skin escape and prevents the potato from
soft and adds flavor, while exploding..
allowing the inside to get soft and
fluffy. Baking with no foil or fat
leaves the skin crisp.
COOKING POTATOES…
Red or white round potatoes,
also called ‘chefs’ or
‘all-purpose’ potatoes, are drier
and less starchy… and less
expensive. Since the shape is
often irregular, preparation
methods are mashing, in
salads, scalloped or in
casseroles, in soups, braised,
and sautéed.
New potatoes are small, immature

red potatoes that are harvested when
they are less than 2 inches in
diameter. They are high in moisture
and sugar, and low in starch.
COOKING POTATOES…
There are two categories for cooking potatoes:
Single-stage techniques take the potato from a
raw state to a finished state with one cooking
method. Baked and boiled potatoes are
examples.
Multiple-stage techniques involve more than
Potatoes Lyonnaise:
one cooking method before they are finished.
(LEE-on-AZE) means that
vegetables are pre-
Fried potatoes: Boil cooked, sliced, then fried
potatoes, cool, slice with onions.
or dice, and fry..
Twice-baked potatoes: Halve and scoop out

the flesh of a baked potato, mash and mix
with other ingredients, refill the potato
shell, top with cheese, and bake again until
cheese isCopyright
melted. © 2014 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
COOKING POTATOES…
Mashed potato
patties (leftover
mashed potatoes
mixed with egg
and seasonings
and fried)
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.
DEEP-FRYING POTATOES…
Potato chips:
deep-fried, thin
crosswise cuts
French fries: deep-

fried batonnet-cut
sticks; known as
‘chips’ in England
Shoestring fries:
Like French
fries, but
julienne cut
Cottage fries: crosswise
cut and fried with or
without skins
Curly fries:
Steak fries: thickly
French fries
cut fries or wedges,
cut with a
with or without skins
special tool
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.
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.
Candied sweet potatoes are a

Thanksgiving favorite.
LEGUMES
KEY POINTS
• Legume is a plant that bears seed pods that split along

two opposite sides when ripe.
• In culinary usage, legumes refer to the seeds from these
seed pods, especially when they are mature and dried.
• Legumes are high in protein and, thus, are important in
vegetarian diets.
– They are rich in B vitamins and
minerals.
– Some legumes, like the soybean,
are also rich in fat.
LEGUMES
TYPES AND VARIETIES
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.
LEGUMES
TYPES AND VARIETIES
Lentils Other Legumes

• Lentils are small, lens- • Lima beans
shaped legumes. • Chick peas
• They have a shorter • Mung beans
cooking time than kidney • Fava beans
beans, even when whole,
• Adzuki
and do not need soaking.
• Soybeans
• Dal
DRIED LEGUMES
TYPES AND VARIETIES (CONT’D)
• Top row: navy beans, garbanzo beans or chickpeas,

Great Northern beans.
• Bottom row: baby lima beans, cannellini beans or white
kidney beans, rice beans.
DRIED LEGUMES
• Top row: black turtle beans, dried fava beans.

• Bottom row: Swedish brown beans, calypso beans,
flageolet beans.
DRIED LEGUMES
• Top row: red kidney beans, pink beans, appaloosa

beans.
• Bottom row: cranberry beans or borlotti, Christmas lima
beans, pinto beans.
DRIED LEGUMES
• Top row: yellow split peas, green lentils, green split

peas.
• Bottom row: brown lentils, red lentils, black-eyed peas.
DRIED LEGUMES
COOKING LEGUMES
• The primary cooking method used to prepare dried

legumes is simmering.
– Dried beans, peas, and lentils are dry and hard, and
they must be rehydrated.
– They must absorb water in order to be made edible.
– Once the beans are cooked and tender, they can be
finished in a variety of ways.
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
GRAINS
TYPES OF GRAINS (CONT’D)
• A product labeled whole grain consists of the:

– Endosperm
– Bran
– Germ
• The grain may be polished or milled to remove the
bran and germ.
• White rice and other polished grains are only the
endosperm.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• Parboiled or Converted rice

– Has been partially cooked under steam pressure, redried,
and then milled or polished.
– This process results in a higher vitamin and mineral
content, compared with regular milled white rice.
– Parboiled rice is the most widely used in food service.
– The grains stay firm, separate, and light, and the product
holds well in the steam table without becoming mushy or
sticky.
– The flavor and texture are not like those of regular long-
grain rice.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• Top row: basmati rice, glutinous rice, plain long-grain

rice.
• Bottom row: Japanese short-grain rice, jasmine rice,
Arborio rice.
GRAINS
• Top row: true wild rice, Wehani rice, cultivated wild rice.
• Bottom row: parboiled or converted rice, brown long-
grain rice.
GRAINS
• 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
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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.
GRAINS
• 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
GRAINS
• Top row: Egyptian green wheat, hulled wheatberries

• Bottom row: couscous, kasha, farro
GRAINS
• Top row: quinoa, triticale, pearl barley.

