INTRODUCTION TO COOKERY

INTRODUCTION TO COOKERY

 

WHAT IS COOKING?

Cooking is a method of reducing raw food material into palatable, digestive, nutritious food.

OR

Cookery is defined as chemical process which involves mixing of ingredient, the application and withdrawal of heat, decision making, technical knowledge and manipulative skills

AIMS & OBJECTIVES OF COOKING FOOD

1. Cooking partly sterilizes food. Above 40ºc the growth of bacteria falls off rapidly and in general it ceases above 45ºc. Non-sporing bacteria are killed at temperatures above 60ºc for varying periods of time, e.g., to make milk safe, it is pasteurized at 63ºc for 30 min. or at 72ºc for 15 sec. Boiling kills living cells, with the exception of spores. Spore-bearing bacteria take about 4-5hours boiling to be destroyed.

2. Cooking helps to make food more digestible. Complex foods are often split into simpler substances during cooking. This helps the body to absorb & utilize the food more readily then if consumed in its raw form.

3. Cooking increases palatability.

4. Cooking makes food more attractive in appearance and, therefore, more appetizing.

5. Cooking introduces variety. Many different types of dishes can be prepared with the same ingredient.

6. Cooking help’s to provide balanced meal. Different ingredients combined together in one dish make it easier to provide a balanced meal

A HISTORY OF MODERN FOOD SERVICE

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

  

The value of history is that it helps us understand the present and the future.

An importance of history is that the way we cook now is result of the work done by countless chefs over hundreds of years. Cooking is as much science as it is art. Cooking techniques are not based on arbitrary rules that some chefs made up long ago. Rather, they are based on an understanding of how different foods react when heated in various ways, when combined in various proportions, and so on. 

          

THE ORIGINS OF CLASSICAL AND MODERN CUISINE

            

Modern food service is said to have begun shortly after the middle of the eighteenth century. At this time, food production in France was controlled by guilds. Caters, pastry makers, roasters, and pork butchers held licenses to prepare specific items.

            

The new developments in food service received a great stimulus as a result of the French revolutions, beginning in 1789. Before this time, the great chefs were employed on the houses of the French nobility. With the revolution and the end of the monarchy, many chefs, suddenly out of work, opened restaurants in and around Paris to support them. Furthermore, the revolutionary government abolished the guilds. At the start of the French revolution, there were about 50 restaurants in Paris. Ten years later there were about 500.

           

MARIE ANTOINE CAREME                                                                                       

Marie Antoine careme (1784-1833), known as KING OF COOKS, learned all the branches of cooking quickly, and he dedicated his career to refining and organizing culinary techniques. His many books contain the first systematic account of cooking principles, recipes, and menu making.

              

Careme worked as a chef to wealthy patrons, kings, and heads of state. He was perhaps the first real celebrity chef, and he become famous as the creator of elaborate, elegant display pieces and pastries, the ancestors of our modern wedding cakes, sugar sculptures, and ice and tallow carvings.             

Careme emphasized procedure and order. His goal was to create more lightness and simplicity. Careme’s efforts were a great step toward modern simplicity. He was a thoughtful chef.  In Careme’s grande cuisine, and in professional cooking ever since, a cook makes a dish a certain way because the principles and methods of cooking show it is the best way to get the desired results.      

                

His major contributions are

·   . As a saucier he standardized the use of roux as a thickening agent, perfected recepies and devised a system for classifying sauce.

·    As a garde-manger Careme popularized cold cuisine emphasizing on aspic dishes.

·    As culinary professional he designed kitchen tools, equipment and uniform.

·     Developed a concept of “Grand Cuisine” , which was characterized by meals of dozen of course of elaborately and intricately prepared, presented, garnished and sauced food.

GRANDE CUISINE

The rich, intricate and elaborate cuisine of 18^th and 19^th century French aristocracy and upper classes. It is based on development and adoption of strict culinary principle.

GEORGE- AUGUSTE- ESCOFFIER  

Georges-Auguste Escoffier (1847-1935), the greatest chef of his time, is still today revered by chefs and gourmets as the father of twentieth-century cookery.

