Everything About Salads Essay Example

bitter flavour, and its scientific name Lactuca sativa derived from the Latin word for milk.SALAD GREENS – Today’s lettuces and salad greens are divided into roughly 4 categories. By combining lettuces within one category or by selecting from among two or more categories we can create different green salads.

Salad Greens are divided as – Mild Greens Spicy greens Bitter Green Prepared Mixes of Greens Herbs & flowers MILD GREENS – Mild lettuces can be grouped into 4 categories- ICEBERG / HEADING – Crispheads have closely packed leaves and a very mild flavour. Crisphead or "iceberg" lettuce with dense, firm heads and crunchy leaves is the most important commercial type lettuce. Because ettuce is a cool-season crop, most iceberg lettuce is grown in the cool coastal valleys of California. BUTTERHEAD – Loose rosette of soft, thick leaves have a soft, delicate texture and mild flavour, includes Boston, Kentucky Limestone and Bibb lettuce variety. Bibb or Butterhead lettuce was developed by Kentuckian John J.

Bibb and is often served at Kentucky Derby breakfasts, produces a loose, soft head. The inner leaves have an oily or buttery feel. Butterhead cultivars produce high-quality lettuce that matures slightly earlier than crisp-head cultivars but are less tolerant of warm weather. Big Boston', `Bibb', and `Butter Crunch', an All-American Selection, are popular cultivars.

Butterhead lettuce does best in Nebraska when started early indoors or in cold frames and later set in the garden as transplants. LOOSE LEAF – Open, deeply indented loose leaves have a delicate flavour and a moderately soft texture; includes red and green leaf lettuce, oak leaf, and Lola Rosa. Baby varieties are often included in special salad

blends. ROMAINE / COS – this lettuce grows as a long cylindrical head, with the leaves joined to a core at its base.

The outer leaves are heavily ribbed and sometimes savoyed (crinkled).Leaves closer to the centre have a milder, sweeter flavour than the outer leaves. The inner leaves sometimes known as the Heart may be used exclusively in some salads. Baby romaine is also featured in mixed greens or speciality blends. The name Cos derives form the Greek island of the same name, where some believe this lettuce originated.

CORN SALAD / MACHE / LAMB’S LETTUCE (Valerianella locusta)- In addition to the lettuces described above, the mild greens also include the Mache and some other spicy greens when they are still young or immature, and baby varieties of various cooking greens and cabbages.It has a mild, nutty flavour. It has rounded leaves that grow slowly into small rosettes of soft, buttery leaves. It needs a long, cool growing season and may do best as a fall crop. SPICY GREENS- Spicy greens have a distinctive pepperiness or assertive flavour but are still delicate enough to eat in salads.

The younger they are the less spicy they taste. The spicy greens include but are not limited to: AMARANTH – Spinach like in flavour Amaranth varies in colour from green to purple to red. Amaranth is a tall plant with very broad leaves; it produces many housands of tiny seeds. The leaves and the seeds are edible.

The amaranth is closely related to pigweed, spinach, beets, and other plants in the goosefoot family. ARUGULA / ROCKET / ROQUETTE –(Eruca vesicaria sativa) Leaves have a peppery/sweet tangy flavour.

This green is easy to grow, but the young leaves need to be harvested frequently for best flavour. It becomes bitter in hot weather, so plant successive crops early in spring and then again in the fall. Taste ranges from mild and nutty to peppery and pungent, best used when leaves are small and narrow.

WATERCRESS – With peppery, small leaves on tender branches, watercress is dark green. It forms little stems of frilly green leaves and has a peppery taste to add zip to dishes. MIZUNA – A Japanese mustard mizuna has a mild flavour. TAT- SOI : A flat black cabbage whose round leaves form an open rosette, with a faint but pleasant cabbage like taste; used in its very young stages. BITTER GREENS ; CHICORIES – Chicories are heading or loose leaf greens characterised by a distinctive bittersweet flavour.

When young, they may be used in salads. More mature chicories are considered cooking greens.This group includes: BELGIAN ENDIVE: As endive grows, soil id moulded over the heads to prevent them from turning green; this is also known as blanching the endive. Belgian endive has white, tight heads with spear like leaves and a succulent, very crisp texture. Red Belgian endive is a type of Radicchio known as Treviso. DANDELION, MUSTARD, BEET, SWISS CHARD, AND COLLARD GREENS- These distinctly bitter varieties have dark green, long narrow leaves, some with white or red ribs.

