(Salads & salad Dressings) IHM Hotel Management Food Production 1st year 1st sem notes on Salads & salad Dressings

SALAD

WHAT IS A SALAD?

The answer to this question is quite simple. Some of the definitions which best describe a SALAD are:

1. A dish of raw leafy green vegetables often tossed with pieces of other raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, cheese, or other ingredients and served with a dressing.
2. A cold dish of chopped vegetables, fruit, meat, fish, eggs, or other food, usually prepared with a dressing, such as mayonnaise.
3. Food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of or including greens.
4. A salad is a food served with dressing. The food can be cold dish, or green vegetables or mixture of fruits, or hot mixture of hot piquant food, or frozen mixture of bland fruits, or chopped food in hot aspic, coleslaw potato or meat.     (Theory of cookery)

In general, salads are cold preparations made from raw, cooked or blanched vegetables, singly or in combination, and can include other items such as fresh herbs, fruits, nuts and cooked eggs, pasta, rice, fish, meat and poultry.

Salads in different countries are known by different name. Some of the common name’s it is pronounced are:

Nederland:  Salade, Sla, Mengsel

French: Salade

German:  Salat

Italian:  Insalata

Portuguese: Salada

Spanish:  Ensalada

Swedish:  Sallad, Grönsallad

A SALAD CAN BE SERVED IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT COURSES, SUCH AS:

1.      SALAD COURSE: In a very formal meal experience, salads are sometime served after a main course. Such salads are light and refreshing in nature and provide a change from the heavy main course. Well-dressed salad greens and savoury vegetables are a popular choice.

2.      MAIN COURSE: It is also substantial enough as a main dish. One of the body building foods such as meat, fish, egg or cheese forms the base. The volume and richness of these salads are adequate to satisfy a normal appetite.

3.      ACCOMPANIMENTS:  The salad is also served as accompaniment with the main course.

A SALAD CAN BE OF TWO TYPES:

SIMPLE OR PLAIN SALAD

These salads can be further subdivided in green salad or salad in season, which is served raw or cooked. Such salads normally use only a single kind of vegetable as a base and only one or two ingredients in small quantity as decoration or garnish.

Some examples of such salads with appropriate dressing are:

NAME	INGREDIENTS	DRESSINGS
CABBAGE	CABBAGE JULIENNE	VINAIGRETTE / MUSTARD CREAM
CUCUMBER	ROUNDELS OF CUCUMBER	VINAIGRETTE
LETTUCE	SALAD LEAVES	VINAIGRETTE
TOMATO	SLICES OF TOMATO WITH CHOPPED PARSLEY	VINAIGRETTE
BEETROOT	ROUDLES OR DICED COOKED BEETROOT	MUSTARD CREAM

COMPOUND SALAD

Compound salads are more elaborate salads which consist of more than one ingredient. Such salads can be further subdivided in four major groups:

1.      FISH BASED

2.      VEGETABLE BASED

3.      POULTRY,GAME OR MEAT BASED

4.      FRUIT BASED.

A SALAD CAN BE SUBDIVIDED IN FOUR MAJOR PARTS:

BASE:

The base may be made up of lettuce, cabbage or any other leafy vegetables. It must cover the bottom part of the salad. The leaves must be clean and thoroughly washed because they can contain a lot of soil and insects. Preferably all the salads leaves must be washed with a chlorine solution.

SOME OF THE SALAD LEAVES USED IN MAKING OF A SALAD ARE:

ARUGULA: With its peppery and slightly bitter flavour, arugula is a terrific green to be used in a salad.  It can be gently braised, too. 

BELGIAN ENDIVE: These crunchy, slightly bitter leaves are often used to make hors d'oeuvres, but they can also be chopped and added to salads, or braised to make an exquisite salad.

CRESS: This is a peppery green that's great in salads, sandwiches, and soups.  It's attractive enough to make a good garnish as well.  There are several varieties, including watercress, upland cress, curly cress, and land cress. Cress is highly perishable, so try to use it as soon as possible after you buy it.

CURLY ENDIVE:  This crisp, bitter green leave can be used in salads or cook it as a side dish.  The outer leaves are green and somewhat bitter; the pale inner leaves are more tender and mild. 

ICEBERG: This is prized for its crispness and longevity in the refrigerator, but it's a bit short on flavour and nutrients. It’s one of the most readily available lettuces in India and is mostly used by a number of hotels to prepare salads. 

LOLLO ROSSO: This mild, tender lettuce has ruffled red edges.

