Potatoes, Grains and Pasta€¦ · POTATOES, GRAINS AND PASTA Collectively known as starches....
Transcript of Potatoes, Grains and Pasta€¦ · POTATOES, GRAINS AND PASTA Collectively known as starches....
POTATOES, GRAINS AND PASTA
Collectively known as starches
Buying Potatoes
■ Choose potatoes that are heavy and very
firm with clean skin and few eyes.
■ Avoid many eyes, sprouts and green
streaks
Potatoes
■ Mature potatoes are fully grown
■ New potatoes are immature potatoes of ANY variety.
They are waxy with a high moisture content
Nutritional Value
■ Potatoes are high in complex carbohydrates, with little or no
fat, vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium.
■ Although vitamin C is destroyed when potatoes are cooked
in liquid
Difference between potatoes
■ Mealy potatoes (also known as starchy potatoes) have a high starch content and thick skin
– They are known as bakers
– They are low in sugar and can be fried
– Waxy potatoes have a low starch content and thin skin
Storing Potatoes■ Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark place
■ Do not store uncooked potatoes in the refrigerator
because the inside turn to sugar
■ Do not store potatoes with onions
Solanine■ Green spots on potatoes contain solanine a toxic substance
(if eaten in large amounts)
■ Solanine is also found in the eyes and sprouts
■ Do not wash potatoes before storing it can cause them to
become moldy.
Fingerlings■ The potatoes are generally small, long and finger-
shaped
■ They are low in starch and good for roasting and
salads
Purple Potatoes■ They have a deep purple skin, and bright purple
flesh.
■ They are mealy, with a flavor and texture similar to
russets
Red Potatoes
■ They have a thin red skin and crisp, waxy flesh best
suited for boiling or steaming
Russet Potatoes
■ Also known as Idaho potatoes are the standard
baking potato.
■ They are long with rough reddish-brown skin.
■ They have a mealy flesh
■ They are excellent baked and fried.
White PotatoesRound white potatoes are known as all-purpose
potatoes
■ They are available in round or long varieties
■ They have a tender, waxy yellow or white flesh
Yukon Gold
Medium sized, slightly
flattened, oval
potatoes delicate pale
yellow skin and pale
yellow flesh
Sweet Potatoes
■ They have a darker orange, moister flesh and higher in
sugar.
■ They are best suited for boiling, baking, pureeing and frying
Cooking Potatoes
They way to tell if potatoes are done
cooking is when they are soft and tender.
Check with the tip of a knife
Roasting and Baking
■ Mealy potatoes are ideal for baking
■ Use a fork to pierce the skin
■ Cooked in dry heat
■ A correctly cooked potato should be white and fluffy
not yellowish or soggy
■ A true baked potato is not wrapped in foil or
microwaved because then it is being steamed
Baking En Casserole
■ Potatoes are sliced
■ Added to a baking pan and covered with sauce
■ And Bake
■ Example is scalloped potatoes
Sautéing and pan-frying
■ Waxy potatoes such as red and white skinned
varieties
■ Shredded or sliced potatoes are added to a small
amount of fat
Deep-frying
■ Top quality russet potatoes are recommended for
deep-fat frying
■ Peeled potatoes should be soaked in clear, cold
water until ready to cook.
■ This keeps them crisp
Boiling
■ Waxy potatoes are best for all moist-heat cooking methods
■ Potatoes are boiled in water, stock or milk
■ Always begin cooking in cold water
■ Cut potatoes into uniform pieces to promote even cooking
■ Pieces shouldn’t be too small because they become soggy
■ COVER with water
■ Cook until tender
■ Drain
GRAINS■ Botanically, grains are grasses that bear edible seeds
■ Most common grains are wheat, corn, oats and rice
Grain Kernel
There are 3 parts to a kernel
Bran-outer covering that is brown high in fiber
and B1, B2, and niacin vitamins
Endosperm- the center, the largest part that is
milled into flour is high in carbohydrates and
protein
Germ-contains fat and thiamin
Corn■ Cornmeal-is made by drying and grinding corn known as dent. It is
used in breads, coating for fried food
■ Hominy-dried corn that is soaked in hydrated lime or lye
Hominy is available dried, cooked or canned, It is used in stews, soups or
side dishes
■ Grits-are made by grinding dried hominy. They are used as a hot
breakfast cereal
Ricelong-grain, medium-grained and short grained
■ Brown rice-the bran is attached
■ White rice-bran removed and polished
■ Converted rice-is parboiled to remove the surface starch
and forces nutrients into endosperm
■ Instant or quick-cooking rice- rice is fully cooked and then
flash-freezing. This removes some of the nutrients and
flavor
■ Wild Rice-isn’t truly a rice but a reedlike aquatic plant. It is
dark brown or black
Types of Rice
Cooking Rice
■ Do not rinse rice it washes away nutrients
■ The standard ratio when cooking rice is two parts
water to one part rice.
■ Add rice to pan with water, boil then simmer for
approximately 20 minutes
Wheatis most often milled into flour
■ Cracked wheat-is the whole wheat kernel broken into varying degrees
of coarseness.
It must be soaked for several hours before cooking
■ Bulgur- is a wheat berry with the bran removed, it is steam-cooked,
dried and ground into a varying degree of coarseness. Used in stews
or pilafs
■ Couscous- the endosperm is steamed, pressed to form tiny pellets and
dried
Other grains
Barley- is used to feed animals, but some is in stew or
soups
Buckwheat/Kasha- it really isn’t a grain but rather a fruit
but it is prepared like grains
Millet- is a high protein cereal grain with bland, nutty
flavor
Oats- are consumed as breakfast cereal, muffins,
cookies and other baked goods
Quinoa-cooked like rice, a gluten-free product
Nutritional Value
■Grains are high in carbohydrate,
vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber
Storing Grains
■ Store in an airtight containers, placed in a
cool, dark dry place
Whole grains need to be stored in the
refrigerator
Cooking Grains
■ The basic way to cook
grains is to simmer
and Cook until tender
In general they are fully
cooked when almost all
the water is absorbed
Pastamade from unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with
liquid
■ The most common liquid is eggs or water
■ Dough can be colored with pureed vegetables like carrots and spinach
■ Dough can be cooked while still moist and pliable or dried
Pasta Shapes
Pasta preparation
■ Pasta can be prepared by hand or by a pasta
machine
Pasta■ Fresh pasta is cooked in 3-5 minutes
■ Dry pasta is cooked in 6-12 minutes, depending on
thickness
■ Pasta is cooked using the boiling method
– It is important to use ample water!
– Allow one gallon per each pound of pasta
– Add salt for flavor
– Add oil to prevent sticking together
Al Dente’
■ To cook pasta until
it is firm to the bite
■ Literally means “to
the tooth”