Transcript Slide 1

Potatoes & Grains
ProStart Chapter 11 | Year 1
Types of Potatoes
 Potato varieties differ in starch and moisture content,
shape, and skin color.
 High-starch, low-moisture potatoes are dense because
they have a high amount of dry starch. They are best when
baked, puréed, or fried. They include Idaho, yams, sweet and
russet potatoes.
 Medium-starch, medium-moisture potatoes are versatile.
They are best for boiling, steaming, sautéing, oven roasting,
stewing, mashing, and braising. They include chef’s allpurpose, Yukon gold, and yellow-fleshed potatoes.
 Low-starch, high-moisture potatoes are new potatoes.
New potatoes are best for boiling, steaming, and oven
roasting.
Selecting and
Storing Potatoes

When selecting potatoes, choose
potatoes that are firm and smooth.
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Do not accept potatoes with dark
spots, green areas, mold, or large
cuts.
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Store potatoes in a cool, dry place at
temperatures ranging from 45°F to
55°F.
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All potatoes are best stored in
ventilated containers in indirect light.
 Solanine is a harmful substance that
can form in potatoes when exposed
to sunlight.
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A wide variety of market forms exists
when purchasing potatoes.
 These forms include fresh, frozen,
refrigerated, canned, and dried.
Cooking Potatoes
 Always pierce a potato before
baking so that steam and heat
can escape.
 If not, the potato can explode.
Always discard potatoes if you
have any doubts about their
freshness or safety.
 In the single-stage cooking
technique, take potatoes directly
from the raw state to the finished
state by using one cooking
method.
 In a multiple-stage technique,
prepare potatoes using more than
one cooking method before they
are a finished dish.
 Boiling is one of the easiest
methods of cooking potatoes. It is
often the first step for other
preparations, such as puréed
potatoes.
 Steaming is an especially good
cooking method for new potatoes
because of their high moisture
content.
 Baked potatoes are always
served in their skins. The best
baking potatoes are Idaho's or
russets.
Cooking Methods
Potato
Preparation Techniques
Sweet
Potatoes
Boiling, baking, pureeing, and roasting.
Yams
Pureeing and frying
Russets
Baking or frying
Chef’s or
Mashing, pureeing, braising, and sautéing
All-Purpose
New
Potatoes
Boiling, steaming, and roasting
Yellowfleshed
Mashing
Cooking Potatoes
 Scrub all potatoes clean
 Deep-fry potatoes to make
French fries, cottage fries,
steak fries, and many other
fried potato dishes.
 Make potato pancakes with
grated potatoes and other
ingredients. Pan-fry them to a
crispy brown.
 Latkes are potato pancakes
that are most known in the
American-Jewish culture.
 Whenever possible, cook
potatoes in their skins to retain
their nutrients.
Legumes

Legumes are seeds from pod-producing
plants.
 Legumes include beans, peas, lentils,

Dried legumes have many uses in
cooking, from salads and appetizers,
to main courses and desserts.

Store legumes in a cool, dry, wellventilated area, away from light and
excessive heat.

Place legumes in a large colander or
sieve and rinse well with cold running
water to remove any dust or dirt
particles.

Cook legumes to develop their flavor,
to remove harmful substances, and to
make them easy to chew and digest.