• Bottom row: blue cornmeal, pozole, bulgur wheat.
GRAINS
STORING AND HANDLING GRAINS
• Store raw grains at room temperature in a dark, dry

place and in a tightly sealed container to keep out
moisture and insects.
– Whole grains are more perishable because the fat content
of the germ can become rancid.
– Whole grains may need to be picked over like dried beans
to remove foreign matter such as tiny stones or bits of soil.
– Rice, our most commonly cooked grain, should be rinsed
in cold water before boiling or steaming to remove excess
starch.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Risotto is a dish of, short-grained rice,

and other ingredients
cooked in stock. Starch is released, giving it
PASTA, NOODLES, AND DUMPLINGS
ITALIAN-STYLE PASTAS
• Pasta made from a mixture of wheat flour and water

and, sometimes, eggs.
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.
ITALIAN-STYLE PASTAS (CONT’D)
Kinds, Characteristics, and Quality Factors (cont’d)

• Fresh egg pasta
– Fresh egg pasta is made from flour and eggs and,
sometimes, a small quantity of water and/or oil.
• Use a regular all-purpose or bread flour.
• Other flours, such as whole wheat flour, can be
used to make fresh noodles.
• Vegetable purées and other flavoring ingredients
are often added to fresh egg pasta.
OTHER NOODLE PRODUCTS
• Chinese noodles
• Cantonese noodles
• Udon
• Somen
• Soba, Chasoba, and
Chukasoba
• Rice noodles
• Bean thread noodles
• Cellophane noodles
• Couscous
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.
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)
FETTUCCINI: like linguine, only wider

CAPELLETTI: a small version of tortellini
ANGEL HAIR PASTA: very thin spaghetti
PENNE: like rigatoni, but with slanted ends
NOODLE: any flat, narrow pasta made with eggs
To test the doneness of a pasta, chew it between your
back molars. It shouldCopyright
be firm, but Orzo
© 2014 John Wileynot stick
and Sons, in your
Inc. All rights reserved. teeth.
PASTA…
Homemade pasta takes just 4 ingredients:
eggs, salt, oil, and flour. Sometimes herbs,
spices, and vegetables (spinach and squash
are popular) are added for flavor and color.
After mixing the dough, it must be allowed
to ‘rest’, so it will not be so difficult to roll
out into thin sheets. Fresh pasta can be
refrigerated, or dried, or frozen.
a la Provencale (prov-on-sal):
means ‘with garlic and oil’… a
simple pasta sauce sometimes
combined with tomatoes and olives
Any sauce served with pasta

should complement it. Long,
flat pastas are best suited to
light cream sauces. Tube and
twisted pastas are paired with
heavy tomato and meat sauces.
DUMPLINGS
• Starch products made from soft doughs or batters and
cooked by simmering or steaming.
• Dumplings are served as side dishes and in soups and
stews.
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.
one; they should never Matzo Balls:

have a doughy, uncooked Jewish dumplings
center. Spaetzle (SHPÉTS-el):
small German
dumplings made by
forcing soft dough
through a sieve
Gnocchi (nee-YO-key):
small Italian potato
dumplings
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

Topic 11

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Topic 11

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

POTATOES, LEGUMES, GRAINS,

PASTA, AND OTHER STARCHES

foil prior to baking keeps the skin

New potatoes are small, immature

Twice-baked potatoes: Halve and scoop out

French fries: deep-

Candied sweet potatoes are a

• Legume is a plant that bears seed pods that split along

Lentils Other Legumes

• Top row: navy beans, garbanzo beans or chickpeas,

• Top row: black turtle beans, dried fava beans.

• Top row: red kidney beans, pink beans, appaloosa

• Top row: yellow split peas, green lentils, green split

• The primary cooking method used to prepare dried

• A product labeled whole grain consists of the:

• Parboiled or Converted rice

• Top row: basmati rice, glutinous rice, plain long-grain

• Top row: Egyptian green wheat, hulled wheatberries

• Top row: quinoa, triticale, pearl barley.

• Store raw grains at room temperature in a dark, dry

Risotto is a dish of, short-grained rice,

• Pasta made from a mixture of wheat flour and water

Kinds, Characteristics, and Quality Factors (cont’d)

FETTUCCINI: like linguine, only wider

Any sauce served with pasta

one; they should never Matzo Balls:

You might also like