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Kitchen operations –
the basic
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Principles of Food Preparation
The basic principles and standards of food
preparation isn’t just knowing how to cook a meal –
it’s also about having a fundamental understanding of
kitchen operations.
Common kitchen equipment
Apart from knowing the roles of different persons
Kitchen organization
This is a typical kitchen organizational chart
seen in hotel and restaurant operations. Some of the
positions seen here may not apply in smaller scale
operations, but understanding the organizational
chart will allow you to create a system that best suits
your type of establishment.
The Garde Manager is in charge of cold food.
The assistant chef or assistant cook prepares
the menus at the different stations. This is also
known as the commis.
The person in charge of the pantry handles the
dry goods and stored items, and the commis
is an assistant chef working under the chef de
partie.
in the kitchen, one should also be familiar with the
different pieces of equipment used. In general, there are 3
broad types of equipment: storage, production, and
cooking equipment.
1. Storage Equipment
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Chillers – Where food items that do not require
freezing are stored. Items that should be kept cold but
not frozen include vegetables, because their quality
will deteriorate.
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Freezers
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Warmer
The kitchen is usually divided according to
the following responsibilities:
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The kitchen or Brigade de Cuisine headed by
the Chef de Cuisine or Executive Chef (in
Asian kitchens, the head chef is called the
chef or the chief cook).
The Sous chef who supervises menu
preparation at the different stations under the
chefs de partie.
The Pastry chef is in charge of baked goods
such as bread and desserts. Under him is the
baker. The pastry area or cold kitchen area is
separate from the hot kitchen area.
The Butcher takes care of butchering
requirements.
The Chief Steward is in charge of the
kitchen’s cleanliness. Below him is the
steward.
The Banquet chef heads banqueting and
functions.
– An example of food items that are
stored in freezers are frozen meats. This is important
to prolonging the shelf life of the meat.
– These are temporary storage
equipment where finished products or dishes are
stored until served.
2. Production Equipment
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Mixers
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Slicers – For slicing meats and baked products.
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Choppers – One example is a food processor.
– For combining ingredients in large
batches. Mixed ingredients are usually of the solid
form. This can be for cake and pastry ingredients or
ground meat mixes. Mixers come with different
attachments depending on the use, such as the paddle
attachment to mix ingredients, or whisk attachment
to whip ingredients through incorporating air and
making food fluffy. 2 types of mixers are the Table
Top (smaller ones such as the Kitchen Aid) and Floor
(large industrial ones).
This is used for chopping various ingredients into
smaller pieces, such as vegetables.
Commissary-type; operates round the clock
and usually located very near the airport
3. Cooking Equipment
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Steam Cooking
– These are steam kettles,
steamers, combination cookers and microwave
ovens. This type of equipment makes use of steam for
cooking.
Cruise ship kitchen
Has large storage units to keep enough food
for the duration of the cruise.
Dry heat
– Dry heat cooking equipment makes
use of cooking methods without liquid or oil.
Examples include ovens and stoves.
Kitchen layout flow
Grills – Also use dry heat, but by exposing food to
The layout should flow as such:
open flame.
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Fryers
– Make use of oil for cooking. An
example is a deep-fryer.
Aspects of kitchen layouts
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Criteria for a well-designed kitchen
There are 2 aspects of kitchen layouts. Before
deciding on a suitable kitchen layout, you should also
know what type of kitchen is needed. These kitchen
types are classified in terms of special equipment,
stations or logistics/transportation needs as follows:
The kitchen layout should be designed
according to your menu to ensure the right
equipment, workspaces and capacity are available.
Consider these criteria and how they fit your
restaurant concept and menu:
Quick Service Restaurant
Characterized by speed and high-volume
activity
Hotel Food Service
Receiving and storage area should be close together
Next to storage should be the mise en place and
production area
Once ready, food should move quickly to the plating
and pick-up area near the dining room
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Division of areas for proper distribution of labour
Smooth traffic flow
Sanitary and hygiene standards
Equipment selection
Determining capacity
Purchasing system
A huge kitchen that prepares high-volume
banquet service, with satellite kitchens.
Hospital Kitchen
Requires the highest standard of sanitation
Mid-Scale Restaurant
Medium-sized, the size of a hotel kitchen
station
In-Flight Food Service
Kitchen
3 M’s of an Outstanding
Kitchen & Menu
Principles of Food Preparation
1.Menu
A menu helps you plan, organize, operate and
control the kitchen. It serves as a mirror of your
establishment. Here are some of the types of menus:
A la carte
There are 2 basic cooking methods: Moist heat and
dry heat.
– This is when there are separatelypriced items on the menu.
1. Moist Heat
Table d’Hote
– This is a single-priced
complete meal or a group of items.
