Cooking Questions: Things You Need To Learn
About The Culinary World
There are so many things to learn about cooking, one can never stop. The basics may have already been an experience you had growing up and watching your mom work in the kitchen. But learning the nitty-gritty stuff is a completely different story.
Below are some of the questions that are often asked to test a person’s culinary knowledge. Answers were pre-determined and explained for each item as well. Learning the ins and outs of cooking can be a formidable tool for you to use on your journey into the culinary world.
Question #1
How Does Adding Salt To Boiling Water Affect It?
Answer : It delays the process of water boiling - by increasing the boiling point of water.
The secret to this phenomenon is referred to as boiling point elevation where a non-volatile solute (which is salt) is added to a pure solvent that is water to create a solution.
The created solution which is now salt water requires more heat to boil compared to water alone. This makes the boiling point elevated and the water hotter.
Question #2
Which Cutting Board Is The Most Sanitary?
Answer : Plastic – most often recommended by professional chefs.
Aside from being cheaper than any other type of cutting boards, plastic cutting boards are most recommended for its sanitary benefits. Because of its non-porous surface, there is no space to have any meat, vegetable or fruit materials stick to it.
This prevents food contamination. It can also be wiped down easily or placed on a dishwasher after usage. For more thorough cleaning, you can clean it with hot water and dishwashing soap.
*Note from Paula: Despite the fact that most professional chefs recommend to use a plastic board, I still prefer a wood one. It's kind to knives when cutting on a heavy softwood board, and it also keeps them sharp much longer. Beside, I love the attractive colors of wood. That the reason on Chew the World, I wrote an informative and thorough guide on how to choose the best wood cutting board. Click here to read it.
Question #3
What Is Meant By Blanching A Vegetable?
Answer
Scalding or dipping it firstly in boiling water prior to freezing or putting it in cold water - Blanching stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture.
The process of blanching happens when food, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged in boiling water for a brief time. After which, it is immediately plunged into cold water or referred to as cold bath to halt the cooking process. The purpose of blanching is to soften food, cook it fully or partially, or for removal of a strong taste.
Question #4
The Sauce You Are Using Has Become Too Watery, What Is The Best Way To Thicken It?
Answer : Add Flour or Cornstarch.
Flour or Cornstarch are referred to as thickeners because they are basically made of starch. Starches contain sugar molecules. When starch is heated in a liquid, its granules absorb liquid and swell. This process causes the liquid or sauce to thicken.
Question #5
Which Oil Is The Healthiest To Cook With?
Answer : Olive
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFA in short. MUFA is known to lower total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), thus decreasing the risk of heart diseases.
It also helps in improving the function of the blood vessel lining which may prevent any unwanted blood clots. It also has benefits on blood sugar levels which is good for people with type 2 Diabetes.
Question #6
What Type Of Vegetable Is A Mesclun?
Answer : Green Salad
Mesclun is the term used to describe a salad mix of different salad greens. It usually consists of a variety of small, young salad green leaves, herbs and edible flowers. These greens provide a mix of different textures and flavors.
Traditionally, a Mesclun includes arugula, leafy lettuces, chervil and endive among others. Mesclun is also known as spring mix, field greens or spring salad mix.
Question 7
How Can You Determine If an Egg Is Fresh?
Answer : If it sinks to the bottom in a bowl of water and lays flat on its side.
You can find out the freshness of an egg by placing it on a bowl of water. If it lays flat on its side at the bottom of the bowl of water, then it is at its peak of freshness. Despite having an outer shell, air can still pass through it over time thus creating an air pocket inside the egg.
A fresh egg has lesser air pockets inside making it sink when placed in a bowl of water. An egg that is older aging contains more air thus causing it to be more buoyant.
Question 8
What Does It Mean To ‘Braise’?
Answer : Cooking food in a small amount of liquid in a closed container.
Braising is a cooking method that relies mainly on heat, time, and little amount of moisture to soften the meat. It is simply slowly cooking food by simmering it in little amount of liquid in a closed container.
Question 9
For A Chicken To Be Safe To Eat, What Internal Temperature Should It Be Cooked At?
Answer : 180 degrees Fahrenheit
To save yourself from the dangers of pathogens, the recommended safe temperature for whole chicken is 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Question 10
What Type Of Cooking Is Referred To As A “Wet Heat” Cooking Method?