RADICCHIO: With its beautiful colouring and slightly bitter flavour, radicchio is        wonderful when combined with other salad greens. 

ROMAINE LETTUCE: Romaine combines good flavour and crunch, plus it has a decent shelf life in the refrigerator.  It's the preferred green for Caesar salad.  Green romaine is the most common variety, but you can sometimes find red romaine, which is tender.

RED SANGRIA LETTUCE

Thick rose blushed leaves over a blanched pale-yellow the heart makes for attractive lettuce.

Very good eating quality

BELGIAN ENDIVE: These crunchy, slightly bitter leaves are often used to make hors d'oeuvres, but they can also be chopped and added to salads, or braised to make an exquisite (and expensive) side dish.  Select heads with yellow tips; those with green tips are more bitter.   Their peak season in the late fall and winter.

BIBB LETTUCE   This butterhead lettuce has delicate, loose leaves and lots of flavours.  The only downside is that it's usually expensive  

MIZUNA OR SPIDER MUSTARD   Mizuna has tender leaves and a pleasant, peppery flavour.

RED MUSTARD:   This has a pungent, peppery flavour that adds zip to salads.

DANDELIONS:   Dandelions have a somewhat bitter flavour, which Europeans appreciate more than Americans.   Older dandelion greens should be cooked; younger ones can be cooked or served raw as a salad green.  They're available year-round, but they're best in the spring. 

BODY

The body comprises of the main ingredient of the salad. It must be proportional to the base. The body must comprise of small bite-size pieces of the ingredients. The ingredients used should have a balance of flavours and taste.

GARNISH

The main purpose of a garnish is to add an eye appeal to the finished product. But a certain number of times it can also be added to improve the taste of the salad. Can be either a part of the body also. It should be kept simple. 

Some of the most widely used salad garnishes are:

 DRESSINGS

A Dressing is served with all salads, it is used to flavour the salad provides food value and improves palatability and appearance. A dressing may be in liquid or semi-liquid form. It can be made with a variety of ingredients ranging from oil-vinegar, cream, yoghurt, egg, and cheese.

Various oil used for making a dressing is:

·         OLIVE OIL

·         WALNUT OIL

·         SALAD OIL

·         GROUNDNUT OIL

·         SESAME OIL

·         GRAPESEED OIL

·         HAZELNUT OIL

Various kinds of vinegar used for making a dressing is:

·         TERRAGON VINEGAR

·         BALSAMIC VINEGAR

·         RED WINE VINEGAR

·         WHITE WINE VINEGAR

·         MALT VINEGAR

·         SHERRY VINEGAR

·         RASPBERRY VINEGAR

·         CIDER VINEGAR

SOME COMMONLY USED DRESSINGS ARE:

Sauce Louis - Mayonnaise and heavy cream combined with chopped green pepper and green onion seasoned with chilli sauce and Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice.

Blue cheese dressing - Creamy a dressing containing crumbled blue cheese.

Roquefort dressing - Vinaigrette containing crumbled Roquefort or blue cheese.

French dressing- Three parts Oil and one part vinegar with mustard and garlic.

English dressing- one part of oil and two-part vinegar, English mustard and seasoning.

American vinaigrette- equal quantities of vinegar and oil, mustard and seasoning.

Lorenzo dressing - Vinaigrette with chilli sauce and chopped watercress.

Anchovy dressing - Vinaigrette and mashed anchovies.

Italian dressing - Vinaigrette with garlic and herbs: oregano and basil and dill.

Half-and-half dressing - Half mayonnaise and half vinaigrette seasoned with minced garlic and mashed anchovies and grated Parmesan cheese; especially good for combination salads.

Mayonnaise - Egg yolks and oil and vinegar.

Russian dressing - Mayonnaise with horseradish grated onion and chilli sauce or catsup; sometimes with caviar added.

Salad cream – A Creamy salad dressing resembling mayonnaise.

Thousand Island dressing - Mayonnaise with chilli sauce or tomato ketchup and minced olives and peppers and hard-cooked egg.

Acidulated cream:  Three-part of thin cream to one part of lemon juice, salt and pepper.

(Parts of Knives) IHM Hotel Management Food Production 1st year 1st sem notes on Parts of Knives

KNIVES

KNIFE MATERIALS

The metal that a knife blade is made of is an important consideration, as the metal must be able to take and hold a very fine edge.