        Escoffier rejected what he called the “general confusion” of the old menus, in which sheer quantity seemed to be the most important factor. Instead he called for order and diversity and emphasized the careful selection of one or two dishes per course, dishes that followed one another harmoniously and delighted the taste with their delicacy and simplicity

       Escoffier’s books and recipes are still important reference works for professional chefs.         Escoffier’s second major achievement, the reorganization of the kitchen, resulted in a streamlined workplace that was better suited to turning out of simplified dishes and menus he instituted. The system of organization he established is still in use today, especially in large hotels and full-service restaurants.

                                                 

His major contribution

·    the refining of Grand Cuisine of Careme to Cuisine Classique

·    the reorganization of the kitchen.

CUISINE CLASSIQUE

A late 19^th and early 20^th century refinement and simplification of French Grande Cuisine. Classique Cuisine relies upon the thorough exploration of culinary principle and technique and emphasized on the refined preparation and presentation of superb ingredient.

NOUVELLE CUISINE

  A generation after Escoffier, the most influential chef in the middle of the twentieth century was Fernand Point (1897-1955). Working quietly and steadily in his restaurant, a perfectionist who sometimes worked on a dish for years before he felt it was good enough to put on his menu.

     Many of his apprentices, such as Paul Bocuse, Jean and Pierre Troisgros, and Alain chapel, went on to become some of the greatest stars of modern cooking. They, along with other chefs in their generation, became best known in the 1960s and early 1970s for a style of cooking called Nouvelle Cuisine. They rejected many traditional principles, such as a dependence on flour to thicken sauces, and seasonings and shorter cooking times. In traditional classical cuisine, however, placed a great deal of emphasis on artful plating presentations done by the chef in the kitchen.

       Very quickly, however, this “simpler” style became extravagant and complicated, famous for strange combinations of foods and fussy, ornate arrangement and designs.  

The change from the classical cuisine was brought about by the following points:

·         A variety of dishes were served on menu but smaller portions were served.

·         Presentation of the food was given a lot importance by serving on a plate, so that was not spoilt by the service personnel. Individual portion were placed on the plate and served.

·         The sauce were served thinner, flour was not added for thickening.

·         The cooking time was reduced by stir -frying, grilling, etc.

·         Fresh food stuff had to be used and emphasis was laid seasonal vegetables, fish, etc. The items should be bought from the best suppliers.

·         Unusual flavors, combination were prepared. The dishes served by Poul Bocuse are spit roasted , chicken and items like veal chops ,steak, fish cooked in its own juices.

The dishes were influenced by Chinese Cuisine by preparing dishes with plenty of good quality crisp vegetables, tender meat items and cooking by the methods stir-frying and steaming. To give a different taste, some Indian spices were used such as Ginger, Coriander, Jeera and Saffron.

The latest equipment such as Microwave ovens, high pressure steamers, vacuum cooking and infra-red, grillers, are used. The Nouvelle Cuisine has created interest but it has not got the same popularity as French classical cuisine. In India , only few restaurants are serving Nouvelle cuisine board, some of the Indian restaurant are offering Nouvelle Indian Cuisine, less spicy, greasy, etc.

      

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW EQUIPMENT

Modern equipment has enabled many food service operations to change their production methods. With sophisticated cooling, freezing, and heating equipment, it is possible to prepare some foods further in advance and large quantities. Some large multiunit operations prepare food for all their units in a central commissary. The food is prepared in quantity, packaged, chilled or frozen, then heated or cooked to order in the individual units.

 

DEVELOPMENT AND AVAILABILITY OF NEW FOOD PRODUCTS  

 ORGANIC FOOD

Modern refrigeration and rapid transportation caused revolutionary changes in eating habits. For the first time, fresh foods of all kinds-meats, fish, vegetable, and fruit-became available throughout the year. Exotic delicacies can now be shipped from any where in the world and arrive fresh and in peak condition.

