Cooking simply means the preparation. This is for the purpose of eating through the use of heat. It comprises of a wide selection of methods, ingredients, and cooking utensils needed to bring out the flavor of the food that you are making and to make it edible as well. Cooking simply means the preparation. This is for the purpose of eating through the use of heat. It comprises of a wide selection of methods, ingredients, and cooking utensils needed to bring out the flavor of the food that you are making and to make it edible as well. With the appropriate process of selection, measurement as well as proper mixture of your ingredients in a step by step manner can be achieved. This is in order to create mouth watering dishes. The outcome of this is also affected by certain factors that you can input on your actual cooking. Such factors are your ingredients, cooking utensils, ambient conditions, and most importantly, the skills of the cook himself. The vast variety of cooking methods in the different parts of the world reflects one’s cultural, social, religious, agricultural, nutritional, economical as well as aesthetic values. It mirrors the colorful yet diverse complexities and distinctiveness of each country and its character. It is a way of expressing one’s national pride, leaving an impact on the one who is actually tasting it. In cooking, the use of heat is very important for it is one of the main components in order to create your own delicacy. Through the use of heat, food is transformed in its chemical content. Thus, altering its flavor, nutritional properties, texture, consistency and also its appearance is advisable. The following are the type of cooking techniques based on kind of cooking you like: Heat Based Cooking Techniques: Drying Cooking • Baking • Broiling • Barbecuing • Flash Bake • Rotisserie • Grilling • Toasting • Searing Water-Based Type of Cooking (Boiling) • Braising • Coddling • Blanching • Creamed • Infusion • Double Steaming • Poaching • Simmering • Parboiling • Steaming • Stewing • Simmering Oil-based Type of Cooking (Frying) • Deep Frying • Pan Frying • Sautéing • Hot Salt Frying • Stir Frying • Hot Sand Frying Device-Based Way of Cooking • Microwaving • Crock Pot • Advantium • Pressure Cooking • Roasting or Pressure Frying • Vacuum Flask Cooking • Trivection Confectionary and Baking Techniques • Blind Baking • Baking • Conching (Chocolate) • Kneading • Parbaking • Tempering (Chocolate) • Creaming (Food) • Proofing Chemical Techniques • Drying • Brining • Fermenting • Ceviche • Pickling • Marinating • Salting • Sugaring • Souring • Smoking • Sprouting Mechanical techniques • Dicing • Chopping • Grinding • Kneading • Julienning • Shaving • Peeling • Mincing In addition, by using heat on food preparation, this means that you can actually kill as well as inactivate harmful organisms such as viruses and bacteria that are potentially harmful. However, this will also depend on the length of the cooking time, and temperature. Moreover, the technique is also the main factor applied. Hence, avoid cooking in temperatures that would range from 5 degrees up to 60 degrees Celsius. This is considered as the “food danger zone” mainly because bacteria can grow fast in this kind of temperature. Although the food being prepared may seem to be edible or clean, it can still cause harm due to the improper way of cooking it. As for dairy products, poultry, meat and others, the food should be prevented from in the “food danger zone” so that it can be consumed safely. As for freezing food as well as refrigerating it, these methods just slow down the growth of organisms but not kill them. Another means for safe food preparation is to practice proper hand washing and cleaning technique. In preparing your food, always make sure that you wash your hands before and after handling foods, cooking and when handling soiled utensils. Moreover, you should wash fruits and vegetable thoroughly in order to wash out organisms that are harmful. Also, clean your utensils by washing them with antibacterial soap and cleanser. Plus, rinse them thoroughly with water. Lastly, always maintain your cooking area clean by sanitizing them with a bleach mixture that is a combination of 1 gallon of water with 1 tablespoon of bleach. Cooking is like a fun adventure, if you are into it. Many famous Chefs did not learn their art by just following recipe books and techniques handed over by the elder generation. Chefs follow their own calling and experiment with the knowledge they have about food. They try different ingredients and test it out. Of course, no one can perfect a recipe at the first attempt. It is only in the desire to learn and the skill to do it that one learns to master the art of cooking. Some of the popular Celebrity Chefs are as follows: • Bobby Flay • Mario Batali • Emeril Lagasse • Rachael Ray • Jamie Oliver In a chef’s world, the measure of success in this field can only be achieved in one program on TV, the competition called Iron Chef.
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