Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Food Service Management cheat sheet

Mother sauces: béchamel (milk + white roux), velouté (white stock + blond roux), espagnole (brown stock + brown roux + tomato), hollandaise (egg-yolk and clarified-butter emulsion) and tomato.

Roux uses equal weights of flour and fat: white roux is cooked 2–3 minutes (no colour), blond 5–8 minutes, brown 25–30 minutes until nut-brown and nutty in aroma.

Stock = bones + mirepoix + cold water + bouquet garni; start cold, simmer at 85–95 °C, skim regularly, never boil, and never salt a stock because it is reduced later.

Moist methods: boiling (100 °C), poaching (70–85 °C), steaming, stewing, braising. Dry methods: roasting, grilling, baking, shallow-frying, deep-frying (170–190 °C).

Maillard browning between amino acids and reducing sugars needs a dry surface and roughly 140–165 °C; sugar caramelisation begins around 160–180 °C.

Classic cuts: julienne 1.5–2 mm × 4–5 cm; brunoise 2–3 mm dice; macédoine 5 mm dice; chiffonade for shredded leafy herbs and greens.

Blanching: 1–2 minutes in boiling salted water, then refresh in ice water to fix colour, loosen skins and halt enzyme action before further cooking.

Deglaze a roasting tray or sauté pan with stock, wine or water over heat to dissolve caramelised juices; reduce to the required consistency for the sauce.

Egg coagulation: white sets at 62–65 °C and yolk at 68–70 °C; prolonged high heat produces the grey-green ferrous sulphide ring around the yolk.

Six nutrient classes: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water; the first three are energy-yielding macronutrients.

Energy values: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g; 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ.

Protein has about 20 amino acids; nine are essential for adults (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine). A complete protein supplies all nine, as in egg, milk and meat.

Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble and stored in liver and adipose tissue; B-complex and C are water-soluble and excess is excreted in urine, so daily intake matters.

Deficiency pairs: vitamin A - night blindness; thiamine (B1) - beriberi; vitamin C - scurvy; vitamin D - rickets/osteomalacia; iron - anaemia; iodine - goitre.

Starch changes: gelatinisation (granules swell and thicken liquid on heating), dextrinisation (dry heat breaks starch into shorter chains, as in toast) and caramelisation (sugar browning).

Emulsions: oil-in-water (milk, mayonnaise) and water-in-oil (butter, margarine); egg-yolk lecithin is the classic emulsifier that keeps droplets dispersed.

Collagen in connective tissue converts to soluble gelatin under prolonged moist heat, which is why stewing and braising tenderise tough cuts while dry heat toughens them.

ICMR balanced-diet guidance: about 50–60% of energy from carbohydrate, 10–15% from protein and 20–30% from fat, with adequate fibre and micronutrients.

Table d'hôte = fixed multi-course menu at one set price with limited choice; à la carte = each dish separately priced and prepared to order.

Service styles: French (gueridon, silver flats, finishing at the table), Russian (platters presented and portioned at the table), American/plate, English/family, buffet and cafeteria.

Service direction rule: present and serve food and beverages from the guest's right with the right hand, moving clockwise; bread-and-butter plate and fork are laid on the left.

Classic menu sequence: aperitif → appetiser → soup → fish → main course → dessert → coffee; each course is cleared before the next is served.

Wine service temperatures: sparkling 6–8 °C, white and rosé 10–12 °C, light red 14–16 °C, full-bodied red 16–18 °C; open reds an hour before service to breathe.

A cover is one place setting and, in planning terms, the space for one diner - about 60 cm of table edge by 45–60 cm depth, plus 45–50 cm for chair pull-out.

Glassware matching: highball and collins for long mixed drinks, rocks/old-fashioned for spirits on the rocks, flute for sparkling wine, goblet for beer and water.

Carry a service tray on the left hand, balanced on the forearm with the heaviest items nearest the body; serve silver on flats held in the left hand above shoulder height.

Kitchen Order Ticket (KOT) goes to the kitchen, the duplicate to the cashier and the guest bill is raised only from the priced KOT to prevent pilferage.

Danger zone: 5–60 °C is where bacteria multiply fastest; keep hot food above 60 °C and cold food below 5 °C, and limit time in the zone to a maximum of 2 hours.

FATTOM lists what bacteria need - Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture; removing or altering any one factor slows or stops growth.

HACCP's seven principles: hazard analysis, determine CCPs, set critical limits, monitor, take corrective action, verify, and keep records.

Colour-coded chopping boards: red raw meat, blue raw fish, yellow cooked poultry/meat, green fruit and vegetables, brown root vegetables, white dairy and bakery.