   The development of preservation techniques-not just refrigeration but also freezing, canning, freeze-drying, vacuum-packing, and irradiation-increased the availability of most foods and made affordable some that where once rate and expensive.

   Techniques of food preservation have had another effect. It is now possible to do some or most of the preparation and processing of foods before shipping rather than in the food service operation itself. Thus, convenience foods have come into being. Convenience foods continue to account for an increasing share of the total food market.

  

SANITARY AND NUTRITIONAL AWARENESS 

The development of the sciences of microbiology and nutrition had a great impact on food service. One hundred years ago, there were little understanding of the causes of food poisoning and food spoilage. Food handling practices have come a long way since Escoffier’s day.

    Also, little knowledge of nutritional principles was available until fairly recently. Today, nutrition is an important part of a cook’s training. Customers are also more knowledgeable and therefore more likely to demand healthful, well-balanced menus. Unfortunately, nutrition science is constantly shifting. Diets considered healthful one year become eating patterns to be avoided a few years later. Food diets come and go, and chefs often struggle to keep their menus current. It is more important that every cook has to update with the latest nutritional understanding.

                                          

THE ORGANIZATION OF MODERN KITCHENS  

THE BASIS OF KITCHEN ORGANIZATION                   

The purpose of kitchen organization is to assign or allocate tasks so they can be done efficiently and properly and so all workers know what their responsibilities are.

      

The way a kitchen is organized depends on several factors.

1.      The menu.

The kinds of dishes to be produced obviously determine the jobs that need to be done. The menu is, in fact, the basis of the entire operation.

2.      The type of establishment.

The major types of food service establishment are as follow.

·         Hotels

·         Institutional kitchens

·         Schools

·         Hospitals, nursing homes, and other health-care institutions

·         Employee lunchrooms

·         Airline catering

·         Military food service

·         Correctional institutions

·         Catering and banquet services

·         Fast-food restaurants

·         Carry-out or take-out food facilities

·         Full-service restaurants

3.      The size of the operation (the number of customers and the volume of food served).

4.      The physical facilities, including the equipment in use.

THE CLASSICAL BRIGADE

Escoffier’s important achievement was the reorganization of the kitchen. This reorganization divided the kitchen into Departments, or stations, based on the kinds of foods produced. A station chef was placed in charge of each department. In a small operation, the station chef may be the only worker in the department. But in a large kitchen, each station chef might have several assistant.  This system, with many variations, is still used today, especially in large hotels

EXECUTIVE CHEF (CHIEF EXECUTIVE):

An executive chef is a person in charge of the (F&B production) administration of the kitchen of a large food service of a hotel. The executive chef is typically one level above the soups chef.

• He is also known as (CHEF EXE’CUTIF)in French.
• He takes up all responsibility for all aspects of production.
• He is responsible for quality of products/dishes being served from kitchen.
• He is responsible for maintaining the entire kitchen staff.
• He has authority to recruit/ hiring of man power /cooks for the operations.
• He is responsible for costs controlling.
• He plans the budget for the kitchen.
• He coordinates with all other departments for smooth functioning of the production.
• He is creative creates new menus to attract clients/guests/customers.
• He plans new techniques to improve business.
• He advise the purchasing  manager for better purchases of quality goods as per specifications
• He must have strict sense of economy and efficiency.
• He should be familiar with the prices, market trends, seasonal availabilities and customer

      requirements.

• He does costing for the menus that are sold.
• He prepares the scheduling of the production kitchen employees.
• He plans and prepares the duty roaster including weekly offs.
• He is usually very experienced and act as a cook or manager
• He shoots all problems of kitchen.

CHEF DE CUISNE

• He is also known as working chef
• He is a person in charge of a particular kitchen/section
• He spends part of his time as managing the section.
• He spends most of his time actually working at the range attending production tasks.
• He shoots all the all the kitchen section problems pertaining to quality, quality of food.
• He reports to executive chef.
• He prepares a predetermined percentage and works in accordance with the policy of establishment.
• He is responsible and answerable to the management.
• He is responsible for organizing duty rosters of his selection.
• He is responsible for staffing, selecting and dismissal in consultation with personal department.
• Purchasing is vital and important aspect to the economic structure. He should cooperate with purchase manager in purchasing.
• He needs to ensure quick service and maintain discipline.
• His principal function to plan, organize and supervise the work of the kitchen.

