Introduction to Western Cuisine

Introduction to Western Cuisine

• Western cuisine originates from French cuisine.
• Auguste Escoffier, a French chef, modernized classical French cooking which serves as the basis of the culinary world.
• European countries influenced major developments in Western cuisine.

Basic Ingredients

• Western dishes combine diverse contrasting ingredients, avoiding same-flavored pairings.
• Thirteen ingredients flavor Western cuisine.
• These include dairy products (butter, milk, eggs), wine from grapes, and varied sauces.
• Sauces are used as condiments, seasonings, or to accentuate dishes.

Characteristics of Western Cuisine

• Western cuisine revolves around a meat dish, such as lamb, beef, pork, or chicken.
• Grains like wheat, barley, rye, rice and/or pasta are staples.
• Base sauces such as bechamel, velouté, and brown are used.
• Sauces are butter-based with simple herb blends instead of spices.

Notable Influences of Early Civilization

• Early Mesopotamians discovered fire, farmed grains, domesticated animals, made pottery, and had bread and beer as staples between 10,000 and 6,000 BC.
• Early Egyptians prepared food for burial and entombed it with the deceased.
• Early Americans produced squash, beans, and potatoes.
• Early Chinese cooked dishes in caldrons.
• Early European, Romans, and Greeks believed dishes originated from Athens, Greece.
• Dishes were developed later in Rome.
• Cooks were considered professionals, especially for banquets and socialization.
• Their diet included coarse bread, olives, and goat cheese.
• Street vendors sold roasted meats, fried fish, and sweets.
• Mexican cuisine involved maize and tortilla.
• Ancient Indian cuisine featured vegetables, dairy products, and curry as the main sauce.

Pre-historic Age

• The origin of early cooking is vague in early civilization.
• Early civilizations may have improved their diet by chance through raw meat and vegetable intake.
• The discovery of fire improved food preference toward cooked or roasted meat.

Ancient Times

• 900 BC: Plant cultivation began in the fertile crescent region of the Middle East.
• 900 BC: Mers Americans (now Mexicans and Central Americans) began domesticating plants like gourds, pepper, and amaranth.
• 4,000 BC: Egyptians used yeast as a leaving agent.
• 4,000 BC: Their diet included onions, radishes, and garlic for sustenance.
• 3,000 BC: Mesopotamian farmers grew turnips, beans, peas, lentils, leeks, radishes, and possibly garlic.
• 3,000 BC-100 A.D: Food development was prominent in the Roman Empire.
• 3,000 BC-100 A.D: The Agricultural Revolution shaped grain production.
• 2,000 BC: Skins were used to dye wool.
• 2,000 BC: Pomegranate acknowledged as fertility symbol due to many seeds.
• 500 B.C: Avocados, a key ingredient for guacamole, were recorded in Mayan hieroglyphics in Southeastern Mexico and Central America.
• 50 BC: Apricot trees were first cultivated in China and then grown in India, Armenia, and Persia.
• 400 A.D: The German word "pasta-nudel" gave rise to the English word "noodle".

More Modern Times

• 1493: Columbus "discovered" pineapple on the West Indies island of Guadeloupe.
• 1621: The first Thanksgiving Day was a harvest festival celebrated by the pilgrims of Plymouth colony.
• 1621: The land area was ruined by winter in 1620.
• 1742: The first American cookbook, "The Complete Housewife", was published.
• 1742: Eliza Smith's "Accomplish Gentlewoman's Companion" was a great success.
• 1789: Mrs. Alexander Hamilton served a creamy frozen dessert known as ice cream.
• 1789: Former US President George Washington enjoyed ice cream.
• Sep 26, 1830: Col. Robert Gibbon Johnson proved that tomatoes are not poisonous.
• Sep 26, 1830: He publicly ate tomatoes on the courthouse steps in Salem, New Jersey.
• March 1850: Agoston Haraszthy, planted grapes in Wisconsin.
• March 1850: He was known as the legendary Hungarian and the "Father of the California Viticulture."
• April 1933: The end of prohibition launched the New Year's Eve celebration.
• April 1933: The US government encouraged low alcohol (3.2%) beverages like beer and breweries after 14 dry years.
• 1945-1965: Nouvelle cuisine was born in France.
• 1945-1965: Young Turks Chefs and expert chefs simplified French cooking by streamlining menus and courses.
• 1963: Julia Child-"The French Chef" was recognized.
• 1963: Her TV series aired on WGBH-TV, Boston.
• October 28, 1996: The world celebrated the 150th anniversary of Auguste Escoffier's birth.
• October 28, 1996: He was known as the "King of Chefs and Chef of Kings" and the father of 20th-century cookery.

Review of HACCP

• In 1974, Pillsbury, the Natick Labs, and NASA created the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system for food safety.
• This system focuses on controlling critical points in food production to eliminate health risks.
• HACCP ensures food safety, improves quality, and manages costs.
• Each critical control point has defined limits to maintain safety and prevent hazards (biological, chemical, or physical).
• Effective food safety under HACCP relies on a commitment from everyone.
• Management and owners establish/enforce policies, provide training/resources.
• Supervisors oversee daily operations, give guidance, and act as feedback points.
• The HACCP's success depends on trained employees who follow safety standards.
• A successful HACCP program needs a food safety culture throughout.

