Pasta and Sauce History Quiz

Sauces

• Thickening agents like starch can be used to make sauces more viscous.
• Starches are often used as thickening agents in sauces.

Pasta

History

• Pasta originated in ancient China in the Shang Dynasty (1,700-1100 BC).
• Noodles were made with either wheat or rice flour.
• Pasta was also part of ancient Greece's diet in the first millennium BC.
• The word "lasagna" comes from the Greek term "laganon," which describes strips of dough made with flour and water.

Types

• Small pastas (1-2 inches) also called "macaroni," are best served with thick sauces or baked into creamy casseroles.
• Long, ribbon-cut pastas in the "spaghetti" category pair well with pesto, fresh tomato, and wine or butter-based sauces.
• Tube-shaped pastas are extruded pasta, made by forcing dough through a die.
• Artisan pasta makers use bronze dies, creating a coarser texture.
• Stuffed pastas are specifically designed for holding ingredients, such as cheese, meat, or vegetables. These pastas pair best with butter, cream, or tomato sauces, for the flavor to shine.

Pasta Sauces

• The text describes a range of pasta sauce variations, including:
  • Basic sauces: Tomato, white sauces, butter and cream sauces, pesto.
  • Other sauces: Garlic-herb sauces, Alfredo sauce, carbonara sauce, pesto variants.

Soups

• Soups are made with a base of broth or stock.

Stocks

• Stocks are flavourful liquids that are typically made by simmering bones, vegetables, and aromatics for a long period.
• Stocks serve as a base for soups, stews, sauces, and other dishes.

Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Shellfish

Parts and Cuts

• Beef:
  • Tender cuts: Tenderloin (filet mignon), Strip loin, Rib eye, Top sirloin
  • Leaner cuts: Round, Chuck, Brisket
  • Cheaper cuts: Shank
• Pork:
  • ** Tender cuts:** Loin, Tenderloin (filet mignon)
  • Cheaper cuts: Shoulder, Ham
• Chicken:
  • Tender cuts: Breast, Thigh
  • Cheaper cuts: Leg, Wings
• Fish
  • Cuts: Fillets, Steaks
• Shellfish
  • Kinds: Clams, Oysters, Shrimp, Crab, Lobster