SOUS CHEF

• He supports and assists head chef in all his duties
• He call up the order and supervises the order pickup and serves.
• He is responsible for the efficient day to day function of the kitchen.
• He deals with practical kitchen activities when chef is busy. He can change the duty rosters by information to the chef de cuisine.
• He is also known as food production manager.
• He is responsible of all levels of food handling
• He is responsible for portion, size and control.

CHEF DE PARTIE (Shef de par-te) 

• Each chef is in charge of particular area of production.
• Each chef is specialized in a particular cuisine.
• They are responsible in a particular cuisine.
• They have to give the indent to the required ingredients to chef by estimating the production or number of parties/function.
• For different sections in the kitchen there are chef de partie and assisted by one or more commies according to the production load.
• He is 3^rd hierarchy.
• He controls the commies and trainees.
• He prepares the indents for the required day and gets it duly singed by the executive chef and in his absence either chef de cuisine or sous chef.

CHEF SAUCIER (SO-SEE-AY):

• He is also known as sauce chef.
• The saucier, meat, poultry entrée are prepared together with necessary garnishes. He prepares his own mise-en-place.
• He is responsible for all sauces and related dishes.

CHEF ROTISSEUR (RO-TEE-SUR):

• He is responsible for all roasted and braised meat and meat dishes.
• He prepares accompaniments and garnishes to roasts and grills.
• In very large establishment, grilled items are the responsibility of the gaillardia or grill cook. It is usual for a grill to work under the supervision of the roast cook.
• He is also known as roast cook.

CHEF POISSONNIER (PWA-SAWN-YAY):

• He is responsible for all fish dishes.
• The fish cook prepares all fish entries
• The fish prepared come from larder and chef do the cooking, garnishing, saucing and dishing of the fish.

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CHEF POTAGER (POH-TA-ZHAY):

• The soup cook prepares all type of soups and he is responsible for all accompaniments and garnishes.
• He also prepares stocks.

CHEF LARDER (LA-DER)

• The larder cook is most spectacular and the busiest because the work is never ending.
• He feeds the manic kitchen with prepared foods on further processing.
• He supplies cold buffet to the main kitchen
• He does a wide range of work
• As larder cook he has various sub-sections such as hours d-ovure , salad, butchery.
• The cold buffet work like sandwiches, canapes is also his responsibilities.

CHEF ENTERMETIER (ON-TRA-MET-YAY)

• He is responsible for the preparation of vegetables and potatoes.
• He is also called as vegetable cooks

CHEF PATISSIER (PA-TEES-YAY)

• The pastry cook has different status but certainly not less then the sauce cooker, the ladder cook.
• His work specialized and prepares hot & cold pudding, cakes, pastries, breads etc…
• He is also responsible for special display work and supply to the main kitchen of items of pastry. He is also known as pastry chef.

CHEF TOURNANT (TWR-NON)

• He is known as relief cook
• He is a cook with a all-round skills.
• His duty constantly changers, because he relieves any other position / cook in the kitchen who is on off / leave/ vacation.
• He is relief chef de party
• He is usually a senior and has the knowledge of various sections.
• He takes over a section when its chef goes on leave or has days off.

CHEF GARDE MANGER (GARD-MON-ZHAY)

• He is responsible for the preparation of all cold foods like terrine, pate, salads, fresh fruits juices, milk shakes, tea, coffee, sandwiches etc..
• He is known as pantry chefs

CHEF GRILLARDIN (GREE-AYR-DAN)

• He is responsible for grilled and broiled meats, seafood and poultry.
• He reports to chef rotisserie / roast.
• He is known as broiler cook.

