Pulses are edible seeds from plants belonging to the legume family. They are leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and colour within a pod.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
1. Name a few root vegetables and give their uses.
Beetroots: Used in preparing soups, salads.
Carrots: Used in preparing sauces, soups, stews, and salads also served as a vegetable.
Radishes: Used in preparing salads.
Turnips: Used in preparing soups and stews.
Parsnips: Used in preparing soups and stews.
2. Name a few tubers.
Artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro and yams.
3. Name a few bulbs and their uses.
Onions: Used in all cuisines across the world except in sweet dishes.
Shallots: Used in a similar way to onions.
Leeks: Used in preparing stocks, soups, sauces, and stews.
Fennel: Used in preparing salads.
Garlic: Used in all cuisines across the world for preparing dressings, marinades, soups, stews, salads, sauces and relishes.
Spring onions: Used mainly in Chinese and Japanese cuisine for preparing soups and salads.
4. Name a few leafy vegetables used in the kitchen.
The leafy vegetables used are lettuce, cress, spinach, watercress, Swiss chard and rocket.
5. Name a few types of pods, seeds and beans.
Some pods, seeds, and beans are broad/fava beans, runner beans, lima beans, green beans, soya beans, okra, mangetout, peas, Thai beans, and corn/sweet corn.
6. Name various stems and shoots and their uses.
Asparagus: Used in soups, salads, and garnishes.
Bean sprouts: Used as an accompaniment in stir fry dishes and salads.
Fennel: Used in preparing salads.
Celery: Used in preparing soups, stocks, sauces, salads, and dips.
Kohlrabi: Used in preparing of stews, casseroles and baked dishes.
Cardoon: Used in preparing salads.
Globe artichoke: Used in preparation of starters.
7. Which vegetables come under the brassica family? What are they used for?
Broccoli: Used in preparing soups, salads and stir fry dishes.
Cabbage: Used in preparing coleslaw, also served boiled, braised or
stir fried as an accompanying vegetable.
Cauliflower: Used in preparing soups and also served as a vegetable.
Pak choi: Used in salad and in stir fry dishes.
Romanescue: Usually roasted and served.
Brussels sprouts: Used in preparing soups.
8. Name some fruiting vegetables and their uses.
Aubergine: Used as a vegetable, in hors-d’oeuvres, and garnishes.
Courgette: Used as vegetable, in hors-d’oeuvres, and garnishes.
Cucumber: Used in soups, salad, and garnishes.
Marrow: Used in vegetable preparations.
Peppers: Used as a vegetable, in hors-d’oeuvre, salads, and garnishes.
Pumpkins: Used in preparing soups and pies.
Okra (lady’s finger/gumbo): Used in preparing a hot vegetable and salads.
Tomatoes: Used in preparing soups, sauces, salads, stews, sandwiches, ketchup, and chutney.
9. What is ‘Cardoons’?
Cardoons is a large vegetable related to the globe artichoke and a cross between artichoke and asparagus.
10. Name a few varieties of cabbage.
The varieties of cabbage include Savoy cabbage, spring greens, green cabbage, red cabbage, and white cabbage.
11. What is ‘Capsaicin’?
It is a volatile oil which is present in chillies which makes them hot.
12. Name some varieties of chilli.
The varieties of chilli are Ancho chilli/pepper, Cherry hot chillies, Jalapeno, Fresno, Hot Gold Spike, Serrano chilli, Habanero.
13. Name a few varieties of lettuce.
The varieties of lettuce are romaine/cos, lollo rosso, iceberg, butter head, curly endive and leaf.
14. Name a few types of mushrooms.
Some types of mushroom are button, chestnut, field mushroom, oyster mushroom, cep, chanterelle, shiitake, chicken of the woods, giant puff ball, morels, white truffle, wood ears, silver ears, straw mushrooms, enokitake.
15. What are the various types of beans?
Green beans, Lima beans, French green beans.
16. Name the various types of tomatoes.
Plum, Cherry, Currant/Cranberry, Pear tomatoes, Tomatillos.
17. What are the various cuts of vegetables?
Brunnoise: Small diced cube, sized between 1–3mm square.
Garnish for consommé. Vegetables used are carrot, turnip, onion and celery.
Chiffonade: Finely sliced or shredded green leafy vegetables usually lettuce, or spinach used as a base for salads, garnishes or in soup.
Jardinière: Long thin baton shape about 2cm long and approximately 3mm wide and 3mm thick.
Julienne: Long thin match-stick shaped pieces about 4cm in length.
Macedoine: Diced cube 0.5cm square; larger than brunnoise.
Matignon: Roughly cut vegetables including carrot, onion, and celery cooked in butter.
