THE COLD KITCHEN (part II)

• Condiments and Canned Goods
  CONTINUED
  • Cereals
    This broad category of staple foods, for us will encompass grains and meals. These food items can be considered the basic fundamental forms of nutrition for "cultivating mankind".
    Whole grains are ones which have not been milled or processed and still retain their germ, bran, and hull intact. This means they have much more nutritional content then "Milled or processed" grains. Grains should be stored away from direct sunlight and kept dry and cool and tightly covered.
    • Processing;
      This begins with the whole grain which is then ground or milled down to smaller sizes in stages. This can be done by "Stone Grinding" which is the preferred but usually most expensive way. This is because the whole grain is processed at a lower temperature which results in less nutrient loss.Coarse milled grains are referred to as "Cracked". The next stage is the "Meal and cereal stage" and finally the process produces a fine ground powder like product known as "Flour"

      

      CEREALS, GRAINS and STARCHES USED IN THE COLD KITCHEN

      NAME	INFORMATION
      RICE	One of man's oldest cultivated foods, originating in Asia. There are thousands of varieties, but generally there are 3 classes of rice based on size. ==== Long Grain A light and fluffy rice usually used for salads and steaming. Medium Grain A slightly stickier rice which tends to cling together. Short Grain The stickiest of all the rices. Typical for Italian Risotto dishes and a specially high glutinous variety is used for Sushi rice. This needs to be rinsed of it's starch very well. === If the rice is unprocessed and still retains it's bran intact it is called "Brown" rice. "Converted Rice" has been parcooked and therefore is almost always re enriched to replace lost nutrients. "Wild Rice" is not really rice but a long dark grass-grain. In general good quality white rice is white in color, not yellow, and all the pieces should be whole and not broken. No odor should prevail and the general appearence should be one of a fresh product.
      PASTA	Are derived from many different flours and grains that then get mixed with water. The best quality pastas are made from durum semolina hard wheat flour. Hard wheats have higher gluten content which make for better quality pasta. In general pastas are very high in carbohydrates and are usually combined with cheeses or vegetables. There are many different forms and shapes of pastas, which are made when the pasta dough is fresh and soft and then very thoroughly dried. This dry form makes it a very convenient item for the professional kitchen. Egg Noodle pasta products must contain at least 5.3% of egg in the final product.
      BARLEY	Is used to produce malt which is important in the manufacturing of beer. Pearl Barley is barley grain that has had it's husk removed and the grains polished.
      COUSCOUS	Small pellets or beads made of semolina flour of North African origin, but many other types exist today. It is often sold partially precooked and is used in salads and frequently as a fish garnish. Is used very similiar in menu concept to pasta, risotto and polenta by today's chefs.
      BEANS String Beans Shell Beans	Originating in the new world and professionally known to us as "Legumes" these items derive from the pods of many different plants. Distributed fresh, frozen, dried and canned they have unlimited uses. In general they are nutritionally about 25% protein, 50% carbohydrate and conatain about 100 calories per ounce of raw product and no harmful polyunsaturated fats.. Fresh; Try to use within 2 weeks of purchase, keep stored in a cool, dry area. Discard any shriveled or discolored or molded items before cooking. Boil in lots of salted water. "Shock" in ice water to stop the cooking process and maintain the vivid color of the bean. Frozen; Try to use within 4 months of purchase, keep stored at O degrees F. These items have been usually precooked so all you are really doing is reheating them so do not overcook. Dried; This is the form that most "Legumes" are purchased and consumed. Look for a fresh appearing product. Try to use within 3 months of purchase, keep stored in a cool, dry area. Discard any shriveled, shattered , discolored or molded items. Before cooking revise closely for stones and dirt, rinse well under running water. Do not soak overnight as it is really unnecessary and in fact the beans may begin to ferment and start to produce harmful posionous by products, 3-5 hours should be suffcient. Boil in lots of salted water. The older the "Legumes" the longer the cooking time and the more water needed. Canned; These are the least desireable for of these products as the canning process geatly reduces the quality of the product. If using, store in a well ventilated storeroom and once the can is open use the product as quickly as possible. They will ferment if mistreated and not utilized right away once opened. COMMONLY USED BEANS and BEAN PRODUCTS Kidney Beans (the best known and most used) Red Beans Chick Peas (garbanzo) Pigeon Peas (black-eyed) Black Beans Fava (broad bean) Lima Bean Soy Bean Pinto Bean (Borlotti) Navy Bean Lentil Garden Peas (Borlotti) Tofu (a bean product) There are many varities of this high protein meat substitute; hard, soft, flavored, cooked, silken, white and yellow. In the hands of a skilled chef. For more information contact The Vegetarian Times Magazine.

  
  • Sugars and Sweeteners
    Historically it was a symbol of wealth and power and like salt launched a number of fleets in it's quest. This is a food of high energy and is 100% carbohydrate.
    Sugar: Made from the sugarbeet or sugarcane plant.
    Syrups: Also are made from plant sources.
    Sweetners: Manufactured artificially. Examples are Saccharin and a class of chemicals called "cyclamates" These have no nutritional value and are used to reduce caloric intake.

