by Jane Norman, CFCS & Learning ZoneXpress

Learning the Basics How to Follow a Recipe Personal & Food Safety What you need to know before you cook! How to Follow a Recipe Cooking & Mixing Terms Measuring & Abbreviations Personal & Food Safety Clean Up! ©Learning ZoneXpress

Know How To Follow A Recipe It is important to know some basic cooking terms and how to measure ingredients accurately when preparing foods. Most recipes list ingredients and directions in the order that they occur. Follow the recipe step-by-step. To Get Good Results From a Recipe: Read the recipe carefully. Get all utensils, tools and ingredients ready. Measure accurately. Mix as directed. Bake or cook the required time. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Try it out… Snicker doodle Cookies ¼ cup shortening ¼ cup margarine or butter ¾ cups white sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cup all- purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon white sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ©Learning ZoneXpress

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening, margarine, and ¾ cups sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. For class time limitations, wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until class tomorrow. In a small bowl, stir together the 1 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon. Roll dough in walnut sized balls, and then roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar. Place them onto a parchment-lined or greased cookie sheet, two inches apart. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven. The tops should start to crack and the edges should be slightly brown. Remove from sheets to cool on wire racks.   Prep time: 15 minutes Yield: 24 Preheat temp: 375 degrees F Bake time: 8 minutes ©Learning ZoneXpress

Measuring Dry Ingredients For dry ingredients including flour, sugar, and salt, use dry measuring cups & spoons. Heap into dry measuring cup using a spoon Level Empty dry measuring cups measuring spoons ©Learning ZoneXpress

Measuring Solid Ingredients For solid ingredients including peanut butter, shortening and brown sugar use dry measuring cups. Pack to press out all air bubbles Level Empty using a spatula ©Learning ZoneXpress

Measuring Liquids Set cup on a flat surface. For liquid ingredients including milk, water, oil, and juice, use liquid measuring cups. Set cup on a flat surface. Bend down to eye level and pour until the desired mark is reached. liquid measuring cup ©Learning ZoneXpress

Using Measuring Spoons Use measuring spoons to measure small amounts of dry and liquid ingredients. Do not use kitchen spoons, they are not accurate. How to measure the following: 3/4 tsp. Salt 3 tsp. Vanilla ©Learning ZoneXpress

Abbreviations teaspoon tsp. or t. Tablespoon Tbsp.or T. cup c. Do you understand these abbreviations? teaspoon tsp. or t. Tablespoon Tbsp.or T. cup c. pint pt. quart qt. ounce oz. pound lb. or # Fahrenheit F Why do you think many recipes use abbreviations? ©Learning ZoneXpress

Equivalents 1 Tbsp. = 3 tsp. 1 c. = 16 Tbsp. 2 c. = 1 pt. 4 c. = 1 qt. From small to large measurements: 1 Tbsp. = 3 tsp. 1 c. = 16 Tbsp. 2 c. = 1 pt. 4 c. = 1 qt. 16 c. = 1 gal. 2 pt. = 1 qt. 4 qt. = 1 gal. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Math Skills 1. 2 qt. = ____ c. 2. 1 c. =___ Tbsp. 3. ½ T. =___ t. and ___ t. 4. 1 gal.=___ pt. 5. ½ c. =___ T. 6. ___ c. = ½ gal. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Cooking Terms Recipes use a variety of terms to describe exactly how to handle ingredients. If a recipe states, “pare an apple, then slice and dice it.” What do you do? Review the following cooking terms and see how many you know. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Cooking Terms Cutting & Peeling: Core Cube Chop Pare Dice Slice This is a small handful of many terms: Cutting & Peeling: Core Cube Chop Pare Dice Slice Peel Mince ©Learning ZoneXpress

Core Remove the center of a fruit, such as an apple, pear or pineapple. Cores contain small seeds or have a woody texture. ©Learning ZoneXpress

PARE To peel or trim off the outer skin of a fruit or vegetable. ©Learning ZoneXpress

CUBE To cut food into squares ½ an inch or larger using a knife. ©Learning ZoneXpress

DICE To cut food into squares 1/4th an inch or smaller using a knife. ©Learning ZoneXpress

MINCE Cut food into very fine pieces; smaller than chopped food. ©Learning ZoneXpress

CHOP Cut into coarse or fine irregular pieces with a knife, food chopper, blender or food processor. ©Learning ZoneXpress

SLICE Cut into a uniform-sized flat pieces. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Cooking Terms Mixing: Beat Fold Combine Blend Mix Strain Just a few of hundreds of terms: Mixing: Beat Fold Combine Blend Mix Strain Cream Whip Cut in ©Learning ZoneXpress

BEAT Combine ingredients vigorously with a spoon, fork, wire whisk, hand beater or electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and a uniform consistency. ©Learning ZoneXpress

BLEND Mix a substance with another substance so that the two do not readily separate ©Learning ZoneXpress

CREAM Learn how to mix butter, margarine or shortening into dry ingredients. Cream together sugar and butter until it becomes a new substance! ©Learning ZoneXpress

FOLD & CUT IN See it here! Fold: CUT IN: Using a pastry blender to make small pieces into dry ingredients. ©Learning ZoneXpress

MIX Combine ingredients in any way that distributes them evenly. ©Learning ZoneXpress

WHIP Beat ingredients to add air and increase volume until ingredients are light and fluffy, as for whipping cream and egg whites. ©Learning ZoneXpress