1. Carbon steel was for many years the traditional favourite because it can be honed to an extremely sharp edge. Its disadvantages are that it corrodes and discolours easily, especially when used with acid foods and onions. Also, it discolours some foods(such as hard-cooked eggs) and may leave a metallic taste. Because of these disadvantages, it has given way to high-carbon stainless steel (described in item 3 below),which is now the preferred material for the best knives.

2. Traditional stainless-steel alloys will not rust or corrode, but they are much harder to sharpen than carbon steel. Stainless steel is used mostly for low-cost, light weight knives.

3. High-carbon stainless steel is a relatively new alloy that combines the best aspects of carbon steel and stainless steel. It takes an edge almost as well as carbon steel, and it will not rust, corrode, or discolour. Knives made of this material are highly prized and relatively expensive.

KNIFE HANDLES

The tang is the portion of the metal blade that is inside the handle. The highest-quality, most durable knives have a full tang, which means that the tang runs the full length of the handle.

KNIFE AND ITS PARTS

The importance of knives to a chef cannot be overstated. It is the most important piece of equipment in the kitchen. Knives come in various shapes and sizes and each is meant for a specific use though some knives can be used as multi-purpose knives. Let us now familiarize ourselves with different parts of a knife.

Blade: The blade is usually made up of a metal compound called high carbon stainless steel. It combines the property of carbon of being sharpened easily and non-corrosive properties of steel. 

The different parts of a blade are:

·         Tip: The tip of the knife is the pointed edge where the knife blade ends. The tip generally is used for scoring patterns and working with meats or carving.

• Spine: The spine of the knife is the topmost, thick edge of the knife, which gives strength to the knife.

• Bolsters: In some knives there is a collar known as a bolster, at the point where the blade meets the handle. It reinforces the structure of a knife.

• Cutting edge: The cutting edge is the most important part of the knife. It should always be kept honed and sharpened.

Handle: The handle of a knife should be easy to grip, non-reactive to most cleaning agents. The different materials used to make handles are wood, plastic, plastic fibre or even metal.

·         Tang: The tang is the continuation of the blade and extends into a knife’s handle.

·         Rivets: These are metal fasteners that hold the handle and the tang together.

POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED BEFORE COOKING VEGETABLES

• Do not refrigerate the potatoes as low temperature break down the colour of potatoes.
• Sometimes potatoes turn green due to exposure to the sun light which is toxic by nature, so they must be stored in a cool dark place. This effect is known as SOLANINE.
• After peeling potatoes, should be dropped in water prior to cooking to prevent the discolouration. This occurs because of an enzyme called POLYPHENOLOXIDASE which oxidises phenolic compounds to brown coloured polymer.
• Green leafy vegetables should be washed thoroughly in running water at least thrice to remove the dirts and cooking process should be conducted in an open pan as green vegetables have a volatile acid in them which affect chlorophyle in presence of heat to make them discoloured.
• The red vegetables like red cabbage, beet root should be boiled in a close chamber before fabricating to ensure that they are retaining their original colour
• The sweet corn or baby corn should be boiled with one table spoon of sugar to enhance their white colour.
• Cultivated mushroom (fresh mushroom) should be washed in cold water without rubbing it, otherwise it will be losing its natural delicacy. If they are very sandy just rinse them in chilled water and dry them up with a cleaned cloth.
• Use stainless steel knife for chopping the mushrooms to prevent discolouration.
• Always sprinkle some lime juice before chopping the mushroom to prevent discolouration.
• Most of the pulses must be boiled rapidly for 10 minutes to remove their toxic effect in the skin. Drain well followed by a slow cooking process will always give the best results.
• Take three parts of water with one part of pulses for boiling.
• Salt and other seasonings should be added once the pulses are absolutely tender.

(TECHNIQUES OF FOOD PREPARATIONS) IHM Hotel Management Food Production 1st year 1st sem notes on TECHNIQUES OF FOOD PREPARATIONS

TECHNIQUES OF FOOD PREPARATIONS

                                                                               

MISE EN PLACE: “EVERYTHING READY”

Even on the simplest level, preparation is necessary. If you prepare only one short recipe, you must first

·         Assemble your tools.

·         Assemble your ingredients.

·         Wash, trim, cut, prepare and measure your raw materials.

·         Prepare your equipment (preheat oven, line baking sheets etc.)

Only then you can begin the actual preparation.

When many items are to be prepared in a commercial kitchen, the situation is much more complex. Dealing with this complexity is the basis of kitchen organization.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING FOR PREPARATION.

