Y1.U5.2
Getting Ready to Cook
What is
• Mise en Place
• Proper knife use
• Difference between seasoning and flavoring
• Basic pre-preparation technique
Mise En Place
• French for “put in place”
• Refers to the preparation and assembly of ingredients,
pans, utensils, equipment, or serving pieces needed for a
particular dish or service.
• Requires planning
• Needed because
• Too much to do at last minute
• Food is best immediately after preparation
Mise- step by step
1. Identify each ingredient and piece of equipment needed to prepare, finish
and hold each item for service. Preferably the night before. (Read recipe).
2. Prepare a timeline: what needs to be done (steps), what order (prioritize),
how much time for each step. Attention to detail.
3. Assemble workstation (cutting board, containers/sanitation), tools,
ingredients,
4. Preform advance preparation consistent with providing the best possible
product. Store to prevent time-temperature abuse, nutrient/moisture loss.
5. During service balance need to work quickly and the need to provide safe,
high quality food.
6. After service, clean station, store leftovers appropriately.
7. Review. What went well, what could be improved.
Knife Grip
Knife Grip, Claw
Knife Cuts
Knife Cuts
Knife Cuts
Knife Cuts
Knife Cuts
• [
• [skill demo]
Seasoning & Flavor
Seasoning
Flavor
• Enhances the flavor of an
item without changing the
primary flavor of a dish
• The way a food tastes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sugars
• Acids
• Flavoring can enhance or
bring another flavor to the
product- (change the
flavor)
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Herbs
Spices
Extracts
Fruits/Vegetables
Aromatic liquids
Cured foods
Herb/Spice
Herb
• Herb: aromatic plants whose leaves, stems or flowers are
used to add flavors to other foods
Basil
• Flavor: Fragrant and spicy —
almost peppery
Great with: Tomatoes,
vegetables, poultry, grilled
pizzas, salads
Notes: It's best used as whole
leaves or torn. Smaller leaves
at top of bunch are the
sweetest.
Bay
• Flavor: fragrance is herbal,
slightly floral, and somewhat
similar to oregano and thyme
Great with: soups, stews,
meat, seafood and vegetable
dishes
• Notes: The leaves are most
often used whole (sometimes
in a bouquet garni) and
removed before serving (they
can be abrasive in the digestive
tract)
Chives
• Flavor: Subtle onion with
grass-like leaves
Great with: Egg dishes, soups,
sauces, baked potatoes, fish
Notes: Snip with scissors for
best results. Chive flowers
make a pretty garnish.
Cilantro
• Flavor: A lively flavor; soapy,
some say; looks similar to flatleaf parsley
Great with: Asian, Mexican and
Indian dishes; mix in salsas and
chutneys
Notes: Leaves become bitter
after plant flowers. Dried seeds
are the spice coriander.
Dill
• Flavor: Fresh and grassy;
feathery leaves used in pickle
brine
Great with: Tuna salad,
omelets, vegetables, seafood
dishes, yogurt dressing for
cucumbers, herb vinegars
Notes: Use dill fresh or add to
hot food just before serving.
Mint
• Flavor: Cool; brightens up
both savory and sweet dishes
Great with: Beverages, jellies,
sauces, marinades for meat
and vegetables; often tossed
with buttered peas
Notes: The most popular
variety is spearmint. To dry,
hang in a dark place with low
humidity.
Oregano
• Flavor: Earthy; balances acidic
tomatoes — hence common on
pizza
Great with: Lamb, beef, eggs,
beans, eggplant
Notes: It's closely related to
marjoram (but more pungent),
so they aren't classified
separately.
Parsley
• Flavor: Peppery and fresh;
curly parsley is milder than
flat-leaf Italian
Great with: Salads, vegetables
(especially potatoes), pasta
Notes: Either variety is a
breath freshener.
Rosemary
• Flavor: Pungent aroma and
pine flavor
Great with: Mediterranean
dishes, lamb, poultry, fish,
breads; add sprigs or finely
chopped leaves to longcooking stews
Notes: When grilling, sturdier
stems make good skewers;
branches can be a basting
brush.
Sage
• Flavor: Very aromatic and
woodsy.
Great with: Fresh sausage,
holiday stuffing for turkey, rich
meats like pork, goose and
duck.
Notes: Soft Downy leaves.
Deep-fried sage is a lovely
garnish.
Tarragon
• Flavor: Reminiscent of licorice
Great with: Poultry, fish,
shellfish, vegetables, vinegar
and eggs; indispensable in the
French béarnaise sauce
Notes: Two types; French is
preferred over the more bitter
Russian.
Thyme
• Flavor: Minty and citrusy
Great with: Mediterranean
dishes, stews, eggs, seafood,
poultry; toss sprigs into
boiling water to flavor steamed
rice
Notes: Strip leaves from stems
by pulling through fork tines.
Herb Blends
Fines Herbes
• French
• Chervil: chive: parsley: tarragon
Herb Blends
Herbs de Provence
• French
• Dried savory, basil, fennel, thyme, oregano, (lavender)
Spice
•
The bark, roots, seeds, buds, or berries of an
aromatic plant.