If they are over mature they give salads an unpleasant flavour. Beet greens have a tendency to bleed when mixed with a salad dressing.ESCAROLE – large heads of greenish yellow, slightly crumpled leaves which are succulent and slightly nutty. Escarole has

broad, coarse, crumpled leaves that blanch the inner leaves so they are crunchy yet tender. CURLY ENDIVE (ALSO CALLED CHICORY) – This salad green has narrow leaves with deeply ridged edges, and an assertive flavour and texture. When very young it may be sold as a Frisee.

Endive has curly, deeply cut, lacy leaves with creamy inner leaves. FRISEE – With fine white to pale green curly leaves, Frisee is similar to chicory but with finer smaller leaves.The flavour is slightly bitter, though generally less intense than curly endive. RADICCHIO – Sturdy purple-red leaves form a tight head very similar to a small compact cabbage. The flavour is slightly bitter. TREVISO RADICCHIO – Resembling an elongated loose Belgian endive, this has red streaks or tips and a succulent texture, with a flavour similar to radicchio.

PREPARED MIXES OF SALAD GREEN – The market provides a number of speciality items for salad making. Among the most popular ones are these convenient, pre-washed, and trimmed mixes of greens.Their ready availability and ease of use have made them popular, even to the point of indiscriminate use. The three most commonly available mixes are – MESCULUN: This term popular on restaurant menu card simply means ‘Mixture’ in French. It is usually a mix of small salad greens often found in combination with herbs or flowers. Mesculun mix contains blends of various mild, sweet and peppery greens usually small tender leaves of lambs lettuce, watercress, Arugula, any red lettuce with small leaves of other lettuces such as iceberg, cos or romaine.

This mix of small salad leaves is often found in combination with herbs or flowers.Throughout, Provence, where this mix

is believed to have originated, seasonal greens of all sorts are paired with herbs and flowers. Today commercially available mesculun mixes contain blends of various mild, sweet, and peppery greens, with or without a flower or herb component. Different suppliers offer different blends. ORIENTA MIX (OMX) – This mix typically includes a combination of some or all of the following: Tatsoi, Lola Rosa, red oak, Arugula, beet greens, Swiss chard, sorrel, amaranth, dill, pursalne, mizuna, red mustard, bok choy, red shiso, red fire, sierra and shungi ku.

BABY MIX (BMX): A genetic term for mixes of very young leaves of several varieties, colours, and textures, this is sold both in heads and as washed leaves. A typical combination includes Lola Rosa, tango, baby red oak, baby romaine, and bay green Chiffonade: The term chiffonade is commonly used to describe a garnish made by fine juliennes of sorrel, chicory and lettuce cut into thin juliennes. It can be used raw or can be sauteed in butter. The term can apply to any green leafy vegetable that has been cut into fine julienne.

HERBS ; FLOWERS – Some varieties of herbs and flowers are used in salads. Herbs can range from pungent to lightly fragrant, and they can add a wonderful accent to a special dish. Herbs that have a naturally tender texture or soft leaves – young basil, small mint leaves, pluches of chervil, or flat leaf parsley are the ones to choose for salads. Flowers and herbs can turn an ordinary salad into something distinctive and beautiful, as long as they are not overdone. CARING FOR SALAD GREENS- Nothing is worse than a gritty salad.Salad greens should

be properly chilled form he time they arrive until they are ready to be plated.

The following guidelines should be observed when handling salad greens: Rinse greens thoroughly in plenty of chilled water to remove all traces of dirt and sand. Sturdy greens may be able to hold up to a spray, but delicate greens, herbs, and flowers should be gently plunged into and lifted out of the water repeatedly to remove dirt or sand. The water should be changed as often as necessary until there are absolutely no traces of dirt, grit, or sand visible in the rinsing water.DRY GREENS COMPLETELY – Salad dressings cling best to well dry greens. In addition, greens that are carefully dried before they are stored will last longer.

Spinners are the most effective tools to use, either large scale electric spinners for volume salad making, or hand baskets. Spinners should be cleaned and sanitized carefully after each use. STORED CLEANED GREENS IN TUBS OR OTHER CONTAINERS – They should not be stacked too deep, since their own weight could bruise the leaves. They should be loosely wrapped or covered with damped towelling to prevent them from silting rapidly.Once greens have been cleaned they should be used within a day or two. SOUPS Soup is a liquid made with well made stock which contains full nutrients and flavour of food which obtained by prolong simmering of meats and vegetables.

It consists of meat, seafood, vegetables, cereals and poultry. Soup plays an important role on the menu and are regarded as appetizers as they stimulate the appetite for the heavier foods to follow. On the menu, they are served as

the first course, if the horsdoeuvres are not being served. If horsdoeuvre is served then soup is served as the second course.Some of the special points to be taken care for making soups are first class, clean, strong and flavourful stock should be used, as it would help in producing good quality soup.

