Transcript PP_-_Study_Guide_Basic_Cooking_Skills_Test_

Basic Cooking Skills
Test
Study Guide
Cooking Abbreviations
tablespoon – T. or Tbsp.
teaspoon – t. or tsp.
cup – C.
pint – pt.
quart – qt.
gallon – gal.
ounce – oz.
pound – lbs.
dozen – doz.
Equivalent Measurements
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1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
1 stick of butter = 1/2 cup or 8 tablespoons
1 cup = 16 tablespoons or 8 ounces
1 pint = 2 cups
1 quart = 2 pints
1 gallon = 4 quarts
1 pound = 16 ounces
Amounts that can be measured by
standard utensils
Dry Measuring Cups – 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup
Liquid Measuring Cups – 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup,
3/4 cup, and 1 cup
Measuring Spoons – 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon,
1 tablespoon
Measuring dry ingredients in the
following amounts.
• 1/8 t. = one half of 1/4 t.
• 3/4 C. = 1/2 C. + 1/4 C. OR 1/4 C. x 3
• 2/3 C. = 1/3 C. x 2
Purpose of Ingredients
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Flour - Forms the structure of the baked product.
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Sugar - Adds a sweet flavor and helps with browning.
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Leavening Agent - Makes the baked product rise due to the formation of carbon
dioxide. Baking soda and baking powder are examples.
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Salt - An optional ingredient. It enhances flavor.
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Liquid - Adds moisture, distributes flavorings, and tenderizes the baked product.
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Fat - Tenderizes the baked product. Examples are butter, shortening, and oil.
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Eggs - Binds ingredients together and helps to make the baked product rise.
How to Use a Recipe
A recipe is your guide to help you prepare a
certain food. It should tell you …
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Kinds of ingredients
Exact amounts of ingredients
Step-by-step instructions for preparing the recipe
Type and size of the pan
Temperatures needed to prepare the food or other
instructions like “simmer” or “boil”
• Length of time to cook the food
• Number of servings or yield
Doubling a Recipe
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Go carefully with seasonings. Twice as much may be too much. Begin by adding
half as much, then taste and make adjustments.
Before doubling, check to see if another recipe may serve larger numbers.
Cooking time may be increased. Test to see.
You will need to know equivalent measurements and depend on math skills.
Always take each ingredient and multiply by 2.
Example
3/4 cup x 2 = 3/4 x 2/1 = 6/4 = 1 2/4 or 1 1/2 cups
Dividing a Recipe in Half
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Before you decide to divide a recipe, consider the possibility of making the full
amount and storing half in the freezer for another meal.
Choose a recipe that will divide easily.
Cooking time may be reduced, though seldom as much as half.
You may need to choose a smaller pan.
If the recipe calls for half an egg, the egg can be beaten lightly, measured, and half the amount
used. The average sized egg usually contains about four tablespoons. Another possibility is to use
either the egg yolk or the egg white instead of the whole egg.
Sometimes when dividing odd measurements, the divided amount might be different than the sizes
of standard measuring utensils. You might have to convert measurements from cups to
tablespoons and from tablespoons to teaspoons to get the correct amounts. It is important to
know equivalent measurements like three teaspoons equal one tablespoon so you can make those
adjustments.
Divide 1/2 cup in half
Example
1/2 ÷ 2 = 1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4 cup
Cooking Terms
Al dente
Bake
An Italian term which means “firm to the tooth” – a desirable degree of doneness so that the pasta is neither crunchy
(underdone) or mushy (overdone).
To cook food with dry heat usually in an oven, like when you make muffins.
Beat
To combine ingredients using a fast motion which adds air and makes the mixture smooth like when you make pancakes.
Blend
Another term for mixing, like when you stir muffin batter.
Boil
To cook food in a liquid at a high temperature so bubbles break at the surface, like when you make pasta.
Brush
To cover food lightly with another food like milk, melted butter, or blended egg.
Chill
To put food into refrigerator until cold.
Coat
To apply a thin layer of one food onto another food for flavor and texture.
Combine
To blend ingredients together.
Core
To remove the center of a fruit which contains the seeds or has a woody texture.
Cream
To combine butter with sugar by beating it until it is light and fluffy, like when you make the chocolate chip cookies.
Crumble
The process of breaking food into smaller pieces using your fingers.
Cut in
To combine shortening or butter with dry ingredients using a pastry blender or fork, like when you make pie pastry.
Dice
To cut food into squares smaller than 1/2 inch, using a knife.
Dip
To immerse food for a short time in a liquid or dry mixture to coat, cool, or moisten it.
Cooking Terms (continued)
Fold in
To gently combine ingredients by bringing a rubber scraper down through the center of the mixture, turning the rubber scraper at the bottom and
bringing the underneath mixture up.
Grease
To spread a thin layer of oil (cooking spray) over the inside of a baking dish to prevent from sticking to the pan.
Knead
The manipulation of dough with a fold-push-turn action to develop the structure of bread dough.
Melt
To turn from a solid to a liquid by through heat.
Mix
A general term for combining ingredients.
Pare or Peel
To cut away a thin layer of skin from fruits and vegetables.
Pinch
To use a very small amount of an ingredient.
Preheat
To heat an oven to a certain temperature prior to cooking.
Season
To add salt, herbs, and other seasonings to food to add flavor, like when you make marinara sauce.
Separate
To divide an egg into its distinct parts – the yolk and the white.
Shred
To cut food into narrow strips. A grater or food processor may be used to shred.
Slice
The process of cutting flat, thin pieces of food from a larger piece.
Spoon
Transfer batter from a bowl to a baking pan using teaspoons.
Spread
To cover evenly with a layer of one food on top of another.
Stir
To combine ingredients using a circular motion.
Simmer
To cook in a liquid that is just below the boiling point.
Toss
To mix lightly with a fork.
Whip
A very fast form of beating which adds air to a mixture