Allspice
• Flavor: Cinnamon, nutmeg and
clove.
Great with: Braises,
forcemeat, fish, pickles,
dessert.
• Notes: Columbus thought it
was pepper.
Annatto (Achiote)
• Flavor: Light citrus flavor.
Great with: Soup, stew, sauce
• Notes: imparts
yellowish/orange color.
Anise (star)
• Flavor: Sweet, spicy licorice.
Great with: Southeast Asian,
savory dishes, desserts, baked
goods, liquor.
• Notes: Similar to fennel.
Caraway
• Flavor: Delicate, similar to, but
sweeter than anise seeds.
• Great with: Austrian, German,
Hungarian, rye bread, soup,
stew, cheese, liqueur.
• Notes: Parsley family.
Cardamom
• Flavor: Strong aroma, sweet
spicy flavor.
• Great with: Curries, baked
goods, pickles.
• Notes: Chai tea.
Celery Seed
• Flavor: Strong celery flavor.
• Great with: Salad, coleslaw,
salad dressing, soup, stew,
tomatoes, baked goods.
• Notes: Seed of wild celery
(lovage).
Cinnamon
• Flavor: Sweet, warm.
• Great with: Baked goods,
dessert, curry, stew, beverage.
• Notes: Bark. Sri Lanka/Ceylon:
true. Others: Cassia. (Korintje,
Pandang).
Cloves
• Flavor: Sweet, pungent,
peppery aroma.
• Great with: Saline foods,
stock, sauce, curry, pickle,
baked goods..
• Notes: Flower of unopened tropical
evergreen.
Coriander
• Flavor: Citrus-like (seed).
• Great with: Asian, Indian,
Middle Eastern, curry,
forcemeat, pickles, baked
goods.
• Notes: Flavor very different
from herb.
Cumin
• Flavor: Spicy, lemon, nutty,
with a bite.
• Great with: India, Mexican,
Middle Eastern, curries, chili.
• Notes: Similar chemical
irritants to capsaicin.
Dill Seed
• Flavor: Strong, slightly bitter,
notes of anise, oregano and
cedar.
• Great with: Northern and
eastern European, pickle,
sauerkraut, bread, salad
dressing.
• Notes: Parsley family.
Fennel Seed
• Flavor: Sweet Licorice.
• Great with: Italian,
Mediterranean, Chinese,
Scandinavian, sausage fish,
shellfish, tomatoes, baked
goods.
• Notes: Not directly related to
Anise.
Fenugreek
• Flavor: Bitter/pungent; hay
like aroma.
• Great with: Indian cuisine,
curry, meat marinade, poultry,
chutney.
• Notes: Not directly related to
Anise.
Mace
• Flavor: Strong nutmeg.
• Great with: Forcemeat, pork,
fish, spinach, baked goods,
desserts.
• Notes: Membrane of nutmeg.
Nutmeg
• Flavor: Sweet, peppery.
Fragrance clove, mint,
lavender, pine
• Great with: Dairy, sauce, soup,
baked goods, desserts.
• Notes: More delicate than
mace.
Saffron
• Flavor: bitter, spicy, slight
citrus; sweet floral bouquet
• Great with: Paella,
Bouillabaisse, Risotto
Milanese, pilaf, sauce, soup,
baked goods.
• Notes: Most expensive spice in
the world.
Turmeric
• Flavor: Mildly bitter spicy.
• Great with: Indian and Middle
Eastern cuisine, curry.
• Notes: Often used for color.
Spice Blends
Chili Powder
• Southwest/Mexican
• Dried chili as base, cumin, clove, coriander, garlic,
oregano
• Chili, soup, stew, sauce
Spice Blends
Five Spice
• Chinese
• Szechwan pepper corns: star anise: cinnamon:
cloves: fennel
• Meat, fish, vegetable, sauce
Spice Blends
Curry
• Indian
• Cardamom, chiles, clove, cinnamon, coriander,
cumin, fennel, fenugreek, mace, nutmeg, saffron,
tamarind, turmeric
• Meat, seafood, vegetable, rice, sauce, soup
Spice Blends
Garam Masala
• Indian
• Black pepper, clove, cinnamon, coriander, cumin,
fennel, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, dried chilies
• Fish, lamb, pork, poultry, cauliflower, potatoes
Spice Blends
Quatre èpices
• French
• Pepper, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
• Stew, soup, vegetable
Storing Spice and Herbs
• Heat, light and air speed loss of flavor
• Tightly lidded glass jar.
• Avoid storing close to stoves, dishwashers, sinks, air-ducts,
direct sunlight
• Replace at least yearly, check expiration date.
Spice/Herb Notes
• 3 parts fresh = 1 part dried leaf = ½ part dried ground
• Amount/Rule of Thumb: 1% ground by weight or ¼ tsp.
per lb.
• Hot peppers: Consider using half the General Rule of
Thumb amount to start. When scaling up recipes,
consider increasing by 1.5 instead of 2.
• Add volatile spice/herb (vanilla, cilantro, cardamom) at
the end of cooking
• Garlic and onion are oil-soluble, add to the dish with oil
to distribute flavors
• [demo: egg separate/whip, bain-marie]