Garnish should be small and dainty, so that they can be picked up easily by the soup spoon. It should be moderately seasoned. Hot soups should be served piping hot and cold soups very cold. Consomme should be amber in colour. Accompaniments of the soup should be crispy in character.

There is no set standard for the classification of soups, as there are virtually thousands of soup preparations.In order to learn about them easily, soups may be classified in the following manner: ? Clear soups ? Broth ? Puree ? Veloute ? Cream ? Bisque ? Miscellaneous (Which are not classified under the other headings) Clear Soups: A clear soup prepared from chicken, beef or game stock, garnished with a variety of ingredients. This can be served hot or chilled. Consomme takes its name generally from the garnish. E. g.

Consomme julienne with boiled matchstick like strips of vegetables such as carrots, beans, turnips etc. , Consomme royale garnished with savoury custard cubes. Broth:A good stock cooked with diced meat, vegetables ad rice or barley and served with the solids. Some of the nourishment is retained in the solids by putting them into tepid liquid. Broths are also different from ordinary soups in having the thickening put in at the beginning and cooked with the other ingredients. Puree: A soup thickened by

its main ingredient and passed through a sieve.

Milk or little flour blended with milk is added to prevent the puree from separating, but not as a thickening. The consistency of the soup should be like thick cream. Generally served with croutons. Cream soups:A soup of cream consistency which is generally made with vegetable puree mixed with bechamel or white sauce. It’s a passed soup. It can be finished with cream if desired.

Veloute: A thick soup made from white stock and bolnd roux, finished with a liaison of yolks and cream. It is then passed through strainer. Bisque: These are thickened fish soups made generally from shell fish and fish stock and thickened with cream. To enhance the flavour small amount of brandy and wine is added. Diced fish are served in it. Misellaneous soups: There are many varieties, cold or hot thin or thick soups.

They have been plaved in a special category, as they have different origins. There are soups that originated in a certain locality and are associated with that particular place. In some cases, the soups have a great tradition, as the New England clam chowder, helped the early colonists survive many winters. Crecy soup originated when nothing was available at the site of the Battle of Crecy. Most of the national soups are unpassed soups. Some of the soups are : Minestrone soup from italy, frech onion soup, manhattan clam chowder from America, Gazpacho from Spain.

SAUCESauce is a liquid which is obtained from well made stock and it has been thickened by one of the thickening agent like beurre manie (kneaded butter), egg yolks, roux, corn flour, arrowroot or

storch, cream and or butter added to reduced stock. The sauce should be smooth, glossy in appearance, definite in taste and light in texture. The thickening medium should be used in moderation. There are six mother sauces from which thousands of derivatives derived. • Mayonnaise • Hollandaise • Bechamel • Veloute • Tomato • Espagnol MAYONNAISE: This is a basic sauce and has a wide variety of uses particularly in horsdoeures dishes.

It should always be available on any cold buffet. Mayonnaise is made with egg yolk, oil mustard vinegar, salt and pepper. It is made by placing egg yolks in a bowl and whisk well. Gradually pour on the oil very slowly, whisking continuously.

Add the boiling water whisking well. Correct the seasoning. Some of the derivatives are: Tartare sauce, Thousand island sauce, cocktail sauce, Andalouse sauce, remoulde sauce Green sauce and Celery Dressing. HOLLANDAISE: It’s a warm sauce made with eggyolks, butter, vinegar, pepper corns and salt by placing it in the double boiler.

Some of the derivatives are: Mousseline.Maltaise, Noisette, Bearnaise, Choron, Foyot and Mustard. BECHAMEL: This is the basic white sauce made from whole or skimmed or semi skimmed milk with white roux. The basic proportion of butter, flour and milk is 1:1:10. Derivatives of bechamel are Anchovy, eggsauce, cheese sauce, onion sauce, soubuse sauce, sauce parsley and cream.

VELOUTE: This is a basic blond sauce made from white stock and blond roux. The ingredients used for this sauce is flour, butter and stock. Derivatives are Caper sauce, Supreme sauce, Ivory Sauce, Aurore sauce, Mushroom sauce, almande sauce, Hongraise sauce and chivory sauce. TOMATO SAUCE:This is a basic sauce from which most

of the derivatives for the pastas are obtained. It is made by melting buter in a saute pan, in which the mirepoix and bacon scraps are browned slightly. It is then mixed with the flour and cooked to sandy texture.