Paysanne: Cut could be either triangles, squares, circles or half rounds; they are cut thinly about 1–2mm thick.
Mignonettes: Cuts of vegetables into dimensions of 0.5cm square and a length of 5 cm.
Pommes ponteup: These are finger shaped cuts of potatoes.
18. Name a few green apples.
Green apple varieties are Granny smith, Ginger gold, and Mutsu golden.
19. Name a few varieties of apples.
McIntosh, Northern Spy, Cartland.
20. Name a few types of oranges.
Navel orange, Blood orange, Mandarin orange, Tangerine, Tangelo.
21. Name a few types of table grapes.
Black, Red Emperor, Black Corinth.
22. Name a few types of melons.
Cantaloupe, Persian, Honeydew, Casaba.
23. What is rigor mortis?
Stiffening on death.
24. What is contre filet?
It is the part of the beef sirloin located on either side of the backbone above the loins. It is fattier and less tender than the fillet but has more flavour when boned and trimmed.
25. What are the different cuts of mutton?
Scrag end, middle neck, best end, loin or saddle, shoulder, breast, chump and leg.
26. What are the different cuts of beef?
The different cuts of beef are shank, topside, silver side, thick flank, rump, sirloin, wing rib, fillet or tenderloin, fore rib, middle rib, chuck rib, sticking piece, brisket, plate, leg of mutton and shin.
27. What are the different cuts of a beef fillet and how much do they weigh?
A fillet of a beef can vary from 2.5–3.5kg and the various cuts of a beef fillet along with their weights are as follows:
a. Chateaubriand steak or a Double fillet steak: The average weight of a Chateaubriand steak is 300gms – 1kg and is a sufficient portion for 2 – 4 persons. It is generally cut from the head of the fillet.
b. Fillet steak: Weighs approximately 100–150gm and measures between 1.5– 2.5cm.
c. Tournedos: Weighs approximately 100gm and is 2 – 4cm thick.
d. Tail of fillet: Weighs approximately 500gm. All the fat and sinew are removed and it is sliced or minced.
28. What is corned beef?
It is a salted beef or pickled beef which is usually compressed or canned.
29. What is capon?
It is a young cockerel which has been castrated and then fattened on a special diet to make it plump and flavourful.
30. What is the food value of meat?
The food value of meat includes protein, fat, vitamins and minerals.
31. How is meat preserved?
Meat is preserved by: Salting: Pickled in brine.
Chilling: The temperature is maintained just above freezing point in a controlled environment.
Freezing: Meat is frozen and thawed just before being used.
Canning: Beef is usually canned, sometimes pork is also canned.
32. Name a few oily fish.
Some oily fish are anchovies, herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout, tuna and white bait.
33. Name some white flat fish.
Some white flat fish are brill, dab, halibut, plaice, skate, sole, and turbot.
34. Name a few round fish.
Some round fish are bass, bream, carp, cod, coley, dog fish, grouper, haddock, monkfish, pike, red mullet, snapper, sword fish, and perch.
35. Name a few commonly used crustaceans.
Crustaceans which are commonly used are crawfish, crayfish, lobster, prawns, scampi, and shrimps.
36. Name a few varieties of molluscs.
Some varieties of molluscs are clams, mussels and oysters.
37. Name a few varieties of cephalopods.
A few varieties of cephalopods are cuttlefish, octopus, and squid.
38. What are the various cuts of fish?
Fillet: A cut of fish without skin and bones prepared from either a round or a flat fish.
Goujon: A long strip of fish cut from a fillet approx 6cm x 0.5cm.
Paupiette: A rolled fillet stuffed with farce of fish, shellfish, or vegetables.
Suprême: A thick slice of fish cut on the slant from a fillet prepared from a large fish.
Darne: A thick slice of fish cut on the bone, prepared by cutting across a large round fish.
TronÇon: A thick slice of fish on the bone, prepared from a large flat fish. The fish is split into two by chopping down the backbone from the tail end.
39. How is fruit classified?
Fruit is broadly classified into six different types as follows: Soft fruits: Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, loganberries, and gooseberries.
Citrus fruits: Lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruit, pomegranates, pomelos.
Hard fruits: Apples, pears.
Tropical fruits: Bananas, mangoes, pineapples, figs, dates, grapes, melons, kiwi fruit, passion fruit, guava, jack fruit, lychees, custard apples, papaya.
Stone fruits: Plums, apricots, peaches, cherries, nectarines.
Melons: Honeydew, charentais, cantaloupe, ogen, galia, watermelon.
40. What are the various types of nuts and their uses?
Almonds: Ground, flaked or nibbed almonds are used in sweet dishes and in decorating cakes.
Brazil nuts: Served along with fresh fruit and also used in confectionery.