COMBINE Put all the ingredients listed in a large mixing bowl. ©Learning ZoneXpress

STRAIN Pour mixture or liquid through a strainer or colander to remove water from your current mixture. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Cooking Terms Using the Stovetop: Baste Fry Brown Boil Simmer Stir-Fry Braise Sauté Preheat Using The Oven: Bake Roast Preheat Broil Grill Using The Microwave: Cooking Time Rotate Standing Time ©Learning ZoneXpress

BRAISE A method of cooking used for less-tender cuts of meat and other foods. The food is first browned, then covered and cooked in a small amount of liquid at a low temperature either on top of the range or in the oven for a long period of time until tender. ©Learning ZoneXpress

SIMMER Cook in liquid on range top at just below the boiling point. Usually done after reducing heat from a boil. Bubbles will rise slowly and break just below the surface. ©Learning ZoneXpress

BOIL Heat liquid until bubbles rise continuously and break on the surface and steam is given off. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Safety in the Kitchen A Must When Cooking! Did you know that more accidents happen in the kitchen than any other room in the house? Safety can be divided into two very important areas: Personal Safety in the kitchen. Food Safety - preventing food-borne illnesses. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Personal Safety Many kitchen accidents are due to lack of information or carelessness. Chemical poisoning, cuts, burns, fires and falls are the most common of these accidents. Electric shock and choking follow close behind. You can prevent many accidents by: Properly using and caring for equipment. Noticing and correcting potential dangers. Being organized and following directions. Keeping your kitchen clean. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Food Safety A food-borne illness is an illness transmitted by food. Preventing Food-Borne Illnesses: A food-borne illness is an illness transmitted by food. Millions of cases of food-borne illnesses occur in the U.S. each year. Many go unreported because people mistake their symptoms for the “flu”. A food borne illness can result in one of two ways: Contaminants – substances that have accidentally gotten into food. Bacteria – micro-organisms that multiply and under certain conditions can cause people to get sick. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Ways To Prevent Food-borne Illness Sanitation – Keep yourself and your kitchen clean. What are things you should be doing before you cook for personal and kitchen cleanliness? Wash hands with hot, soapy water. Scrub hands, wrist and fingernails for at least 20 seconds. Rinse with hot water. Dry with a paper towel. ©Learning ZoneXpress

Handle Food Properly Prepare foods as directed and properly clean them. What are things you should remember when preparing foods? i.e., fruits, vegetables, meats such as chicken, beef, dairy products? Store food at correct temperatures. Know the Danger Zone for certain foods! The Danger Zone is the temperature range of 40° - 140° F. where certain foods could begin to develop harmful bacteria. Don’t keep these foods longer than 2 hours at room temperature. What foods should not be kept in the Danger Zone for too long? ©Learning ZoneXpress

What About The Dishes? Scrape extra food into the garbage. How to Wash Dishes Properly: Scrape extra food into the garbage. Prepare your hot soapy bubble tube with water, make sure it’s very warm, and has 1t. of soap to clean your dishes. Wash silverware first & items that touch your mouth, then plates, & cups. Wash pots and pans last, they will make the water greasy. Rinse dishes under cold water to remove any soap. Air dry dishes and put away. ©Learning ZoneXpress

How would you narrate this… ©Learning ZoneXpress

https://www. youtube. com/watch/. v=djxmuDz8c3s https://thehazards https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=djxmuDz8c3s https://thehazards.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/pbj- 2.jpg http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-05-20- 6a00d83451cb0369e201a73dc50cdd970d800wi.jpg ©Learning ZoneXpress

Kitchen Basics Review 1. Label the following tools. (Show examples.) Answer the following questions: 1. Label the following tools. (Show examples.) 2. Name the two main types of cooking that are done with the stove. 3. How would you measure the following ingredients? Flour Brown Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla ©Learning ZoneXpress

Kitchen Basics Review 4. What are the abbreviations for the following? Teaspoon Ounces Tablespoon Quart 5. Define the following cooking terms: Pare Blend Simmer Combine Boil Whip Bake ©Learning ZoneXpress

Kitchen Basics Review 6. Give two examples of how you can prevent accidents in the kitchen? 7. What are food-borne illnesses? 8. What happens when perishable foods are kept too long in the “Danger Zone”? 9. How do you wash dishes by hand? ©Learning ZoneXpress

Online Resources http://consumerreports.org http://allrecipes.com Suggested web sites appropriate for the Kitchen Basics: http://consumerreports.org Detailed information and comparisons on appliances. http://allrecipes.com Recipes. http://www.bettycrocker.com Details on equipment, terms, reading a recipe, food safety as well as many other kitchen aids. http://ichef.com http://www.agr.state.us/cgber/kidswrld/foodsafe Information for kids on food safety, games to play, on line quizzes and links to nutrition web sites. Please note that web sites are constantly changing and being updated. ©Learning ZoneXpress

You’re the Expert! Make a personal safety check list. Select one of the following to practice what you have learned: Make a personal safety check list. Make a chart explaining how the following foods should be handled/stored. Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Dairy Products/Eggs Chicken/Beef Select a cooking term and explain or demonstrate its definition. Choose a kitchen tool or utensil and explain what it is used for and demonstrate its use. Demonstrate the proper way to measure dry, solid and liquid ingredients. ©Learning ZoneXpress