Recipe Formats & Cooking Techniques

Recipe Formats

• Standard format is easy to follow, requires minimal space, and is suitable for food labs.
• Active format provides a step-by-step method that is easy to follow, but requires more space.
• Narrative format is written in paragraph form.

Parts of a Recipe

• Title
• Ingredients
• Yield/Serving amount
• Directions
• Cook Time
• Prep Time
• Nutritional Facts

Common Cooking Techniques

• Beating involves mixing thoroughly until smooth and well combined.
• Whipping involves beating briskly to incorporate air and add volume to the mixture.
• Folding involves gently incorporating ingredients on top of each other using a spatula or wire whisk.
• Baking involves cooking in an oven where heat surrounds the food evenly from all sides.
• Grilling involves cooking over direct heat, from below the food, like on a barbecue.
• Broiling involves cooking, often in an oven, where the heat comes from above the food.
• Roasting involves cooking uncovered in an oven with heat coming evenly from all sides, typically for meats or vegetables.
• Frying involves cooking using some type of fat, like oil or butter.

Measuring Dry Ingredients

• Fill the measuring cup to overflowing with the ingredient, then level off the top using a straight edge to remove any excess.

Measuring Fats

• Stick Method: Cut off the required amount, for fats that are packaged in sticks.
• Dry Measuring Cup Method: Pack the fat firmly into the measuring cup, level the top using a rubber scraper, and then empty as much fat as possible.
• Water Displacement Method: Subtract the amount of fat to be measured from 1 cup, pour the resulting amount of water into the measuring cup, then spoon the fat into the cup, ensuring it stays below the water level. Once the water reaches the 250mL (1 cup) level, pour out the water.

Measuring Liquids

• Pour the liquid into a measuring cup and ensure the measurement is accurate by bending down to eye level.

Cooking Equipment

• Ladles are for serving soup, stew, or sauce.
• Slotted spoons drain liquid from foods when lifted.
• Wooden spoons mix or stir ingredients in cooking or baking.
• Turners/flippers flip foods.
• Tongs grip, lift, move, and rotate foods without piercing them.
• Kitchen forks lift or turn heavy foods.
• Rotary beaters (hand mixers) beat, whip, or mix.
• Whisks beat, stir, or blend.

Cooking Terms

Preparation Techniques

• Dot: Placing small particles of a solid on the surface of a food.
• Dredge: Covering food with a dry ingredient.
• Flute: Forming an edge on pastry.

Mixing Techniques

• Cut in: Mixing solid shortening with flour.

Food Guide

• The new food guide reduces the emphasis on milk and meat, encouraging plant-based eating.
• The three food groups: Vegetables and Fruits, Protein Foods, and Whole Grains.
• Specific details about serving size were removed because Canadians found the previous guide too complicated and hard to use.
• The new guide emphasizes proportions over portions.
• Eating behaviors encouraged:
  • Be mindful of your eating habits.
  • Cook more often.
  • Enjoy your food.
  • Eat meals with others.
  • Use food labels.
  • Limit foods high in sodium, sugars, and saturated fat.
  • Be aware of food marketing.
• Proportions:
  • Half of the plate should be Vegetables and Fruits
  • One quarter should be Protein
  • One quarter should be Whole Grains
  • Water is the recommended drink of choice.
• Sample meals that follow the food guide:
  • Chicken with brown rice and salad.
  • Sliced apple on top of toast with peanut butter.
  • A bowl of fruit with your whole grain and protein.
  • Adding lots of vegetables to a frittata or breakfast sandwich.
  • Filling half of your bowl of oatmeal with berries and chopped fruit.
  • Making a vegetable omelette with a side of fruit and half a whole grain bagel.

Food Labelling

• Mandatory Information:
  • Ingredient list (ordered by weight, including priority allergens).
  • Nutrition Facts Table.
  • Best before dates.
  • Principal Display Panel.
• Voluntary Information:
  • Origin Claim.
  • Allergen Warnings.
  • Highlighted Ingredient Claim.
  • Brand Name.
  • Nutrient Content Claim.
  • Health Claims.

Nutrition Content Claims

• % Daily Value (%DV) indicates whether a serving size has a little or a lot of a nutrient (5% DV or less is a little, while 15% DV or more is a lot).

Fat Claims

• Fat-free: Less than 0.5g of fat per serving.
• Low in fat: Less than 3g of fat per serving.
• Reduced in fat: At least 25% less fat than the original product.
• 1 teaspoon of butter/margarine = 4g of fat.

Calorie Claims

• Calorie reduced: At least 25% less than the original product.
• Low calorie: Less than 40 calories per serving.
• Calorie-free: Less than 5 calories per serving.
• 4 Calories per gram of protein.
• 4 Calories per gram of carbohydrates.
• 9 Calories per gram of fat.

Dietary Fibre Claims

• Very high source of fibre: At least 6g of fibre per serving.
• High source of fibre: At least 4g of fibre per serving.
• Source of dietary fibre: At least 2g of fibre per serving.
• Foods usually high in fibre include whole grain & bran products, vegetables & fruit.

Cholesterol Claims

• Cholesterol-free: Less than 2mg of cholesterol per serving.
• Low cholesterol: Less than 20mg of cholesterol per serving and little saturated fat.
• Cholesterol is made by the body and is contained in foods of animal origin.
• Cholesterol helps produce hormones, make Vitamin D, construct cells, & make bile.
• Foods may still be high in total fat but have no cholesterol, especially if not an animal product.

Sugar (Carbohydrates) Claims

• No sugar added: No sugar added in processing, but it may contain natural sugar or sweetener.
• Sugar-free: Less than 0.5g of sugar per serving.

Vitamin / Mineral Claims

• Very high: At least 25% of Daily Value (at least 50% DV for vitamin C).
• High in: At least 15% of Daily Value (at least 30% DV for Vitamin C).
• Source of: At least 5% of Daily Value.