Chestnuts: Used as stuffing in turkey, garnish for ice cream, also used in pastries and gateaux.
Coconut: Used in cakes and confectionery. Coconut milk and coconut cream is used in various Indian, Malaysian and Thai dishes.
Pecans: Used in preparing various desserts, sweets, and ice cream.
Peanuts: Popular snack item roasted or salted, used for preparing peanut butter, used in stir fry dishes.
Pine nuts: An ingredient used in preparing pesto sauce.
Pistachio: Used in preparing galantines, small and large cakes.
Hazelnuts: Used in preparing cakes, sweets and savoury dishes and in making cookies.
Walnuts: Used in desserts, salads, cakes, sweet dish, and also in preparing oil.
Cashew nuts: Used in salads, stir fried dishes, Indian gravies, cakes, and biscuits.
41. Name some of the types of milk available.
Pasteurised milk: Milk heated to a temperature of 71.7°C for 15 seconds and rapidly cooled to a temperature below 10°C. This destroys all the microorganisms or spores present.
Homogenised milk: The milk is processed to avoid separation of cream which forms a layer on top of the milk. The milk is forced through a fine aperture which breaks the fat globules down to a uniform size so that they are evenly distributed.
Sterilised milk: Homogenised milk that is heated to around 50°C for a very short time to produce a product which keeps for a longer time without refrigeration.
Skimmed milk: Milk having a very small percentage of milk fat but retaining all the minerals and proteins of whole milk.
Condensed milk: Milk from which water has been evaporated and sugar added for preservation. It is often used in preparing confectionery and sweet dishes.
Evaporated milk: Milk concentrated to almost twice the thickness of the original milk without added sugar.
Dried or powdered milk: It is prepared from skimmed milk from which the water has been removed by heating.
42. What are various types of cream? Give their uses and percentage of fat.
Single cream: Fat 18% served with coffee added to sauces, fruit salad and sweet dishes.
Double cream: Fat 48–50% used to decorate sweet dishes, added to sauces, soups and savoury dishes.
Whipping cream: Fat 38–40% used to decorate cakes and sweet dishes.
Sour cream: Fat 18% used for preparing salad dressings and added to sauces to give a sharp tangy flavour.
Clotted cream: Fat about 48–55% served with afternoon tea.
43. What are the properties and uses of eggs?
Aerating: The protein coagulates when beaten and traps air for which it is used in preparing meringues, soufflés, and Genoese sponge.
Binding: Egg yolks help in preparing potato croquettes, rissoles and stuffing which coagulate on heating.
Colouring: It is used for colouring foods by brushing egg-wash on goods to be baked.
Clarifying: When egg white is added to a liquid and the liquid is heated, the egg white slowly coagulates and rises to the surface.
This process helps in clarifying consommé and aspic.
Emulsifying: An emulsion consists of droplets of a liquid dispersed in another liquid or in a solid. The lecithin present in egg yolk helps to emulsify sauces such as mayonnaise and hollandaise.
Garnishing: Eggs are used for garnishing various hors d’oeuvres and appetizers.
44. What are the various methods of cooking eggs?
The methods which are used in cooking eggs are poached, boiled (hard or soft), in cocotte, scrambled, baked, fried, and omelette.
45. How is cheese classified?
Cheese is classified into groups having similar characteristics, they are: Hard cheese: A cheese which has been pressed during the manufacturing process to squeeze out the whey. The cheese is ripened for a long period of time as it helps to develop the flavour well.
Semi-hard cheese: Cheese which is pressed less to produce a firm smooth texture which is easy to cut. The ripening period varies with the type of cheese.
Soft cheese: Cheese which is lightly pressed and has a soft texture which makes it stick to the knife when cut. It has a very short ripening period.
Blue-veined: Cheese which is neither pressed nor cooked, the curd is crumbled and scooped into moulds where a strain of penicillium is added to the milk before addition of rennet. Thin rods are put inside the cheese for aeration turning the cheese blue.
Fresh cheese: It is not pressed but put in a perforated container and the whey is retained and the moisture in the whey actually determines how soft the cheese will be.
Processed cheese: It is a mixture of fresh, aged cheese and emulsifiers.
46. What are the uses of cheese?
Cheese is used as a sandwich filling, stuffed mushroom filling, salads, flavouring pastry, soufflés, mousse, sauces, for toppings in pizza or as a garnish for soups. Cheese could also be eaten as a cheese course or with apples.
47. Name a few British cheeses with their classification and give a brief description.
British Cheeses with their Classification and Description
48. Name a few French cheeses with their classification and give a brief description.
French Cheeses with their Classification and Description
49. Name a few Italian cheeses with their classification and give a brief description.
Italian Cheeses with their Classification and Description
50. Name a few other famous cheeses from different countries and give a brief description of them.
Some Famous Cheeses from Different Countries with a Brief Description
51. What is fondue?
Fondue is a mixture of melted cheeses and wine. Corn flour is added to cheese and wine to prevent it separating, while garlic and Kirsch are added to give an additional flavour.
