Tiffany Shelton - College Cookbook: Healthy, Budget-Friendly Recipes for Every Student

Cooking meals is an art. In this chapter, we are going to reveal the science of basic cooking knowledge. Below is a list of basic cooking techniques that are used throughout this cookbook. It will be helpful to familiarize yourself with them before moving on to the recipes. When making a recipe, use your intuition as to whether you should add more or less of certain ingredients, and how long to cook some dishes. No recipe can ever be perfect because of the incredible variations in ingredients, cooking equipment, and the person preparing the recipe.

Cutting techniques

Chiffonade

This cutting technique can be used for leafy greens, such as chard, kale, and collards, and fresh herbs. Stack the leaves one on top of the other and roll tightly lengthwise. Then slice with a sharp knife crosswise to make long, thin strips or ribbons.

Chopping

A chefs knife is typically used for chopping. This general technique involves cutting the food into pieces when no specific size or shape is called for.

Dicing

Dicing food produces small, even squares or cubes. Diced vegetables are typically - to -inch cubes. Slice the food into long strips, and then cut across the slices to make cubes. This technique can be used for onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, yams, and squash, as well as many other vegetables and fruits.

Julienne Cut (Matchsticks)

The julienne cut creates small matchstick pieces. This technique is particularly useful for cutting vegetables that go into sushi rolls, as well as for many other recipes. Simply take your vegetable, a carrot, for example, and cut it diagonally into -inch slices. Then take each slice and cut lengthwise into thin strips.

Mincing

Mincing is a technique used for cutting food into very small pieces. Strong-flavored foods such as garlic, shallots, onions, fresh ginger, and hot peppers are typically minced to incorporate flavors evenly. Use a chefs knife and start by slicing the food, then chop back and forth in a rocking motion until the food is in small, fine pieces.

Shredding

Shredded vegetables add a juicy, delicate flavor to salads and can also be used to add extra nutrients to baked goods. Food can be shredded by hand with a handheld stainless steel grater or in a food processor with the grating disk in place. For vegetables, the finer the shred, the sweeter the flavor.

Slicing

Slicing is a broad term used for cutting food into various shapes, such as disks, wedges, or strips. Recipes typically will explain the nature of the slice. Green onions and carrots can be sliced into rounds. A bell pepper can be sliced lengthwise into long strips or sliced horizontally into rings. Apples can be sliced into thin wedges and potatoes can be sliced into rounds or wedges.

Zesting

Zesting is used to remove the outer portion of citrus skin where all of the delicate oils hide. You can zest a citrus fruit with a specialized zesting tool or with a fine rasp grater. The key is to just remove the outer skin and not the bitter white pith beneath. Always zest citrus before juicing.

Preparation techniques

Marinating

Marinating is pouring a liquid that contains an acidic and/or salty substance, such as vinegar, citrus, or tamari, over the food and allowing it sit for a period of time so that the flavors penetrate the food.

Soaking

Soaking is placing food in a bowl and covering it with a liquid, usually filtered water, so that the food can rehydrate as it absorbs the liquid. Keep the bowl on your kitchen counter at room temperature. This technique is used for soaking nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, and dried fruit.

Sprouting

Any raw seeds, nuts, or beans can be sprouted. Sprouting wakes up the seed for germination, leading to much more nutritious food. Sprouted foods have higher levels of amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. In the wintertime, when fresh, local produce is not as widely available, sprouting is a good alternative for eating live, raw, nutrient-dense plant foods. To sprout, soak your nuts, seeds, or beans in a bowl of filtered water overnight, or for about 12 hours. Then drain and place into a quart jar with a sprouting lid. Every morning and evening, rinse the seeds with fresh water and drain. Make sure they never dry out. Keep doing this until the seeds have sprouted and have reached a desired length or age. If you are new to sprouting, try green lentilsthey are one of the easiest things to sprout! Other foods that we like to sprout are broccoli seeds, radish seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, truly raw almonds, and mung beans.

Freezing

Freezing your own fruits and vegetables that you have either harvested yourself or bought from the farmers market is a great way to preserve food. Also, freezing your leftovers will make it easy to have healthy homemade meals on nights you may not want to, or have time to cook. Be sure to label and date your food and use it within 6 to 12 months.