You can serve legumes in many ways;
examples include soups, stews,
salads, or as side or main dishes.
nuts, and seeds.
Selecting, Storing, and
Preparation
 A specific list can be found on page 701
Receiving
Storage
Preparation
Packaging should be intact
with no holes
Cool, dry, well ventilated
area away from light and
excessive heat
Rinse before cooking
Cans should be dent free
Discard any that are moldy,
damp, or wrinkled
Soak in some cases
Keep dry beans for up to 2
years (Best when used
before 6 months)
Cook before eaten to
develop flavors and to
remove harmful
substances
Grains
 Grains are grasses that grow
edible seeds. Grains along with
meals and flours are all essential
for everyday cooking.
 Whole grains are grains that
have not been milled.
 During the milling process, the
germ, bran, and hull of the
grain are removed or polished:
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The hull of a whole grain is the
protective coating, or husk, that
surrounds the grain.
Bran, a great source of fiber and B
vitamins, is the tough layer
surrounding the endosperm.
The endosperm is the largest part
of the grain and a major source of
protein and carbohydrate.
The smallest part of the whole
grain is the germ. It provides a
trace of fat and is rich in thiamin.
Grains
 Examples include:
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Wheat
Wheat Flour
Rice
Corn
Oats
Other variations:
 Buckwheat, rye, barley,
etc.
Selection, Storage, and
Preparation
Selection/Receiving
Storage
Purchase in quantities
that can be used within
3 weeks
Dry grains should be
Soak before cooking
stored 6” above the floor them
in a level, dry, ventilated
area
Check
bags/boxes/containers
to make sure they are
clean, intact, and not
below standard
Whole grains should be
stored in the freezer
Brown and wild rice
should be refrigerated
Preparation
Cook steamed grains in
double boiler.
Grains
 Pilaf is a technique for
cooking grains in which the
food preparer sautés the
grain briefly in oil or butter
and then simmers it in
stock or water with various
seasonings.
 Most commonly, food
preparers use the risotto
method with one special
medium-grain rice, arborio.
 Risotto has a very creamy
consistency because of the
starch that is released from
the arborio rice as it cooks.
11.2
Pasta and Dumplings
The word pasta in Italian means paste, referring to a
mixture of flour and water, and sometimes eggs.
 Pasta is one of the most versatile and convenient foods to prepare.
 Dried pasta and noodles store well, cooks slower, and provide a base
or accompaniment for many popular dishes.
 Fresh pasta cooks faster but doesn’t store as well as dried pasta does.
 Dumplings are cooked balls of dough that often include a filling
ingredient, such as pork, vegetables, or even sweets.
 Pasta and dumplings dough or batter includes a starch and a liquid.
Use additional ingredients to add shape, color, texture, and flavor.
 The basic pasta dough recipe produces a stiff dough that can be
stretched, rolled into thin sheets, and cut into desired shapes.
Pasta and Dumplings

Fresh pasta cooks very quickly. The
pasta is done when it feels firm to
the bite, or al dente.
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For fresh pasta dough, use four
simple ingredients: eggs, salt, olive
oil, and flour For flavor and color,
add fresh herbs, spices, and
vegetables.
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When mixing pasta dough, the most
important stage is the resting
stage. If the dough is not sufficiently
relaxed, it will be difficult to roll the
dough into thin sheets.
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Hold fresh, uncooked pasta under
refrigeration for a day or two, or
freeze it.
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Any sauce served with pasta must
be the right consistency to
complement the type of pasta.
Pasta and Dumplings
Steps to Cooking Pasta
1. Bring a large pot to a boil and
add salt
2. Add pasta and stir until
softened and separated
3. Cook until done, stirring
occasionally
4. Drain pasta in colander
5. Serve pasta immediately.
Pasta can be served with sauce
or tossed with oil
Pasta and Sauce?
 Flat pasta should be paired
with a light, smooth cream
sauce.
 Pair tube or twisted pasta
with a thick, heavy sauce like
tomato because they can
catch and hold onto the
sauce.
Pasta and Dumplings
 Pasta rules of thumb:
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One pound dried pasta to one gallon of liquid
One pound dry pasta yields three pounds
cooked pasta
One pound fresh uncooked pasta yields 2–2 ½
pounds cooked pasta
 Make dumplings from dough or batter, or
even bread and potatoes as the main
ingredients.
 Dumplings should never have a doughy,
uncooked interior. Simmer dumplings in a
flavorful sauce.
 Slight additions or changes can transform
pasta dough into a dumpling batter for
spaetzle, small German dumplings
 Bread-like dumplings that are tasty in stews.
Gnocchi are small potato dumplings served
in Italian cuisine.
Dumplings
 Most popular method for cooking dumplings is by
poaching
 Other methods include
 Simmering
 Steaming