Answer : Braising
There are two types of cooking method, moist-heat or wet heat and dry heat. Moist-heat which is also known as wet heat is done by cooking food with the combination of liquid and steam.
Braising is known to be one of moist-heat or wet heat cooking methods by which food is simmered using a small amount of liquid which could be water, stock or something else in a closed container.
Question 11
What Does The Term "Smoke Point" Mean?
Answer : The point when oil starts to burn and smoke.
While water has its boiling point when it reaches its highest temperature, fats and oils have what is called the smoking point. This is the point when fat or oil breaks down and starts to create smoke.
Smoke points vary depending on which type of fat or oil is used, amount, size of the container, acidity content of the fat or oil and quality.
Question 12
What Is Baking Soda Used For In Baked Goods?
Answer : Used as a leavening agent in baked goods.
Chemical leavening agents are often used in baking to cause batters to rise. Baking soda is one of the known leaveners that bakers use. Leavening agents help enlarge bubbles already present in the batter thus causing it to rise.
Question 13
Which Wood Of The Following Types Is Not Usually Used To Smoke Food?
Cypress, Mahogany, Pine, Walnut
Answer : Cypress
Cypress is the type of wood that is not recommended for food smoking as it contains resins that can ruin the meat and make it bitter.
Question 14
When Chocolate Has Been Tempered, What Does It Mean?
Answer
It is the process that re-establishes the cocoa butter crystals, resulting in a much better-quality chocolate that is shiny and ‘snapable.’.
Tempering is simply re-establishing cocoa butter crystals so it will result to consistently small crystals which gives you chocolate of better quality. Cocoa butter crystals can crystallize in different forms. When tempering chocolate, the temperature must be correct. This will result in the finished chocolate product.
Question 15
Which Of The Below Describes The Process Of Gently Heating Food In A Little Oil Or Butter, With Frequent Stirring And Turning To Ensure That It Is Tender?
Grilling, Boiling, Sweltering, Sweating
Answer : Sweating
Sweating is most often the initial step to further cooking in liquid. It is the cooking method wherein vegetables are cooked with small amount of fat or oil while frequently stirring it.
This results in tender, and most of the times translucent pieces of vegetables. A perfect example is sweating onions before including in a stew.
Question 16
What Is The Main Difference Between A Conventional And Convection Oven?
Answer: Conventional ovens cook food by surrounding it with hot air, while convection ovens circulate the air.
Heat distribution is the main difference between a convention and a convection oven. With conventional ovens, food is cooked by hot air surrounding it. As for convection ovens, the system of fans circulates the hot air.
Question 17
When Smoking Foods On An Outdoor Grill, For Best Results, Which Type Of Wood You Should NOT Use?
Okawood, Hardwood, Softwood, Chipwood
Answer : Softwood
Softwood is not recommended to use for outdoor grill because it tends to burn faster and cooler compared to hardwood. Softwood, however is the best for starting fire. Hardwood is best to use for outdoor grilling because it burns slower and can provide high heat, perfect for cooking food.
Question 18
What Does The Term ‘Hand Test’ Mean In Relation To Grilling?
Answer : Used to check the temperature of a grill.
Hand test is simply a method used to check the temperature of the grill. You can use this method in the absence of a built-in thermometer in your grill.
This is done by holding your open palm around three inches above the grill and determine how long were you able to keep it there before pulling your hand away.
Question 19
How Can You Fix A Dish That Has Been Over-Sweetened?
Answer : Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a spoon of apple cider vinegar.
To balance out the flavor on a dish that is too sweet, you need to add other flavors such as acid. Lemon, lime juice or apple cider vinegar are among those.
Question 20
What Does It Mean To ‘Mince’ Meat?
Answer : To cut the meat into small pieces.
Mince is a technique wherein food is finely divided into small pieces using a chef’s knife or a food processor. Minced food portions are smaller than diced or chopped food.
Question 21
A Mandoline Is Kitchen Tool Used To?
Answer : Cut or thinly slice ingredients.
A mandoline is a kitchen cutting utensil that is used to slice food thinly. Using it allows you to cut food in uniform thickness.
*Note from Paula: To make the best choice on buying a vegetable chopper, I suggest you to take a couple of minutes to read my guide, in which I reviews 5 products I had used. Click here to read it.