The Problem:

Every food service operation faces a basic conflict between two unavoidable facts;

1.      There is far too much work to do in a kitchen to leave until the last minute, so some work must be done ahead.

2.      Most foods are at their best quality immediately after preparation, and they deteriorate as they held.

The Solution:

To solve this problem, the chef must plan the pre-preparation carefully. Planning generally follows these steps;

1.      Break each menu item down into its stages of production. Note that the procedures are divided into a sequence of steps, which must be done in a certain order to make a finished product.

2.      Determine which stages may be done in advance.

a.   The first step of any recipe, whether written or not, is always part of advance preparation; assembling and preparing the ingredients. This includes cleaning and cutting produce.

b.        Cutting and trimming meats and preparing breading and batters for frying.

c.        Final cooking should be done as close as possible to service, for maximum freshness.

Frequently separate parts of a recipe, such as a sauce or a stuffing, are prepared in advance, and the dish is assembled at the last minute.

In general, items cooked by dry-heat methods, such as broiled steaks, sautéed fish and fresh fried potatoes do not hold well. Large roasts are an important exception to this rule. Items cooked by moist heat, such as braised beefs, soups, and stews, are usually better suited to reheating or holding in a steam table. Very delicate items should always be freshly cooked.

3.      Determine the best way to hold the item at its final stage of preparation.

a.    Sauces and soups are frequently kept hot, above 140⁰ F (60⁰ C), for service in steam tables or other holding equipment. Many foods such as vegetables, however kept hot for the only short periods, because they quickly become overcooked.

b.        Refrigerator temperatures, below 40⁰ F (4⁰ C), are best for preserving the quality of most foods, especially perishable meats, fish, and vegetables, before final cooking or reheating.

4.      Determine how long it takes to prepare each stage of each recipe. Plan a production schedule beginning with the preparations that take the longest.

Many operations can be carried on at once, because they don’t all require your complete attention the full time. It may take 6 to 8 hours to make a stock, but you don’t have to stand and watch it all that time.

5.      Examine recipes to see if they might be revised for better efficiency and quality as served. Foe e.g.

a.    Instead of preparing a full batch of green peas and holding for service in the steam table, you might blanch and chill them and then heat portions to order in   sauté pan, steamer, or microwave oven.

b.        Instead of holding a large batch of veal scaloppine, in mushroom sauce in the steam table, you might prepare and hold the sauce, sauté the veal to order, combine with a portion of the sauce, and serve fresh from the pan.

The Goal

The goal of preparation is to do as much work in advance as possible without loss of quality.

At service time, all energy can then be used for finishing each item immediately before serving with the utmost attention to quality and freshness.

Many preparation techniques in common use are designed for the convenience of the cooks at the expense of quality. Remember that quality should always take highest priority.

MISE - EN - PLACE

 

     

Sub-Division & Fractionalization                            Combining & Mixing

                                                                                    In the Preparation of Food

                        Washing                                                          Beating                       

                        Paring                                                              Cutting in                   

     

                        Mirepoix                                                          Folding in                   

     

                        Grating                                                            Marinating                  

     

                        Mashing                                                          Stirring                       

     

                        Sieving                                                            Whisking

     

                        Rendering                                                       Rubbing in                 

                        Flavouring                                                       Pressing                      

     

                        Emulsification                                                 Blind Baking

     

                        Homogenization                                              Blending

     

                        Peeling                                                            Creaming

     

                        Cutting                                                            Kneading

           

                        Mincing                                                           Sealing

     

                        Grinding                                                          Whipping

     

                        Milling                                                             Rolling in

     

                        Steeping                                                          Docking

           

                        Refining                                                         

     

                        Evaporation                                                    

     

                        Pureeing                                 

PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS (Mise-en-place)

Many techniques are used for food preparation before cooking and they are done according to the requirements of the various dishes. This helps to improve appearance, texture, palatability and flavor and foods combine readily.  They techniques are divided into two:

Sub-division and fractionalization

Combining and mixing in the preparation of foods

Mise-en-Place

“Everything in its place”’ preparation prior to a task or service.

Sub – Division and fractionalization

1.      Washing

This is necessary to remove superficial dirt.  Meat, fish vegetable and fruits are washed in cold water before any preparation, if peeling or cutting. If cut and soaked for a long period or washed after cutting, there is a great loss of water-soluble vitamins and mineral.  The more cut surface exposed, the more nutrition is lost.

2.      Peeling

Spoilt, soiled and inedible portions are removed.  Skin of vegetable or fruits is either peeled or scraped.

3.      Paring

Paring is removing the surface layer in circular motion by pressure of a knife edge all round the object.