CHEF DE BANQUET (BAN-QU-EET)

• In many large hotels or restaurant with extensive banquets, the brigade will have a banquet chef
• Banquet chef is responsible for organizing the service
• He also co-ordinate’s with banquet manager regarding pick up time, service time, special dishes if any
• He also instruct the waiters/stewards
• He garnishes the food and before service

CHEF PETIT DE JENUER (PAY-TIT DE JEE NEE YEY)

• He commences his duty very early
• He does not rank as a chef de partie
• He needs to be of good skill
• He is responsible for total breakfast service
• He is known as breakfast cook.

CHEF COMMUNAR (COO-MU-NAR)

• In very large hotels, restaurants a separate sections prepares the for the staff
• He prepares the staff meal like/lunch/tea/coffee.
• He reports to the chef de partie or banquets chef depends on the organization.
• He is known as staff cook

COMMIS (CAW MEYS)

• He will assist to the chef de partie of particular section
• He is responsible for the preparation of food
• He is semi skilled cook
• He is also called as a cook                 

APPRENTICE (AAP REN TEECEE)

• He is newly joined with out any experience (very raw/fresh)
• He receives formal training for a career in food production
• With or with out formal education
• He is minimum qualifications

HELPER:

• A very fresh person seeking to attain professionalism in food production
• He lack skills and techniques
• This is an entry level of job

SKILL LEVELS      

 Skills required of food production personnel vary not only with the job level but also with the establishment and the kind of food prepared. The director of a hospital kitchen and the head chef in a luxury restaurant need different skills. The skills needed by a short order cook in a coffee shop are not exactly the same as those needed by a production worker in a school cafeteria. Nevertheless, we can group skills into three general categories.

1.      Supervisory

The head of a food service kitchen, whether called executive chef, head chef, working chef, or dietary director, must have management and supervisory skills as well as a thorough knowledge of food production. Leadership positions require an individual who understands organizing and motivating people, planning menus and production procedures, controlling costs and managing budgets, and purchasing food supplies and equipment. Even if he or she does no cooking at all, the chef must be an experienced cook in order to schedule production, instruct workers, and control quality. Above all, the chef must be able to work well with people, even under extreme pressure.

2.      Skilled and technical.

While the chef is the head of an establishment, the cooks are the backbone. These workers carry out the actual food production. Thus, they must have knowledge, hand experience in cooking techniques, at least for the dishes made in their own department. In addition, they must be able to function well with their fellow workers and to coordinate with other departments. Food production is a team activity.

3.      Entry level.

Entry-level jobs in food service usually require no particular skills or experience. Workers in these jobs are assigned such work as washing vegetables and preparing salad greens. As their knowledge and experience increase, they may be given more complex tasks and eventually become skilled cooks. Many executive chefs began their careers as pot washers who got a chance to peel potatoes when the pot sink was empty.

FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS SECTION OF KITCHEN

LARDER DEPARTMENT:

The larder is arrangement storage of perishable foods, both raw and cooked, where as meat, fish, poultry, cold buffet prepared and made ready for cooking. work is divided into various field such as salads, poultry, cold buffet, hours d’ oeuvres, mousses, cold cuts, sandwiches etc The butcher  receives directions from the larder chef according to the commitments of the buissnes. He prepares various joint in advance according to the menu requirement in larger kitchen an important functions of larder is rapid supply of various prepare of food at all time especially during the service time salads are prepared and assembled in the kitchen

SAUCE SECTION

The sauce section is responsible for providing all meat, poultry, and game and offal dishes with the exception of those that are plain roasted or grilled. All the meat dishes are cooked and garnished the section will also provide all the finished sauces served hot that are normally required by the various section in the kitchen. The chef sauce does an important works as he assembles dishes which have on the customers.

ROAST SECTIONS:

The roast sections is responsible for providing all roast dishes with the exception of fried .

FISH SECTION

This section is responsible for the provision for the of all fish dishes with the exception of those that are plain grilled or deep fried the fish monger does filleting cleaning and descalling

VEGETABLE SECTION

Preparing and cooking of vegetables done here. Cleaning and trimming vegetable garnished .this mise-en-place carried out according to menu .by this method the chefs team will be able to cope with the finished and serving vast amount of different dishes.

