Everything about Cookery totally explained
Cooking is the act of preparing food for eating by the application of heat. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of
ingredients to alter the
flavor or
digestibility of food. It is the general preparation process of selecting, measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Factors affecting the final outcome include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions,
tools, and the skill of the individual doing the actual cooking.
The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural, social and religious considerations that impact upon it.
Applying heat to a food usually, though not always,
chemically transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, consistency, appearance, and nutritional properties. There is archaeological evidence of
roasted foodstuffs, both animal and vegetable, in human (
Homo erectus) campsites dating from the earliest known use of
fire, some 800,000 years ago. Other methods of cooking that involve the boiling of
liquid in a receptacle have been practiced at least since the 10th millennium BC, with the introduction of
pottery.
Effects of cooking
Proteins
Edible animal material, including
muscle,
offal,
milk and
egg white, contains substantial amounts of protein. Almost all
vegetable matter (in particular
legumes and
seeds) also includes proteins, although generally in smaller amounts. These may also be a source of
essential amino acids. When
proteins are heated they become de-natured and change texture. In many cases, this causes the structure of the material to become softer or more
friable - meat becomes
cooked. In some cases, proteins can form more rigid structures, such as the coagulation of
albumen in egg whites. The formation of a relatively rigid but flexible matrix from egg white provides an important component of much
cake cookery, and also underpins many desserts based on
meringue.
Liquids
Cooking often involves
water which is frequently present as other
liquids, both added in order to immerse the substances being cooked (typically
water,
stock or
wine), and released from the foods themselves. Liquids are so important to cooking that the name of the cooking method used may be based on how the liquid is combined with the food, as in
steaming,
simmering,
boiling,
braising and
blanching. Heating liquid in an open container results in rapidly increased
evaporation, which
concentrates the remaining
flavor and ingredients - this is a critical component of both
stewing and sauce making.
Fat
Fats and
oils come from both animal and plant sources. In cooking, fats provide tastes and textures. When used as the principal cooking medium (rather than water), they also allow the cook access to a wide range of cooking temperatures. Common oil-cooking techniques include
sauteing,
stir-frying, and
deep-frying. Commonly used fats and oils include
butter;
olive oil; vegetable oils such as
sunflower oil,
corn oil, and
safflower oil; animal fats such as
lard,
schmaltz, and beef fat (both
dripping and
tallow); and seed oils such as
rapeseed oil (
Canola or
mustard oil),
sesame oil,
soybean oil, and
peanut oil. The inclusion of fats tends to add flavour to cooked food, even though the taste of the oil on its own is often unpleasant. This fact has encouraged the popularity of high fat foods, many of which are classified as
junk food.
Carbohydrates
Cooking include simple
sugars such as
glucose (from table sugar) and
fructose (from fruit), and
starches from sources such as cereal flour,
rice,
arrowroot,
potato. The interaction of heat and carbohydrate is complex.
Long-chain sugars such as starch tend to break down into more
simple sugars when cooked, while simple sugars can form
syrups. If sugars are heated so that all water of
crystallisation is driven off, then
caramelisation starts, with the sugar undergoing thermal decomposition with the formation of
carbon, and other breakdown products producing
caramel. Similarly, the heating of sugars and proteins elicits the
Maillard reaction, a basic flavor-enhancing technique.
An
emulsion of starch with
fat or water can, when gently heated, provide thickening to the dish being cooked. In
European cooking, a mixture of
butter and
flour called a
roux is used to thicken liquids to make stews or sauces. In
Asian cooking, a similar effect is obtained from a mixture of
rice or
corn starch and water. These techniques rely on the properties of starches to create simpler mucilaginous
saccharides during cooking, which causes the familiar thickening of
sauces. This thickening will break down, however, under additional heat.
Food safety
If heat is used in the preparation of food, this can kill or inactivate potentially harmful organisms including
bacteria and
viruses. The effect will depend on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. The temperature range from 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C) is the "food danger zone." Between these temperatures bacteria can grow rapidly. Under optimal conditions,
E. coli, for example, can double in number every twenty minutes. The food may not appear any different or spoiled but can be harmful to anyone who eats it.
Meat,
poultry, dairy products, and other prepared food must be kept outside of the "food danger zone" to remain safe to eat.
Refrigeration and freezing don't kill bacteria, but only slow their growth. When cooling hot food, it shouldn't be left on the side or in a blast chiller (an appliance used to quickly cool food) for more than 90 minutes.
Cutting boards are a potential breeding ground for
bacteria, and can be quite hazardous unless safety precautions are taken. Plastic cutting boards are less porous than wood and have conventionally been assumed to be far less likely to harbor bacteria. This has been debated, and some research have shown wooden boards are far better. Washing and
sanitizing cutting boards is highly recommended, especially after use with raw meat, poultry, or seafood. Hot water and soap followed by a rinse with an antibacterial cleaner (dilute bleach is common in a mixture of 1
tablespoon per
gallon of water, as at that dilution it's considered food safe, though some professionals choose not to use this method because they believe it could taint some foods), or a trip through a dishwasher with a "sanitize" cycle, are effective methods for reducing the risk of illness due to contaminated cooking implements.
The boiling of meat is looked at as a cultural way of cooking because it uses a receptacle to hold
water, therefore it isn't completely natural. It is also the most preferred way to cook due to the fact that neither any of the meat or its juices are lost. In most cultures, this form of cooking is most represented by women and is served domestically to small closed groups, such as families. Roasting of meat is a natural way of cooking because it uses no receptacle. It is done by directly exposing the meat to the
fire. It is most commonly offered to guests and is associated with men in many cultures. As opposed to boiling, meat can lose some parts, thus it's also associated with destruction and loss. Smoking meat is also a natural way of cooking. It is also done without a receptacle and in the same way as roasting. It is a slower method of roasting, however, which makes it somewhat like boiling.
Further Information
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