4.      Cutting

Reducing to small pieces with a knife.  When a similar result is obtained with a chopping knife, or with a mechanical food chopped the process is called chopping (small pieces).  Dicing – cutting in cubes in known as dicing, as in dicing potatoes, carrots etc.

5.      Mirepoix

Coarsely cut root vegetables.  Desired shape for turning vegetable is barrel

6.      Mincing

     Cutting into very fine pieces. Eg. Mutton, Onions, etc.

7.      Grating

      Reducing to small particles by rubbing on a rough surface, as in grating lemon peels, cheese etc.

8.      Grinding

  Reducing to small fragments by crushing, as in grinding spices, of coffee in a mill or on a grinding stone.

9.      Mashing 

This is a method of breaking up of soft foods with pressure, with a potato masher or with a fork

10.   Pureeing

      To press food through a food mill or fine strainer to make it smooth and semi – liquid.

11.   Pressing

Separating liquid portions from solids by weights or mechanical pressure, as in making cider from apples, paneer etc.

12.   Steeping

Extracting coloring flavoring by allowing ingredients to stand in water to a temperature just below boiling point

13.   Milling

      This is used for cereals to remove husk etc.

14.   Sieving

Passing through a fine wire mesh to remove impurities. It also helps in enclosing air and mixing ingredients evenly, like sieving of flour for cakes

15.   Refining

      Freeing any material from impurities, as in refining cane sugar/oil.

16.   Skimming

      Removing a floating layer by passing a utensil under it (ladle) as in skimming cream from milk.

17.   Rendering

      Separating fat from connective tissues by heat as in rendering lard (dripping).

18.   Filtration

Separating solids from liquids, through fine meshed materials, as in filtering fruit juices for jelly through a cloth bag, or fine wire mesh strainer.

19.   Flavouring

      A bundle of herbs and vegetables to impart flavor to stocks and sauces in Bouquet Garni.

20.   Homogenization

Subdividing large drops into smaller ones by forcing them through a small aperture under great pressure as in homogenizing the fat in cream.

21.   Emulsification

      Even dispersal of one liquid throughout another immiscible liquid.

22.   Evaporation or Reduction

      Removal of water commonly accelerated by heating without lid.

Combining and Mixing in the Preparation of Foods

Food preparation often involves the combining and mixing of different foods or food materials.  Important effects of the methods of combining foods or ingredients are those related to palatability.  Texture and flavor are often controlled to an important degree by the skill and method employed in combining component materials.

1.      Beating

Mixing materials briskly, lifting and dropping them with an appropriate tool.  Some times used synonymously with whipping as defined below. This is done to thin mixture of liquids. The aim is to mix well and incorporate air.

2.      Blending

Mixing two or more ingredients thoroughly, e.g. blending milk into white roux for bechamel sauce.

3.      Cutting in

Usually the incorporation of fat in flour and other sifted dry ingredients with a knife, a method which produces relatively coarse division of the fat and dows not result in blending as in cutting the fat into a pastry mixture.

4.      Creaming

Softening fat by friction with a spoon usually followed by gradual incorporation of sugar as in cake making.

5.      Folding

Mixing materials with palate knife or wooden spoon, by a careful lifting and dropping motion as in folding whipped egg whites into a cake mixture.  Palate knife is to lift.

6.      Kneading

To work dough by pressing and folding until it becomes smooth and elastic.

7.      Marinating

Coating the surface of food materials, a marinade, which is usually a mixture of oil and acid as in marinating the components of a vegetable salad with French dressing.

8.      Sealing

            Sautéing or pre-cooking roast, to develop colour and flavour

9.      Stirring

Mixing materials with an appropriate tool, such as spoon by a circular motion, as in stirring white sauce, while cooking.

10.   Whipping

Rapid beating with a wire eggbeater or mechanical beater usually to incorporate air, as in whipping egg white.

11.   Whisking

Whisking is done when a mixture needs a lot of air, items need to be mixed together so that they do not separate.

12.   Blind baking

To cook an empty pastry shell before filling it with a liquid (or) creamy mixture, which would other wise soak the bottom or with delicate fruit that does not need to be cooked.

13.   Docking

a.       Small holes are made in Pastry

b.      Aim is to allow steam to escape during baking to avoid distorting the pastry.

14.   Rubbing in

a.       Fat and flour are rubbed together

b.      Fat is reduced to bread crumb sized particles

c.        Fat particles melt during baking, giving off steam which makes the pastry expand and rise.