52. Which cheese is known as the king of cheeses?
Stilton.
53. What is butter?
Butter is obtained by churning cream. It contains approx 80–82% fat while the remaining is water. Salt may be added to it.
54. What are the various types of animal fats?
Lard: Fat obtained from pigs used for shallow and occasionally deep frying.
Suet: Solid fat found around the kidneys of various animals.
Drippings: Obtained from clarified animal fats used for deep or shallow frying.
55. What is margarine?
Margarine is a synthetic emulsion containing around 80% oil. It is produced with milk and a blend of vegetable oils emulsified with lecithin, flavouring, salt and colouring. Margarine can be of various grades such as block (hard or semi-hard), soft, semi-hard for making pastry and cake margarine.
56. What are the various types of oils used?
The various types of oils used are peanut, cotton seed, olive, soya bean, palm, coconut, sunflower, corn, and rice bran.
57. Name the various types of rice?
American long grained rice: Long grained with a hard outer structure chiefly used for savoury dishes.
Basmati: Long grained with a good flavour, good for serving with curry.
Arborio: Rice grains rounder and plumper used for risotto available as brown or white rice.
Short grain or Carolina rice: Short, plump grains of polished rice
which becomes soft and sticky; used for preparing rice dishes, puddings and condés.
Brown rice: Whole grain rice with only the husk removed. It contains more fibre and B-group vitamins and is more nutritious than polished rice.
58. What are different products of wheat?
The different products obtained from wheat other than flour are:
Berries: Sweet nutty flavour and chewy texture, light brown.
Wheat flakes: Steamed and softened wheat berries that have been rolled and pressed.
Bulgur wheat: The wheat berries are cooked, the bran is removed and they are dried and crushed, have a light nutty flavour.
Couscous: Made by steaming and drying cracked Durum wheat.
Semolina: Made from wheat kernel or endosperm of wheat from which the bran and wheat germ has been removed.
Bran: Thin papery skin covering the wheat grain, brown flakes having a nutty flavour.
59. How is strong flour different from soft flour?
The gluten content is high in strong flour while the gluten content is low in soft flour.
60. Which cereal has the highest food value?
Oats have the highest food value of all cereals.
61. Name some cereals other than wheat, corn and rice used in catering?
Buckwheat: It is not a type of wheat but belongs to the rhubarb family and has a nutty earthy flavour. It is mainly used for preparing blinis, noodles in Japan and some types of pasta in Italy.
Quinoa: Tiny bead shaped grain having a mild, slightly bitter taste, and firm texture useful for stuffing, pilaffs, and breakfast cereals.
Oats: Oats are a popular grain either rolled into flakes or ground into oat meal used for porridge, oat cakes and pancakes.
Barley: It is grown in varying climatic conditions than any other cereal. It is cooked on its own as an alternative to rice, pasta or
potatoes. Before consuming barley the fibrous hull has to be removed.
Rye: A cereal which has gluten content. It is used in preparing yeasted bread though the gluten content is less than that in wheat.
Millet: A highly nutritious grain rich in iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B. It has a mild flavour and is used in preparing stews and curries.
Amaranth: A highly nutritious grain with peppery flavour used in stews and soups.
62. What is polenta?
Polenta is a classical Italian cornmeal which is cooked into a kind of porridge.
63. Name a few pulses used in catering?
A few pulses used in catering are: Aduki beans, black eyed beans, broad beans, butter beans, chick peas, haricot beans, lentils, mung beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans, soya beans, and split peas.
64. Name fifteen herbs and give their uses.
Basil: Leaf with a pungent flavour and sweet aroma. Used in preparing sauces, salads and lamb preparations.
Dill: Green grey leaves used in preparing potato salads, used with fish such as mackerel, herring, and salmon.
Fennel: Bright green leaves having a mild, sweet, slightly aniseed flavour used in various sauces, dressings, salads and in soups.
Tarragon: Has green attractive leaves and goes well with egg and cheese dishes; also used in salads, fish and meat dishes and essential for Béarnaise sauce.
Chervil: Flat soft leaves with a delicate aromatic flavour used in salads or egg dishes and also to decorate chaud froid items.
Marjoram: It is a sweet herb used in salads, pork, fish, poultry, cheese and egg preparations; it is also used in flavouring soups, stews, sauces and salads.
Parsley: It is of two types, curly and flat. It is used to flavour sauces and stuffing; goes well with white fish and potatoes.