ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Vegetables, while often seen as accompaniments or sidedishes, are very versatile and flavoursome for the knowledgeable chef. This appealing, practical program is led by an experienced industry chef, who demonstrates cooking techniques for a variety of vegetables. Hospitality audiences will learn how to braise, roast, steam, grill, flame grill, and stir fry. How to select and use knives and cooking equipment provides the finishing touches on a highly creative area of culinary expertise. Duration of resource: 17 Minutes Year of Production: 2013 Stock code: VEA12062
For Teachers Introduction Chef Andrew Sankey demonstrates six common ways to cook vegetables, highlighting the proper techniques and explaining why they are used. Timeline 00:00:00 Roasting vegetables 00:04:51 Flame grilled vegetables 00:07:02 Grilled vegetables 00:08:28 Braised vegetables 00:10:31 Steamed vegetables 00:13:05 Stir fry vegetables 00:16:06 Credits 00:16:32 End program Related Titles Fruit and Vegetable: Selection and Preparation Meat: Selection and Preparation Meat: Cooking Techniques Recommended Resources http://www.hospitalityinfocentre.co.uk/reports/food%20science/cooking%20methods.htm http://www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html.http://vegetarianforlife.org.uk/vfl.aspx?page=560 2
Student Worksheet Initiate Prior Learning 1. Develop a concept map of all the different ways you can think of to prepare asparagus. 2. As a class, compile a list of what vegetables were eaten for dinner over the past three days, and how they were cooked. What similarities and differences do you notice among the results? 3
Active Viewing Guide 1. What should you do to avoid the vegetable skin sticking to the pan when roasting? 2. How can you tell when tomato is cooked? 3. How can you tell when potato is cooked? 4. Why does pumpkin brown faster than potato? 5. Is steaming faster or slower than boiling? Explain why. 6. Why should you ensure the steamer is really hot when you place vegetables in it? 4
7. Summarise in your own words the flame grilling process demonstrated. 8. What other term is used to describe maillard browning? 9. What does it mean to Blanche food? 10. What do you think are the two most important elements of the stir fry technique? 5
Extension Activities 1. Create a vegetarian dinner menu plan for a full week. Vary dishes to achieve nutritional balance and cooking techniques. Alternatively, write a review of the four week vegetarian menu plan at this website: http://vegetarianforlife.org.uk/vfl.aspx?page=560 Review the plan based on cost, level of difficulty, nutritional balance, and general meal appeal. 2. Research a popular vegetable dish from a previous decade that is not commonly prepared today. Prepare the dish and reflect on the outcome. Suggest reasons why the dish was popular at that particular time in the past and why it s no longer popular today. 3. In the program a European stir fry is prepared rather than the more common Asian stir fry. Select a vegetable dish that is commonly associated with one culture or area of the world, and recreate it using flavours associated with a different culture or area of the world. 6
Suggested Student Responses Active Viewing Guide 1. What should you do to avoid the vegetable skin sticking to the pan, when roasting? Put them into the oven when the outer surface has been slightly cooked. 2. How can you tell when tomato is cooked? It s wrinkled. 3. How can you tell when potato is cooked? The knife goes in and out of it easily. 4. Why does pumpkin brown faster than potato? Because there s more sugar in it 5. Is steaming faster or slowing than boiling? Explain why. Faster. The temperature of atmospheric steam is about 103 degrees C (boiling water is 100 degrees C), which means it can cook quicker. 6. Why should you ensure the steamer is really hot when you place vegetables in it? If it has to come up to temperature, you run the risk of losing the colour of your vegetables. 7. Summarise in your own words the flame grilling process demonstrated. Answers will vary but may include: The capsicum has been sitting directly on the fire for about five minutes. Turn frequently. Place into a plastic bowl and cover to contain the steam for five minutes. This allows the separation between the flesh and the skin so the skin will easily peel off. 8. What other term is used to describe maillard browning? Caramelisation 9. What does it mean to Blanche food? Plunge it into boiling water for a few seconds then into some iced water. It sets the colour. 10. What do you think are the two most important elements of the stir fry technique? Must be very hot; constant movement/stirring. 7