7 HACCP Principles

• Conduct a hazard analysis.
• Determine the critical control points.
• Establish the critical limits for preventive measures.
• Establish procedures to monitor CCPs.
• Establish corrective actions when limits are exceeded.
• Establish verification procedures that document HACCP plan.
• Establish recordkeeping and documentation procedures to verify the working HACCP plan.

Kitchen Sanitation

• "Sanitation" comes from Latin "sanitas," meaning "health."
• "Sanitary" comes from French "sanitaire," from "sanitas."
• Proper sanitation reduces foodborne illness, pests, and expenses, creating a professional, satisfying work and dining environment.

Kitchen Brigade

• A kitchen brigade hierarchy system provides each person with a designated work area.
• Each kitchen section has enough staff to produce food from its section.
• The system is based on the European brigade.
• In a small establishment, the Head Chef may also be the owner.
• Head Chef responsibilities include menu planning, standard recipes, costing, budgets and staff training.
• The Second Chef assists the head chef with ordering/purchasing, menus, and standard recipes.
• The Third-year Apprentice Cook trains the first-year apprentice cook and kitchen hand, assists with menu/recipe ideas, preparation/cooking, purchasing, and receiving.
• The First-year Apprentice Cook does mise en place, food preparation, some cooking, assists the kitchen hand with cleaning, receiving, and storing supplies.
• The Kitchen Hand cleans the kitchen, washes dishes, receives/stores supplies, and does basic food preparation.

Medium Establishment

• The Head Chef may also be the owner.
• Menu planning, standard recipes, hiring/firing, costing/budgets, staff training, and promotions/advertising responsibilities of the Head Chef.

Large Establishment

• Executive Chef duties include menu planning and recipe testing, recruitment, staff rosters, costs, budgets/forecasts, and promotions/advertising.
• Sous Chef duties principal assistance to the Executive Chef, planning, menu planning, standard recipes, and food ordering.
• Commis duties preparation/cooking, staff training, assisting with planning/rosters, food ordering, and Chef de Partie duties on days off.
• Kitchen Hand duties include washing dishes, kitchen cleanliness, and stores liaison for supplies.
• Chef de Partie's responsibilities include training staff, menu planning/recipe testing under the Sous Chef, food ordering, preparation, and cooking.

Mise-en-place

• Mise en place ("meez on plahs") is a French phrase meaning "everything in place" or advance preparation.
• Activities during Mise en Place include assembling needed tools and required ingredients
• Others include washing, trimming, cutting, preparing stocks, breading, and battering and preparing equipment like preheating the oven.

Parts of Knives

• Tip
• Spine
• Bolster
• Heel
• Cutting Edge
• Tang
• Handle
• Rivets
• Butt

Table Etiquette

• European cuisines developed in royalty houses and palaces.
• European aristocrats have a gastronomic style where tableware is sophisticated and complex.
• Different dishes served using specific knife, fork and cup.
• Communicating at the table is considered an art.

The Art of Garnishing

• The visual display of food matters to both chef and consumer.
• A chef's presentation of food attracts customers.
• Eating involves all senses: sight, touch, hearing, smell.
• When plating, prepare 5 components like protein, vegetables, starch, sauces and garnishing

Food Plating Techniques

• Plating serves food using food processing art, arranging, and decorating to enhance the aesthetic in the plate.
• Using the right plate size is important for highlighting the plate in general
• Use light vs dark plates to make food stand out.
• Plate color stimulates or reduce appetites such as red increases one's appetite
• Food arrangement techniques pertains to the tone, structure and flavor of the dish.
• Visual plating techniques uses the protein as a component

Plating Techniques

• Sauce plating uses sauces to enhance food presentation.
• Garnishings are modern.
• Garnishes pair thoughtfully with meals to create flavor bites or ingredient use.

Modern Food Plating Trends

• Classic: Classic (clock method technique) main- 3-9( best at 6), starch 9-11, veggies 11-3 Sauce placement is near the main ingredient with a simple garnish.

• Landscape: an inspiration taken from a landscape garden,. The linear arrangement of food is low and long.

• Free Form: Strokes and food placement are carefully thought out to create abstract art.

• Futuristic: Use sleek materials like metal, glass and steel for molecular gastronomy.

• Nordic look: Ribbons or chunks of vegetables or herbs are scattered on the dish to garnish.

• Hide and seek: Layering adds an element of playfulness and surprise.

• Bathing: Bowl food is massive trend for large group of friends or those who have big appetite.

• Super bowl: A massive food bowl is a trend for gatherings.

Plating Tools

• Decorating brushes
• Garnishing kit
• Molds or ring molds
• Precision tongs
• Plating wedges
• Shavers
• Plating spoons
• Squeezed bottles