Then it is added with tomato puree and boiling stock. Seasoned with garlic and simmered for four hours. Finally passed thorugh fine chinois. Some of the derivatives are Sauce bretonne, sauce Italian, Sauce Barbeque, portugese, choufroid and provencale sauce.

ESPAGNOLE: It is a brown sauce made by simmering brown roux and brown stock for four to six hours with mirepoix.This sauce plays a major role in all roasted items and accompanies and gives glossy appearance to the roasted food items. Its derivatives are Demi glaze, Chasseur sauce, bordalise sauce, Devilled sauce, Povirade sauce, Italian sauce, Brown onion sauce and Madeira sauce. VEGETABLES Importance of vegetables: Vegeabels play an important role in the human diet.

Properly chosen and eaten, cooked or raw, they make an invaluable contribution towards the supply of vitamins and minerals. A good balance of vegetables are essential for growth and maintenance in human beings and it is more easily attained by a diet made up of both plant and animal.Vegetables also provide variety in a meal, help to make a meal attractive by introducing colour and furnish roughage. Classification of Vegetables: Vegetable can be classified in two ways for culinary purpose: Parts of a plant: • Roots • Tubers • Bulbs • Leafy • Brassicas • Pods and seeds • Fruiting • Stems and shoots • Mushrooms and fungi The other way is to broadly classify such as :- o Root vegetables

o Leafy vegetables o Other vegetables.

Some examples of classified vegetables: Roots: Beetroot, Carrot, Celeriac, Horseradish, Mooli, Parsnip, Radish, turnips. Scorzonera, Swedes. Tubers:Jerusalem artichokes, Potatoes, Sweet potatoes and Yam. Bulbs: Garlic, Leeks, Onion, Spring onion and shallots. Leafy: Chicory, Chinese leaves, Corn salad, Lettuce, Mustard and cress, Radiccio, Sorrel, Spinach, Swiss guard and watercress.

Brassicas: Broccoli, Brussels, Sprouts, Cabbage, Calabrese, Cauliflower, Curly Kale and spring greens. Pods and seeds: Broad beans, Butter or lima beans, Runner beans, Okra, Peas, Sweet corn. Fruiting: Aubergine, Avocado, Courgette, Cucumber, Marrow, Peepers, Pumpkin, Squash and Tomatoes. Stems and Shoots: Asparagus, Beans, Cardon, Celery, endive, Globe artichokes, kohlrabi and seakale.Mushrooms and Fungi: Ceps, Chanterelles, Horn of plenty, Morels and mushrooms.

FOOD VALUE: Root vegetables are useful in the diet. Because they contain starch or sugar for energy, a small but valuable amount of protein, some mineral, salt and vitamins. They are also sources of cellulose and water. Green vegetables are not in the same as for root vegetables because no food is stored in leaves, it is only produce there. So little proteins or carbohydrate is found in green vegetables. They are rich in minerals and vitamins, particularly vitamin C and carotene.

The greener the leaf the larger the quantity of vitamin present.The chief mineral salt and calcium and iron. Mushrooms contain one or more antibiotics, one of which is effective against tuberculosis and germs which cause boils. Mushrooms which have been favorite are rich in vitamins and low in calories. Seven averaged sized mushrooms have only 12 calories.

FISH Fish provides many varieties and satisfying dishes. Fish is a high protein food, supplying on an average a little more

than 5gms of protein per edible ounce. Fish could be got from lakes, rivers or sea. Fresh water fish are considered to be superior in flavour to salt water fish.

A fish that has fat is superior in flavour to lean fish. The season also has a bearing on the fish for better taste. Fish is classified as follows: Fish [pic] FIN FISH: Fin fish are vertebrates and have skin and scales which cover the body. They move with the help of fins. They are subdivided in to: 1.

White fish 2. Oily fish 1. White fish: White fish which are mainly flat fish and contain oil only in the liver. Most of these are deep sea fish.

Common local examples are pomfret, sole etc. , 2. Oily fish: Oily fish are mainly round fish and contain fat all over the body.Tehe amount of fat varies from 1. 5% to 20% in different varieties.

These fish are often pigmented and tend to be surface fish. Eg mackerels, sardines, etc. , SHELL FISH: Shell fish as the name denotes, have a shell covering the body. They are invertebrates. They are subdivided into: 1.

