1. Chapter 18
Cooking principals

2. What is cooking?
Is the process of preparing food for eating by applying heat
The ability to cook food meant a longer, healthier life
Foods are cooked because:
Cooked food is safer to eat
Cooked food is more digestible
The texture, taste aroma, and appearance of foods are improved

3. What happens to foods as they are cooked
Microorganisms are destroyed
Most bacteria, fungi, and molds are killed by temperatures above 135
Once cooked to this temperature it must be held at this temp
Connective tissue in meats breaks down
Heat is used to make tough pieces of meat and poultry tender and easier to eat
Connective tissues are tough fibers that hold the muscles together, and becomes tender when it is properly cooked
Proteins coagulate
When heated many solidify or become firm.
Coagulation is the reason the texture of many foods change when cooked

4. Fibers in vegetables break down
Makes up the cell structure of most plants are broken down with heat
This makes cooked vegetables tender and release nutrients
Starches absorb liquid
Are used to thicken liquids such as sauces and soups
Many starches must be heated in order for the thickening process to take place
When starches are combined with a hot liquid, they absorb the liquid like a sponge and swell in a process called gelatinization
Flavors blend and change
Flavors change when raw food is cooked
The most common flavor change is the caramelization of sugars, resulting in richer, more complex aroma and flavor
Flavors of proteins are also changed by heat, amino acids change when heated create new flavors
It also helps to blend or marry the flavors multiple ingredients

5. Effects of overcooking
Monitoring timing and temperature is essential to achieve the proper degree of doneness
Things that happen if food is overcooked:
Texture is destroyed and foods become mushy and disintegrate, or tough and stringy
Proteins will curdle or toughen
Moisture is lost
Sugars burn causing a bitter taste
Green vegetables loose color
Nutrients are lost and destroyed

6. Methods of heat transfer
How heat is transferred to the food has a distinct effect on how the finished product will turn out
Cooking methods use conduction, convection, or radiation
Conduction:
Is the transfer of heat energy from one object to another through direct contact
Heat is conducted from the heating element through pots and pans to the food
Convection:
Is the manner in which heat energy travels through liquids and gases.
Natural convection occurs when warm air rises to the top of the oven when a warmer liquid rises to the top of the pot
Convection oven circulates air with a fan

7. Radiation:
Is the transfer of heat energy through waves
No conductor is necessary to cook with radiation
A broiler transfers heat to food by a means of radiation
Microwaves cook food by radiation, through not heat radiation

8. Cooking methods Methods used to cook foods can be classified as:
Dry heat
Moist-heat
Combination methods- combine both dry heat and moist heat in the same recipe
Some cooking methods transfer heat using two or more of these

9. Dry heat methods:
Transfer heat to food by conduction, hot air convection, or radiation
Many dry heat methods begin with a high temperature to create browning and improve flavor
They do not break down fibers or connective tissues as well as moist methods
This type of cooking is often used with tender products
Dry heat methods include sautéing panfrying, deep frying, grilling, broiling, roasting, and baking

10. Sautéing:
Means to quickly cook an item in a small amount of hot fat over high heat
Sauté in French means to jump
Sautéing is traditionally done in a sauteuse, and it can also be done in a griddle or in a wok
Meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and starches can all be sautéed
Sautéing transfers heat through conduction
Sweating is cooking food in a small amount of fat using low heat in order to soften the food without browning, typically used with onions, garlic, mirepoix.

11. panfrying Uses hot fat to cook a food item
It cooks the food in enough hot fat to cover it halfway
The food is turned during the cooking process in order to cook the food completely
May also be called shallow fat frying
Large or thick pieces of meat, fish or poultry can be pan fried
Heat is transferred through conduction

12. Deep frying
Is a method that cooks food in enough fat to fully cover them
Enough fat must be used in order to have proper cooking, if too little is used it is hard to maintain the fats high temperature when food is added
Results from not using enough oil is a limp and greasy rather than crisp
Most deep fried foods are coated with flour, breading, or batter before being fried
This method transfers heat by convection

13. Grilling
Cooking method that uses radiation from a heat source located below the food
Can be cooked over a variety of heat sources, gas, electric burners, charcoal, or hard wood
Juices dripping from the food on the flames creates smoke, which is often used to add flavor to the food
It produces a robust flavor and is a healthy way to cook

14. Broiling Uses radiation from a heat source located above the food
Often used as a finishing process to brown cooked foods
Gratiner means to brown a foods product
Browned foods are often described by the French term au Gratin

15. Roasting
Was originally done by turning meat placed on a spit or skewer over the radiant heat of a fire
Today it is mostly done in the oven
Cooks food by surrounding it with hot air, during cooking the food is uncovered so the moisture released can evaporate
The product to be roasted is placed on a rack so air can circulate evenly on all sides

16. Baking Baking is done in an oven
Is used to cook foods with a certain amount of moisture, the moisture might be a stock, sauce, or custard
Baked products are often cooked covered to keep the moisture in the product
Both baking and roasting use a combination of convection and radiation to transfer heat to foods
Some require a gentle heat so they are baked in a water bath, it regulates the heat so the product cooks very slowly.
Baking in a water bath is also called baking au ban marie

17. Moist heat methods Use liquid or steam in the cooking process
At lower temperatures, moisture is more effective at heat transfer than air.
Moist methods are best used for tougher cuts of meats and fibrous vegetables

18. Poaching Cooking food in a liquid at relatively low temperature
The liquid is often flavored
Used for delicate products that might fall apart if cooked at higher temperatures
The temperature range for poaching is 160 to 180
The poaching liquid transfers heat to the food by convection
A properly poached product maintains its shape and delicate texture
Two distinct techniques:
Shallow poaching: poaching in a small amount of liquid that is often used to make a sauce after the poaching
Deep poaching: enough liquid is used to cover the product, not used to create a sauce used for items such as eggs, whole fish, large cuts of poultry

19. Simmering
Cooks food in liquid at a temperature just below boiling, the proper temperature for simmering is 185 to 205
Temperature range is important for lower temperatures are not hot enough to break down connective tissues.
Temperatures above 205 toughen proteins and make the cooking liquid cloudy
It is used to make stocks and broths as well as cooking tough cuts of meat and poultry

20. Boiling Is cooking in a liquid at its highest possible temperature.
At sea level water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit
Boiling liquids move rapidly creating a vigorous rolling motion and large bubbles
Transferring heat through convection

21. Steaming
Is a moist method that cooks food products by surrounding it with steam vapor
Steam is hotter than boiling water
Steaming may be done in a steamer or steam oven
Pressure steamers use a tightly sealed compartment with pressurized steam for greater heat transfer

22. Combination methods
Braising: combines the process of browning and simmering
First the food is browned on all sides, in a small amount of fat then liquid is added and then it is simmered
Braising has the ability to tenderize tough cuts of meat or poultry like simmering and it also has the rich flavor and color of sautéed items.
The first process is done on the stovetop over high heat, then it can be covered and can be finished of on the stovetop or in the oven.

23. Stewing:
Stewing the vegetables or ingredients are cut into smaller pieces.
Either the braising or simmering technique can be used to make a stew
The ingredients for stew cook in enough liquid for them to float freely during the cooking process