CULINARY ARTS

Common kitchen tools and their uses

1. Colander – used for draining or straining fatty foods.
2. Food strainer – used for separating liquids from solids.
3. Carajay – used for deep-fat frying.
4. Frying pan – used for frying, searing, and browning foods.
5. Casserole – is a tool with two handles used for boiling purposes.
6. Sauce pan – has a handle used for making sauces, heating food and / or reducing sauces.
7. Wire rack – used for placing hot utensils such as casserole, sauce pan, carajay etc.
8. Turner – maybe made of aluminum, plastic, or stainless used for turning food when frying.
9. Ladle – a deep bowled long handled spoon used for deeping up foods.
10. Kettle – a utensil used to heat water.
11. Ice pick – used for cracking ice.
12. Plastic/aluminum cup – used for measuring dry ingredients.
13. Glass measuring cup – used for measuring liquids.
14. Cleaver – a butcher’s implement used for cutting animal carcasses into joints or pieces.
15. Kitchen knife – used to chop or cut food into desired size and shape.
16. Paring knife – used for cutting, peeling, and slicing fruits and vegetables.
17. Steamer – a two or three layered casserole used for steaming foods.
18. Mortar and pestle – used for pounding ingredients or substances by crushing and grinding
into a fine paste or powder.
19. Can opener – used for opening canned goods or bottles.
20. Chopping board – used for slicing and cutting food on top of it.
21. Measuring spoons – used to measure an amount of an ingredient, either liquid or dry,
when cooking.
22. Pressure cooker – an airtight pot in which food can be cooked quickly under steam
pressure.
23. Mixing bowls - used for mixing of ingredients.
24. Stove – used generally for cooking or heating that operates by burning fuel or using
electricity.
25. Grater – used for grating cheese and other foods.

Food preparation and cooking processes

Food preparation – is the process of getting the food ready for cooking. Technically, it
involves the cleaning and removal wastes or inedible portions of raw foods.
1. String – to pull off the stringy part from one end toward the other end of vegetables like
string beans, Chinese beans and sitsaro.
 2. Peel – to remove the skin of fruit, vegetable, or shrimp.
3. Paring – to remove the skin or a part of a fruit or vegetable by means of a knife or peeler.
4. Shell – to press or crack the hard cover of food to expose or draw out its seeds or meat like
peanuts.
5. Slice – to cut the food into equal or equal pieces, either long or across the food with a knife
or a cutter.
6. Dice – to cut food into slices, the slices into strips, and strips into cubes.
7. Chop – to cut food into small pieces with repeated sharp blows using knife or a chopper.
8. Grate – to press or rub the food in back and forth stroke against a sharp-edge grater to
transform the food into desired particle sizes.
9. Shred – to scoop out string-like curls from meat of fruits like buco, macapuno, melon and
the like.
10. Beat – is done by moving a fork or beater in a bowl of foods to obtain a fine and bubbly
mixture.
11. Blend – to mix together different flavorings until one ingredient cannot be recognized. A
blender maybe used in this type.
12. Mix – to put together different ingredients in a bowl and mix using a spoon or fork.
13. Stir – to mix food materials in a circular motion in order to mix it thoroughly.
14. Mince – to chop into very fine pieces.
15. Toss – to tumble things lightly with lifting.
16. Scrape – to remove the skin by rubbing it with the sharp edge of a knife
17. Marinate – to soak food stand in a mixture or treat with an acid mixture as in vinegar,
calamansi juice and soy sauce to add and improve flavor.
18. Flake – to separate, break or divide food into small or thin pieces.
19. Break – to divide/separate into pieces.
20. Sprinkle – to scatter or pour small drops of dry ingredients over food.
21. Garnish – to add an accessory or decorate something to a dish.
22. Cube – to cut food into pieces of uniform size and shape, first lengthwise then crosswise.
23. Dredge – to coat or sprinkle solid food with dry ingredients such as flour or breadcrumbs.
24. Salting – is the preservation of food with salt.

Cooking methods
1. Dry heat method – cooking procedure in which food is cooked over direct heat without
water.
2. Moist heat method – cooking procedure where food cooked with water or liquid.
 3. Dry and moist heat – combination cooking methods, which apply both dry and moist
heat.

Cooking processes
1. Boiling – is the method of cooking which uses enough liquid or water in cooking.
2. Blanching – is a method of putting boiling water over food or to dip into boiling water and
then in cold water.
3. Stewing – is cooking (boiling) food slowly over low even heat with enough water or liquid to
cover the food.
4. Steaming – is cooking food placed in an enclosed container called steamer, where it is
cooked by the steam coming from boiling water within it or outside of it.
5. Broiling – is cooking food a top-down heat.
6. Baking – is cooking food in an enclosed heat like oven at the right temperature.
7. Sautéing – is cooking food in a little amount of fat.
8. Frying – includes pan frying and deep- fat frying. Deep- fat frying involves immersing the
food in plenty of fat.
9. Grill/Barbecue – is cooking food a bottom-up heat.
10. Roasting – is essentially similar to baking depending upon the food to be cooked, charcoal
maybe used.
11. Simmering – is cooking liquid below boiling point.
12. Caramelizing – is changing sugar to liquid.
13. Melting – make or become liquefied by heat.
14. Poaching – is submerging food in boiling water until the food appears on top.
15. Chill – to place food in refrigerator at controlled temperature.
16. Freeze – is to place food in the coldest temperature and then frozen.
17. Thaw – is to defrosted food.

Meal – is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes specific,
prepared food, or the food eaten on that occasion

Appetizer - a small dish of food or a drink taken before a meal or the main course of a meal to
stimulate one's appetite.

Salad – is a dish consisting of a mixture of small pieces of food, which may be mixed with
a sauce or salad dressing.
Types of salad
 1. Appetizer salads - light, smaller portion-salads to stimulate the appetite as the first course
of the meal.
2. Side salads - to accompany the main course as a side dish.

3. Main course salads - usually containing a portion of heartier fare, such as chicken

breast, salmon or slices of beef.
4. Dessert salads - sweet versions containing fruit, gelatin, sweeteners and/or whipped cream,
or just fruit, which is called a fruit salad.

Main course - is the featured or primary dish in a meal consisting of several courses. The main dish
is usually the heaviest, heartiest, and most complex or substantial dish on a menu. The main
ingredient is usually meat, fish or another protein source.

Dessert - is a course that concludes a main meal. The course usually consists of sweet foods and
beverages, such as dessert wine or liqueurs, but may include coffee, cheeses, nuts, or other savory
items. The term dessert can apply to many confections, such as cakes, tarts, cookies, biscuits,
gelatins, pastries, ice creams, pies, puddings, custards, and sweet soups. . Fruit is also commonly
found in dessert courses because of its naturally occurring sweetness.