1. Preparing to Cook

2. Mise en Place
Getting ready to cook is called mise en place. Mise en place is French for “to put in place.”
Mise en place refers to the preparation and assembly of ingredients, pans, utensils, equipment, or serving pieces needed for a particular dish or service.
The goal of pre-preparation is to do as much of the work in advance without any loss in ingredient quality
The basic elements of mise en place—knife cuts, flavorings, herbs and spices, and basic preparations—are the building blocks of a professional chef ’s training. These methods and techniques will be essential throughout a professional career.

3. Preparation Techniques
Mise en place also involves pre-preparing certain ingredients that need to be refined before they are ready for use at the time of preparation.
Usually, cleaning and cutting raw foods is one of the first steps of mise en place. Fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat often require trimming and cutting.
Basic cooking techniques in pre-preparation include separating eggs, whipping egg whites, setting up a bain-marie, and making parchment liners for pans.

4. Flavor
Flavor refers to the way a food tastes, as well as its texture, appearance, doneness, and temperature.
A flavoring should enhance the base ingredients of the dish, or it can also bring another flavor to the product.

5. Seasonings
A seasoning is something that enhances the flavor of an item without changing the primary flavor of the dish. They must be used with care to prevent overuse, but seasoning generally should be added at the start of the dish to create a depth of flavor.
There are four basic types of seasoning ingredients:
Salts
Peppers
Sugars
Acids

6. Herbs & Spices
Herbs and spices are important ingredients used to enhance and add to the flavor of food:
Herbs are the leaves, stems, or flowers of an aromatic plant.
Spices are the bark, roots, seeds, buds, or berries of an aromatic plant.
Storing spices and herbs properly helps to keep them fresh and flavorful. Heat, light, and air all speed the loss of flavor and color.

7. Herbs & Spices
Add volatile spices and herbs toward the end of cooking to provide the full benefit of their aromas and flavors.
Some herbs and spices must be used carefully because their dominant flavors can overpower the flavor of the dish.
Use salt and pepper at the beginning of the cooking process to ensure that sauces, butter, or other liquids will not wash off the seasoning.

8. Name that Herb
Basil
Italian Cooking

9. Bay Name that Herb Soups, Stews, Meats
Use the whole leaf, but remove before serving

10. Name that Herb
Chives
Potatoes, Garnishes, Seafood, Soups

11. Name that Herb
Cilantro
Mexican Food, Thai Food, Sauces, Salsa

12. Name that Herb
Dill
Fish, Potatoes, Pickles, Dips, Carrots, Bread

13. Name that Herb
Lemon Grass
Chicken, Seafood

14. Name that Herb
Mint
Desserts, Lamb, Tea

15. Name that Herb
Oregano
Italian Food, Mexican Food, Pizza, Spaghetti

16. Name that Herb
Parsley
Garnish, Meat, Cheese, Salads, etc….

17. Name that Herb
Rosemary
Chicken, Seafood, Mushrooms, Vegetables

18. Name that Herb
Sage
Pork, Turkey, Stuffing, Mushrooms

19. Name that Herb
Tarragon
Chicken, Eggs, Mushroom, Seafood

20. Name that Herb
Thyme
Meat, Poultry, Mushrooms, Nuts, Potatoes

21. Allspice Name that Spice Tropical Evergreen Tree Berry
Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon
Pickling, Stews, Baking

22. Name that Spice
Caraway
Apple, Pork, Sausage, Rye Bread

23. Name that Spice
Cayenne
Any food, but can add lots of heat!!

24. Chili Powder Name that Spice Blend of cumin, garlic, onion and chili
Tex-Mex, BBQ

25. Cloves Name that Spice Immature flower buds
Meats, Stocks, Sauces, Baking

26. Coriander Name that Spice Cilantro seeds
Variety of cooking uses in savory and baked foods

27. Name that Spice
Cumin
Seeds – used crushed
Mexican Foods, Chili

28. Name that Spice
Ginger
Root of plant
Baking, Asian Foods

29. Nutmeg Name that Spice Seed kernel inside a fruit
Baking, cheese, eggs, Alfredo

30. Paprika Name that Spice Finely ground powder from dried pepper
Garnish, salads, sausage, casseroles

31. Peppercorn Name that Spice Dried unripe berry
Most common – black pepper, used in most foods

32. Name that Spice
Poppy Seeds
From poppy flower
Baking, Salad Dressing

33. Saffron Name that Spice Dried stigmas of crocus
Most expensive spice in the world
Mediterranean and Asian foods

34. Sesame Seeds Name that Spice Found in the pod of a tropical plant
Baking, Tahini Paste, Asian Fish dishes

35. World Seasonings
You can create different taste by simply adjusting seasonings. The meat and vegetables can remain basically the same, but by changing the seasonings you can enhance the dish

36. Chinese
Chinese 5 spice powder, garlic, red chilies, chili oils, ginger root, cilantro, sesame seeds and sesame oil, peanut oil, chili paste, hoisin sauce, fermented black beans, black bean paste, rice vinegar, sherry, soy sauce, bean sprouts, scallion, mirin, bok choy

37. Japanese
garlic, ginger root, pickled ginger, scallion, cucumber, daikon, sake, soy sauce, sugar, watercress, wasabi, miso, mirin, sesame seeds, plum wine, seaweed

38. Italian
Oregano, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, dried Italian seasonings, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, onion, garlic, capers, red pepper flakes, anise and fennel, arugula, olives, parmesan, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste, artichoke

39. Mexican
garlic, cumin, chili powder, cloves, oregano, thyme, vanilla, lime, cilantro, onion, tomatoes, red peppers, chilies, white vinegar, legumes, dried peppers, bell peppers

40. Thai
Garlic, cumin, cloves, lemongrass, cilantro, mint, basil, ginger, fruit (bananas, pineapple, mangoes, papaya) fish sauce, dried shrimp, coconut milk, sugar, ketchup, peanuts, peanut oil, peanut butter

41. Indian
garlic, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, clove, anise, curry, turmeric, chilies, cilantro, ginger, lime, onion, raisins, apples, nuts, green and red bell peppers