SOUP SECTION

The duties of this section are to consommés creams veloute .this basic sauces are also prepared here. The cold soups are prepared and sent to larder for service

PASTRY SECTION

The works of this section is from the main kitchen. The function of this kitchen is to prepare hot and cold sweets for lunch dinner and pastries for tea time. It also prepare like short and puff pastry and frying batters.

The art of pastry includes works like colors sugars to make flower baskets and similar decorative fondants king gum oastes pralines etc..

STANDARDS OF  PROFESSIONALISM

The emphasis of a food service education is on learning a set of skills. But in many ways, attitudes are more important than skills because a good attitude will help you not only learn skills but also preserve and overcome the many difficulties you will face.

      

POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE JOB 

 A cook with a positive attitude works quickly, efficiently, neatly, and safely. Professional have pride in their work and wants to make sure it is something to be proud of.

      Pride in your work and in your profession is important, but humility is important too, especially when you are staring out. Sometimes new culinary school graduates arrive on the job thinking they know everything. Remember that learning to cook and learning to manage a kitchen is a lifelong process and that you are not yet qualified to be executive chef.

    

STAYING POWER  

Food service requires physical and mental stamina, good health, and a willingness to work hard. The pressure can be intense and the hours long and grueling. You may be working evenings and weekends when everyone else is playing. And the work can be monotonous. Overcoming these difficulties requires a sense of responsibility and a dedication to your profession. Dedication also means staying with a job and not hopping from kitchen to kitchen every few months. Sticking with a job at least a year or two shows prospective employers you are serious about your work and can be relied on.

ABILITY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE

Few of your will work in an establishment so small that you are the only person on the staff. Food service work is teamwork, and it’s essential to be able to work well on a team and to cooperate with your fellow workers.

EAGERNESS TO LEARN  

There is more to learn about cooking than you will learn in a lifetime. The greatest chefs in the world are the first to admit they have more to learn, and they keep working, experimenting, and studying. The food service industry is changing so rapidly that it is vital to be open to new ideas. No matter how good your techniques are, you might learn an even better way.

          

A FULL RANGE OF SKILLS

Most people who become professional cooks do so because they like to cook. This is an important motivation, but it is also important to develop and maintain other skills that are necessary for the profession. To be successful, a cook must understand and manage food cost and other financial matters, manage and maintain proper inventories, deal with purveyors, and understand personnel management.

EXPERIENCE  

There is no substitute for years of experience. Studying cooking principles in books and in schools can get your career off to a running start. You may learn more about basic cooking theories from your chef instructors than you could in several years of working your way up from washing vegetables. But if you want to become an accomplished cook, you need practice, practice, and more practice.

DEDICATION TO QUALITY   

Many people think only a special category of food can be called gourmet food. It’s hard to say exactly what that is. Apparently, the only think so-called gourmet foods have in common is high price.The only distinction worth making is between well-prepared food and poorly prepared food. There is good roast duckling a 1’ orange and there is bad roast duckling a 1’ orange. There are good hamburgers and French fries, and there are bad hamburgers and French fries.

Whether you work in a top restaurant, a fast food restaurant, a college cafeteria, or a catering house, you can do your job well, or not. The choice is yours. High quality doesn’t necessary mean high price. It costs no more to cook green beans properly than to overcook them. But in order to produce high-quality food, you must want to. It is not enough to simply know how.

GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF THE BASICS  

Experimentation and innovation in cooking are the order of the day. Brilliant chefs are breaking old boundaries and inventing dishes that would have been unthinkable years ago.

       However, the chefs who seem to be most revolutionary are the first to insist on the importance of solid grounding in basic technique and in the classic methods practiced since Escoffier’s day.

        For the beginner, knowing the basics will help you take better advantage of your experience. When you watch a practiced cook at work, you will understand better what you are seeing and will know what questions to ask. 

        

            

                  

Compiled by CHEF NK