This method uses liquids to cook food and includes
the following methods:
Du Jour – Means “of the day”. Examples are fish
specials or soup of the day. This is normally given
with the a la carte menu.
Limited
– Usually for quick service restaurants
and cafés where the selections are few.
Cyclical
– Institutional foodservice menu that’s
offered and repeated for a certain period ranging from
7 to 14 days.
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2. Dry heat
This method uses direct or indirect heat to cook food
and includes the following methods:
California
– Offers a wide range of choices.
Items are printed on a menu folder and are available
the whole day.
Developing the Menu
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Here are some tips on how to ensure your menu stays
appealing.
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Redesign your menu regularly to keep up with the
times.
Include comfort food and traditional or ethnic food.
Make your menu more appealing and impactful by
getting creative.
Keep it delicious and play with flavours.
Make it healthy and nutritious.
Go for variety.
Provide value for money, as good food need not be
expensive.
Baking
Broiling
Grilling
Griddling
Pan-broiling
Dry heat cooking also uses fats
such as oil to prepare food in
the following ways:
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Pan-frying
Sautéing
Deep-frying
3. Minutes
Prepare and serve food by observing the time to
achieve quality and work efficiency. Set time
standards for the following stages:
2.Methods
Food preparation methods should be standardized
to ensure safety, consistency and quality. Observe
appropriate cooking principles and methods in
composing the dish.
Blanching
Poaching
Boiling
Simmering
Steaming
Braising
Stewing
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Receiving
– Weigh, inspect and store food
immediately.
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Storing
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Issuing – Set a schedule for issuance of goods.
Basic Cooking Methods
– Observe shelf life, stock rotation or
First In, First Out system when storing raw or cooked
food.
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Cooking/Reheating
– Heat food at the
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right internal temperature.
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Food Preparation/Serving
– Handle
food at the shortest possible time to maintain quality
and temperature.
d) Ensure Work Safety
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4 M’s to Running a
Successful Restaurant
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1. Market
Who are your guests/customers?
What do they expect in terms of food and service?
What type of operation do you have?
Are the ingredients you need readily available?
Can you price your menu based on your market? Is
your pricing affordable yet profitable?
With proper staff rotation and scheduling, your staff
will work better in teams.
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2. Manpower
Materials refer to the ingredients, kitchen
equipment and physical inventory such as cutlery and
plates. When selecting materials, ensuring their
quantity, quality and safety are paramount.
Forecasting and inventory should precede any
planning for large production of food. Forecast raw
materials or ingredients by planning the menu and
quantity of dishes in advance.
a) Hire the Right People
Clean appearance and presentable
Properly groomed
Project an image and attitude that’s right for your
restaurant
a) Ingredients
b) Adopt the Economies of
Scale
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Enjoy cost advantages with bulk buying and leverage
on your staff to produce at maximum capacity
c) Assign responsibilities
Prepare weekly or monthly work schedules
Use your task analysis as a basis
Rotate managers
Give equal workloads to all shifts
Include cleaning schedules
Be open but firm about complaints
3. Materials
Organize your manpower with the following in
mind:
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Calculate time and activity for flexibility and
maximum performance
Seek feedback to improve efficiency
f) Staff Rotation
It’s important to know your market and how to
satisfy them. Consider the following questions:
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Staff must follow basic safety procedures in handling
and operating equipment
e) Assess efficiency
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Principles of Food Preparation
Make each kitchen staff accountable for smooth and
efficient workflow
It’s important to think of the following when
selecting and purchasing ingredients:
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When compared to raw ingredients, the convenience
of ready-to-use products cuts down on preparation
time for certain recipes such as soups, stocks bases
and sauces
The ability and resources to prepare from scratch or
whether you should consider modern convenience
alternatives
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Consistency of working with ready-to-use products
or raw ingredients
b) Equipment & utensils
Machinery, utensils and other equipment play a very
large part in what your restaurant can offer. Ask
yourself the following questions:
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What are the types needed?
What is the capacity for each machine?
How much space will it occupy? Can your kitchen
accommodate it?
What layout is appropriate?
Are they detachable?
Are they easy to clean and sanitize?
Are chopping boards and knives color-coded to
prevent cross-contamination?
c) Physical inventory
Inventory determines what and how much of each
type of plate or utensil you require for your
restaurant.
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A perpetual inventory helps keep track of all goods
entering and leaving the storeroom
The ending inventory of the previous day is the daily
beginning inventory of the day
Physically verify actual stored goods once every
month, and have at least one neutral person witness
the counting
4.Money
Ensure the efficient use of money and resources
through:
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Proper forecasting and inventory to prevent
overstocking
Buying of high quality ingredients for longer shelf
life
Well-trained and productive manpower
Proper preparation, holding and serving methods
Maximizing the use of goods to prevent wastage of
stocks