DAY ONE - BASIC COOKING PRINCIPLES

Professor: Chef Steve Brown.
Student: Paola Gutierrez
Class: CUL130

CLASS JOURNAL


Our first assignment was to read and Become Familiar with Chapter 4, basic Cooking principles.

This was the first day of our class and we came prepared after reading the Chapter 4.- Basic cooking principles in our book “Professional Cooking” by Wayne Gisslen.

Resume of the cooking methods chapter:

Cooking means to heat food.

Since food is composed by different elements such as protein, fat, carbohydrates, pigments, minerals, vitamins and flavor, is important to understand how these elements react when cooked.

Carbohydrates.- Are sugar and starch. They caramelize (browning of sugar) or gelatinize (starches absorb water and swell).

Fruit and Vegetable fiber.- cannot be digested, gives structure to the item. Cooking breaks the fiber making item softer, sugar makes fiber firmer. Baking soda makes it softer (don’t use for vegetables).

Proteins.- Coagulation (chains of amino acids unwind, denatured and form bonds) occurs at 160F to 185F.

Maillard Reaction.- Browning of bones due to carbohydrates 310F.

Connective tissue.- makes though meat, when dissolve the meat becomes tender.

Acids.- Vinegar, lemon juice, tomato speed coagulation, dissolve connective tissue.

Fats.- solid or liquid (oils). Too much heat deteriorates fat and makes it smoke. (smoke point), varies by type of fat. Are important carriers of flavor.
Minerals, vitamins, pigments and flavors can be destroyed by heat.
Water.- boils at 212F. Freezes at 32°F.

Transfer of heat.- Conduction, Convection and Radiation.

Conduction.- When heat moves from one item to something touching it. Rapidly in copper and aluminum. Slower in stainless steel, glass and porcelain.

Convection.- Heat is spread by the movement of air, steam or liquid. Natural (hot liquids and gases rise while cooler sink). Mechanical (fans speed the circulation of heat).

Radiation.- Heat is transferred by waves from a source to the food. Infrared and Microwave.
Cooking Methods.- Moist and Dry.

Moist.- Poach (160F to 180F)
Simmer (gently bubbling 185°F to 205°F),
Boil (212F vegetables, starches),
Blanch (boil and then shock with cold water),
Steam (en papillote wrapped in parchment paper, above boiling water),
Braise (cook in small amount of liquid, same as stewing for smaller items).

Dry.- Roast, (surround item with heat like oven, same as baking for pastry and bread),
Barbecue (heat created by burning hard wood, coal),
Smoke roasting, (on top of stove in closed container using wood chips to make smoke),
Broil (cook with radiant heat, in a broiler-salamander),
Grill (open grid over a heat source) ,
Griddle (solid cooking surface, with or without fat to avoid sticking for meat, eggs, pancakes),
Pan broil (done in a sauté pan or skillet no cover),
Sauté (to jump, preheat the pan, higher the heat to put the food, small amounts of food, may deglaze with wine or stock),
Pan fry (cook with moderate amount of fat),
Deep-fry (submerge in hot fat).

Today at class we reviewed the basic rules which are the following:
Email the chef when we are going to be absent,

Homework can be emailed.

Journal entries are due on the 12th day of class.

Quizzes will include 5 questions and 5 products I.D.

The final exam will be practical.

We will finalize our production every day and present in time windows.

Cleaning as we go and always keeping our stations in order.

Follow the cleaning schedule for the kitchen (by groups).

Our production today was French onion soup and vegetable pasta soup.

French Onion Soup.

Ingredients.
Salt and Pepper to season
Gruyere Cheese 4 tbs.
Toasted Croutons 2”inch baguette cut in slices.
Sherry Wine 1 tbs
White Wine 1 tbs
Butter 1 tbs
Veal Stock 2 cups
2 whole Onions emincer

Cooking method
We cut the onions in fine julienne or thin slices (emincer), and we place in a sauce pan with the melted butter to sweat about 30 minutes.

Once the onion caramelizes we pour the wine and we cook to simmer, then we add the veal stock and let it simmer for 15 minutes more, then we season to taste and set apart.

We get a soup bowl; we pour the soup in and top with the toasted croutons, and the cheese. We place in the oven at 450°F for 10 minutes and serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Chef liked my soup, it was well done. Although my onion caramelized a little bit too much I have to be careful not to get burn particles.

VEGETABLE PASTA SOUP.

Ingredients.
Pasta
½ cup of Semolina
½ cup of A.P. Flour
1 egg
Some water

Vegetable Soup
2 tbs paysanne Carrots
2 tbs paysanne Celery
2 tbs paysanne Onions
2 tbs paysanne Turnip
2 tbs paysanne Tomato Concasse
1 tbs diced Goldbar Squash
1 tbs diced Zucchini
1 clove Garlic hacher
1 Basil Leaf
1 tsp chopped parsley
1 sprig thyme
1 tbs butter

We melt the butter in a sauce pan and we sweat the onion, carrots and celery, until translucent. We add the turnip, to sweat and the garlic, we add the stock and let simmer, while we add the squash and the zucchini, we season with the sprig of thyme, salt and pepper to taste. We let simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Apart we prepare our pasta, we cut in small rectangles and we pinch the center of each, to form bow ties. We cook for 1 minute in heavily salted boiling water. Then we shock in cold water.

We add to the soup the tomato concasse, and the pasta to serve.

We serve garnished with bay leaf chiffonade and chopped parsley.