At Home in the KitchenChapter 7 (Canadian Ed.)

Major Cooking Appliances

• Stove– Electric (coil and induction elements)– Gas (burners)

• Oven– Conventional (electric or gas)– Convection (circulates air inside)– Microwave

Small Cooking Appliances

• All sorts of little appliances are available: toaster, toaster oven, electric skillet, portable electric burner, slow cooker (crock-pot), broiler/grill, rice cooker and steamers, etc.

• Others?

Cookware

• Cookware (cooking on top of stove)– Saucepans, pots, skillets, double boiler, dutch

oven, steamer, pressure cooker

• Microwave cookware– Avoid metal– Use plastics that say microwave safe– Test plastics if you’re not sure (glass of water

and container to test…)

Bakeware

• Mostly pans of different sizes (metal, glass, stoneware and aluminum)

• Different names refer to different shapes and sizes: loaf pan, cookie sheet, baking pan (or sheet), cake pan, tube pan, pie pan, muffin pan, roasting pan, casserole dishes various sizes.

Cooking Tools

• Flipper (turner), tongs, spoons (large, small, with/without holes), baster, ladle, thermometer (oven and instant-read), pastry brush, skewers, baking racks, potholders/oven mitts, etc.

• Any appliance that has a Teflon coating should only have plastic tools used with it.

Mixing Tools

• Electric mixer

• Rotary beater

• Mixing bowls

• Mixing spoons

• Sifter

• Wire whisk

• Rubber scraper (spatula)

Mixing Techniques

• Mix, combine, blend• Stir• Beat• Cream• Whip• Fold• Sift

Other Tasks

• Strain

• Drain

• Purée

• Baste

• Dredge

Knives and Cutting Tools• Fill in the “Basic Cutting

Tools” handout.

–Hand held electric food chopper–Food processor–Blender–Slicer–Electric knife

–Chef knife–Utility knife–Paring knife (peeler)–Filleting knife–Slicing knife–Bread knife–Shears–Sharpening steal

• Electric versions:

Cutting…• Slice

• Pare

• Cube and dice

• Grate

• Score

• Chop and mince

NEVER CUT TOWARDS YOURSELF! NEVER CUT TOWARDS YOURSELF! ALWAYS CUT UNDER CONTROL!ALWAYS CUT UNDER CONTROL!

Basic Cooking Techniques

• Choose method that retains nutrients.– Some nutrients are heat sensitive– Some are water-soluble, some fat-soluble

• Consider effects of temperature and time on food (ie. Pasta boiled too long turns mushy)

Moist-Heat Methods

• For tenderizing and adding flavours…

• Boiling

• Simmering (stewing, poaching)

• Steaming

• Pressure cooking

Dry-Heat Methods

• Roasting and Baking

• Broiling

• Pan-broiling

• (Grilling)

Frying

• Sautéing

• Pan-frying

• Deep-fat frying

Choice of which fat or oil to use is important. Fats have a lower smoking point (bad for frying). Oils have a higher smoking point. Look for oils that have less saturated fat in them (canola, safflower and sunflower)

Combination Methods

• Braising– Browning food and then simmering

• Stir-frying– Fry food and add a little liquid at the

end to steam/simmer.

Microwave Cooking

• Food high in water (veggies) will cook faster than food low in water (meat).

• Fat, sugar and salt attract microwaves.• Be careful of trapped steam (exploding

food…)• Things to consider include:

– Food density, shape, size, starting temp, amount, type, raw or reheating, covering and placement.