Cheffing

WEEK 1

During my first week at cheffing  i learned a lot of new things that i didn't knew before
things like the type of vegetable cuts you get also the cooking methods that we will use ,and
how to season food and what spices to  use to make food taste better etc.
the types of vegetables cut you get

1. Julienne - Thin matchstick size cuts 1-2 mm thick and 3 cm long 
2. Macedoine - thick diced veggies mm thick (cubes)
3. batonnet - matchstick size but thicker than the julienne for example chips 
4. brunoise - small fine vegetable cuts 3mm x 3mm 
5. chiffonade - finely sliced or chopped for example herbs 
6. Mirepois - rough cut vegetables example carrots ,onions ,cut into mostly squares often used in stock 

Some of the cooking methods

1. Blanching 
2. poaching - gentle cooking process done in water 
3. boiling - cooking of food in rapid boiling water 
4. steaming - cooking of food in hot moist air .also reduce cooking time 
5. frying - quick frying of food with oil ,medium to high heat 
6. roasting - cooking of large joints in dry heat (150 - 175 c )
7. grilling - fast cooking of small tender pieces with little or no oil (220 -250 )done by contact heat 
8. gratinating -food prepared au gratin has a high fat content and is browned on the surface eg : lasagne ,done under a salamander with dry air 
9. baking - cooking of food in dry heat moistened by its ingredients 
10. sauteing - quick frying of food in a pan with little oil 
11. stewing - moist cooking methods for tough meats ,cut into small pieces
12. braising - combination of roasting ans stewing in a brisiere on a stove or oven 
13. Glaceing - same application as braising but used for a white meat only ,done in fat then liquid,                Basting - contains acid  , Glacing - contains sugar 
14. Pot roasting - cooking of poultry in fat medium pot 

It was a really great week and i really learned a lot while working hard as the kitchen was busy !!
enjoying the work given and the things that i learn ...

During the first week we also had a conference that we had to prepare for which was busy
as we were running around all day making food helping each other and trying to learn more and more from the other chefs in the kitchen ,we also helped prepare the food that we could do .good experience in the kitchen ..