    MOST COMMONLY USED SUGARS and NATURAL SWEETNERS

    NAME	INFORMATION
    WHITE SUGAR	This is a fully refined product with no or very little impurities. It can be flavored in a number of ways.
    BROWN SUGAR	Slightly less refined than white sugar, this sugar gets it's color from some impurities or from just adding molasses back to white sugar to color it.
    POWDERED SUGAR	A very powdery version of white sugar, this is often mixed with a bit of cornstarch to keep it from caking up due to mositure.
    GLUCOSE	A naturally occuring fruit and starch sugar. After extraction it is in liquid form and is used in bakery, candy and commercial jam and jelly production.
    LACTOSE	The natural sugar constitiuent of milk. By evaporating the whey or watery part of the milk and then crystallizing and purifying the solids we get this sugar.
    MOLASSES	This is a by product of the sugar refining process. It is a thick dark liquid not nearly as sweet as sugar. There are various forms of production of this by-product.
    HONEY	A natural product of pollen seeking bees, this sweeter than sugar all natural product is one of nature's highest acid (ph) foods. Depending on the pollen source and type of bees, the character of the honey's color, aroma and taste varry greatly.
    MAPLE SYRUP	A product of the concentrated sap of the Maple Tree. Once "Tapped" this sap is refined and used as table syrup, flavorings and used for commercial bakery prodctions.
    CORN SYRUP	A liquid sugar extracted from corn. Less sweet than sugar it comes in dark and light or clear options.

  
  • Vinegars
    Derived from wines, fermented fruits and grains using the vinegar bacteria.
    
    1. Should be stored like oil, but due to it's higher acid (ph), it is not as prone to decomposition.
    2. Considered a condiment.
    3. Is really a dilute solution (around 5%) of "Acetic Acid"
    4. Can be flavored easily by adding your favorite flavoring agent. Examples are:

       Vanilla Vinegar	Herb Vinegar
       Raspberry Vinegar	Mango Vinegar


• Salt and Pepper
  Salt: Like sugar this used to be a symbol of wealth, very expensive and well guarded. It should be stored in a very dry, no mositure area.

  NAME	INFORMATION
  KITCHEN SALT	The general term for sodium chloride, NaCl. A naturally derived product, all salt comes from the sea and depending on how it is futher refined it gets it's name. As we all know it is added to food to improve it's flavor or increase it's "shelf-life".
  SEA SALT	Made by allowing salt/sea water to evaporate to produce an off colored product depening on how much it is refined.
  TABLE SALT	Small crystals of crushed rock salt fortified with iodine and adding a non caking element to allow for good pouring.
  ROCK SALT	Large coarse cystals of unrefined salt. Never used to actually season food directly.
  KOSHER SALT	This is pure refined rock salt. Also known as "pickling" salt. A very flavorful salt it usually comes in a fairly coarse form. Used on pretzels. Does not contain magnesium carbonate (anti-caking agent). Meets Jewish dietery law requirements.
  CURING SALT	Used to cure meats and retain the red color of the meat product. It is a blend of 94% salt and 6% sodium nitrite. This product is usually colored pink to identify it. Normally used at 1 oz. per 100 lbs of pate or "charcuterie" mix.

  Pepper: Also historically one of man's most expensive items during it's hey-day. Best to store this in whole peppercorn form and use freshly ground.

  NAME	INFORMATION
  BLACK PEPPER	This is the main pepper used in professional kitchens. Comes as a black "berry" type product.
  WHITE PEPPER	This is blackpepper allowed to age a bit and then the outside husk is removed. Eliminates the black speckling caused by ground black pepper on white items.
  GREEN PEPPERCORNS	Unripe peppercorns. Can be brine packed or freeze dried.
  CAYENNE PEPPER	This is actually a chili orinally grown in French Guiana. It is ground into a fine powder.


• Canned and Jarred Goods
  In the cold kitchen you will find the need to use these kinds of items. They can range from the following as some examples:

  capers	tomatoes	ketchup	corn kernels
  peas	beans	olives	hearts of palm

  The chef of the cold kitchen with the executive chef must make the decisions on which products of this nature to use. Preferred are fresh products if time and skill permits. Make sure that the can opener is washed and sanitized at least once daily.

  CONTENTS OF STANDARD CAN SIZES
  thankx to "Rules of Thumb"

  CAN NUMBER	WEIGHT	VOLUME (cups)
  1	10-11 oz.	1.25
  300	15 oz.	1.75
  303	1 Lb.	2
  1 Tall	1 Lb.	2
  2	1 lb. 3 oz.	2.5
  2.5	1 lb. 13 oz.	3.5
  3	1 qt. 13 fl. oz.	3.5
  5	3 lbs.	5.75
  10	6 lbs. 8 oz.	12-13


• Nuts and Seeds
  Nuts;
  1. Many are very high in natural "Lipid" (oil) content and are used for perfumes, pharmaceuticals and flavorings.
  2. Are the fruits of various trees and plants.
  3. Come in many forms; Raw, natural, or roasted / shelled or with the shell, skin on or skin off/ whole, slivers, pieces, halves, sliced.
  4. Many times they are sold as butters, like peanut butter.
  5. Because they have a high natural oil content they can go rancid quite easily so they should be stored like oils.

  Seeds;

  1. Follow the same guide lines as for nut storage and handling.

     COMMONLY USED NUTS and SEEDS IN THE COLD KITCHEN

     NAME	NUT or SEED	INFORMATION
     ALMOND	NUT	Use for salads, roasted or natural
     WALNUT	NUT	mainly used in Waldorf salad
     PINENUT	NUT	use whole in pesto based sauces and toasted as garnish for salads
     PISTACHIO	NUT	Use for cold shrimp garnish, diced
     COCONUT	NUT	Many uses, whole, grated or in pieces.
     POPPY SEED	SEED	salad garnish and salad dressing
     CELERY SEED	SEED	salad dressing
     SESAME SEED	SEED	salad garnish and salad dressing

     ---

[Go to the top of this page]

PREVIOUS PAGE NEXT PAGE

[T.O.C.]