Molluscs: Bivalves (e,g, Oysters, scallops, mussels, clams and cockles) which have two distinctly separate shells joined by a hinge –like membrane. The movements of the shell are controlled by a strong muscle. When the muscle relaxes, the two halves of the shell fall pen.The shell also opens when the organism dies, thus exposing the contents of the shell to contamination from outside, resulting in quick putrefaction. Univalves (e. g.

whelks and winkles. ) These are recognized by the characteristic spiral formation of their shells,

which unlike those of bivalves are not divided into halves. The shells of molluscs increase at the rate of one ring per year to allow for the growth of the organism. The age of the molluscs can thus be roughly estimated by the number of rings on the shell.

2. Crustaceans: They have a segmented, crust-like shell. Example: lobsters, crabs, prawns and shrimps.The shells of crustaceans do not grow with the fish, unlike those of the molluscs, but are shed each year, with a new one forming to suit their new size.

Points to look for when buying fish: ? Eyes : bright, full and not sunken; no slime or cloudiness. ? Gills: bright red in colour; no bacterial slime. ? Flesh: firm, translucent and resilient so that when pressed the impression goes quickly; the fish must not be limp. ? Scales: should be covered with a fresh sea slime, or be smooth and moist, with a good sheen and no abrasions or bruising; there should be no discoloration.

Smell: Pleasant, with no smell of ammonia or sourness. ? Fish should be purchased daily, if possible, direct from the market or supplier. ? The fish should be well iced so that it arrives in good condition. ? Fish may be bought on the bone or filleted.

? Medium sized fish are usually better than large fish, which may be coarse; small fish often lack flavour. METHODS OF COOKING BLANCHING: French – Blanchir It is a preliminary cooking process From the French word ‘blanche’ – white Plunging food in cold water and then bringing to a boil (100C) Plunging in hot water (100C) Plunging in hot

oil (130-165C)POACHING : French – Pocher Gentle moist cooking process Temperature maintained below boiling point Poaching liquid differs from commodity to commodity Liver pate, terrine, creme caramel, egg custard BOILING : French – Bouillir Immersion of food in liquid at boiling point Usually followed by simmering Scum needs to removed from time to time Vegetables grown above ground are plunged in hot water Below ground are plunged in cold water brought to a boil STEAMING : French – Cuire a vapeur One of the most commonly used methods In its simple form, food can just be placed over boiling waterSophisticated equipment also available Perforated trays required for drainage Rice, fish, dim sums, vegetables, puddings STEWING : French – Etuver Slow, gentle, moist cooking process Usually tough cuts of meat and root vegetables Enclosed container – retains nutrients and flavour Temperature ranges from 80 to 90C Fish, beef, lamb, chicken, vegetables, fruits BRAISING : French – Braiser Commodity partially covered with a liquid and cooked in enclosed container or oven Combination of steaming, stewing and roasting Large joints of meat, vegetables ROASTING : French – RotirCooking of prime quality foods in an oven by dry heat Between 150 to 240C Internal temperature of meat remains a 60 to 80C Basting is required POELER : French – Poeler Considered a prime method of cookery Good quality foods are essential Cooked in an enclosed container on a bed of root vegetables Addition of butter as the moistening agent BAKING : French – Cuire a four Usually associated with flour based products Can also apply to pasta dishes, potatoes, fruits and pates Involves cooking with dry oven generated heat

Moisture for cooking is provided by the food itselfBain marie for gentle baking (like Caramel Custard) Blind baking and docking GRILLING/BROILING : French – Griller Method of dry cooking which requires prime cuts of meat May use salamander, griddle plate, Charcoal grill, BBQ Cuts of meat should be even and similar, not more than 6cm thick Necessary to be able to move the heat source closer to or away from the food Except for beef, all other meats grilled are fully cooked SHALLOW FRYING : French – Frire Refers to cooking small quantities of prime commodities in minimum of fat or oil Some delicate food like fish needs to be coated before frying, also for crustWok, tava, griddle plate, frying pan Fat should be close to smoking point before starting to cook SAUTER : French – Sauter Literally means – ‘to jump’ Fast method of cooking as compared to shallow frying Food is constantly kept moving while cooking After sauteeing, sediments left in pan can be used to make accompanying sauces Different from stewing where meat is cooked along with the sauce DEEP FRYING : French – Frire Cooking by immersion of food in hot, deep fat or oil Take care of the quantity of oil used and the quantity of food being cooked at one timeOil and water do not mix, hence food for frying must be absolutely dry Recovery time and regular changing of the oil Coating batters – anglais, francais, orly MICROWAVE COOKERY : French – Cuire au four a micro ondes Cooking by generation of heat within the food using internal moisture of the food Generation of microwaves by a magnetron

No metal to be placed inside Usually used for defrosting or reheating Most people prefer other traditional methods of cooking More suitable to domestic use rather than commercial .