Food Preparation

Lesson Structure: Food Preparation - Foundations of Cooking

Introduction
History of cooking/ Trends
Principles of Cooking
Nutrition
Scope of the Catering industry
Weights and measures
Basic cooking techniques
Terms
Fruit and vegetables
Why eat Fruit & Veg; How much a person should eat; How poor preparation can damage nutritional value
How to choose fruit and vegetables when shopping
Basics of preparation- peeling slicing etc
Cooking techniques
Nutritional information relating to food group
Cereals & Starches; Bread, cereals and potatoes
Preparation- including how to make fresh pasta
Why eat cereals & starche; How much a person should eat; How poor preparation can damage nutritional value
How to prepare potatoes- different types of potato dishes- mashed, boiled, daulphinoise etc
Cooking pasta- different recipes
Cooking Rice, cous cous etc.
Nutritional information relating to food group
Meat Fish and Alternatives
How much a person should eat
How poor preparation can damage nutritional value
Selecting the perfect cut of meat/ basic butchery, fish mongery
How to prepare and cook it, which sauces compliment it.
Eggs- cooking different types
Cooking with pulses
Nutritional information relating to food group
Milk and dairy
How much a person should eat
How poor preparation can damage nutritional value
Cheese making basics
Cheese types and recipes
Basic recipes e.g. Macaroni cheese
Dairy free cooking
Yoghurt
How to make it, use in sauces
Dairy free cooking
Nutritional information relating to food group
Fats and Sugars
How much a person should eat
How poor preparation can damage nutritional value
How to make perfect puddings
Types of fat
How to adapt recipes to reduce sugar and fat- catering for low fat and low sugar dietary requirements
Nutritional information relating to food group
Flavouring Food
 More on complimenting foods- sauces- cream, wine, butter, vinaigrette etc
Stocks
Use of herbs/ seasoning
Menu planning on a Small Scale
Designing menus- complimenting foods
Recipes simple to advanced- Seasonal foods
Planning a dinner party- case study
Menu Planning on a Large Scale
Planning Meals/Catering for parties and events; outdoor, indoor etc
Restaurant Menus/Catering

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Cooking is defined as the process of preparing food for eating by applying heat. Scientists have found it difficult to determine when exactly human beings started cooking and in general believe that the controlled use of fire by humans for the purpose of cooking food existed somewhere between 125,000 and 250,000 years ago.


Today's cooking results of the evolution of agriculture, commerce and greater transport links between countries which has allowed us to access new ingredients and learn different cooking techniques and recipes. We have also benefited from new inventions and technologies from the first pottery pots used for boiling water to the invention of the microwave and beyond.

Most cultures have developed different cooking traditions and practices which are influenced by factors such as climate, which affects the foods available to the cook, economic conditions and religious traditions. Today when visiting large towns and cities we are able to choose between a wide variety of different cuisines e.g. French, Italian, Chinese and Indian. We shall examine each of these types of cuisine in later lessons. However, it is also notable that in the past 100 years traditional food choice and eating habits have also changed dramatically. As a society we are eating away from home much more than ever before. When at home we are also eating more pre-packaged meals or take-outs