Storage temperatures: dry store 10–21 °C with low humidity, chiller 0–5 °C (fresh meat 1–4 °C), freezer −18 °C or colder, with a thermometer in each unit checked daily.

FSSAI, set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, regulates Indian food businesses; registration applies to small turnover units and a licence (state or central) to larger ones.

Hand washing needs soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, including under nails and wrists; food handlers with diarrhoea, jaundice or infected cuts must be excluded from food areas.

Three-sink method: wash in 43–49 °C detergent water, rinse in clean hot water, then sanitise (about 100 ppm chlorine or 75 °C water) and air-dry - never towel-dry.

FIFO (first in, first out) with date-labelled containers, pest-proof stores raised off the floor, and rodent bait stations plus regular fogging form the pest-control programme.

Gluten forms when glutenin and gliadin hydrate and are worked; bread flour has 11–13% protein for strong gluten, cake flour 7–9% for tenderness, and maida is refined wheat flour.

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ferments sugars into carbon dioxide and ethanol; dough fermentation is best at 27–32 °C, and final proofing at 35–38 °C with 80–85% relative humidity.

Bread process: scaling → mixing → bulk fermentation → punching → dividing → rounding → benching → shaping → panning → proofing → baking → cooling.

Baking temperatures: lean bread 200–230 °C, sponge and butter cakes 175–190 °C, cookies 160–180 °C, choux pastry 200 °C then reduced to dry out.

Sugar stages: thread 110–112 °C, soft ball 116–118 °C, firm ball 120–124 °C, hard ball 125–130 °C, soft crack 135–140 °C, hard crack 145–155 °C, caramel 160–175 °C.

Cake mixing methods: creaming (fat and sugar beaten, then eggs and flour), rubbing-in (shortcrust, scones), whisking/sponge (eggs and sugar whipped, flour folded), and all-in-one.

Icings and toppings: buttercream (butter + icing sugar), royal icing (egg white + icing sugar, sets hard), fondant, ganache (chocolate + cream) and glace icing for simple decoration.

Tempering chocolate: melt to 45–50 °C, cool to 27 °C, reheat - dark to 31–32 °C, milk to 29–30 °C, white to 27–28 °C - to get snap and gloss.

Leaveners: yeast (biological), baking powder (bicarbonate of soda + acid + starch filler) and baking soda (needs an acid ingredient such as curd or buttermilk to release gas).

Catering sectors: commercial (restaurants, hotels), institutional (hospitals, schools, prisons), industrial/onsite (factory canteens), transport (rail, air) and welfare/community catering.

Menu planning checks: nutritional balance, clientele and dietary needs, seasonality and availability, cost per head, kitchen equipment capacity, staff skill and service style.

Scaling factor = new yield ÷ old yield; multiply every ingredient in the standard recipe by this factor, but adjust salt, spices and leavening cautiously.

Yield percentage = edible portion ÷ as-purchased weight × 100; edible-portion cost per kg = as-purchased cost per kg ÷ yield percentage.

Quantity equipment: bratt pan, tilting/steam-jacketed kettle, convection and combi ovens, bain-marie, planetary mixer, potato peeler, cold room and blast chiller.

Holding rules for bulk service: hot above 60 °C in a bain-marie, cold below 5 °C on ice or refrigerated counters, batch cooking to avoid long holding, and reheating once to 75 °C.

Purchase cycle: indent from the department → purchase order against quotations/tender → receiving and inspection against specification → storage → requisition and Issue.

Kitchen brigade (Escoffier): executive chef, sous chef, chef de partie (sauce, fish, roast, pastry, garde-manger) and commis; the steward handles washing and cleaning.

Portion control tools: ladles by capacity (30–240 ml), scoops by number, portion scales, measured cups and standard serving spoons to keep cost and quality uniform.

Room status codes: VC (vacant clean), VD (vacant dirty), OC (occupied clean), OD (occupied dirty), OOO (out of order, not sold), OOS (out of service, still counted in inventory), DND, and expected departure/arrival.

Tariff plans: European Plan (room only), Continental Plan (room + breakfast), Modified American Plan (room + breakfast + one main meal), American Plan (room + all three meals).

The guest cycle has four operational stages - pre-arrival (reservation), arrival (registration and rooming), occupancy (information, cashier, concierge) and departure (checkout and post-departure follow-up).

Front-office sections: reservations, reception/registration, information desk, cashier, bell desk, concierge, EPABX/telephone and night audit.

Reservation types: tentative (held without commitment), confirmed, guaranteed (by credit card, advance or travel agent) and waitlisted; overbooking is deliberate and controlled at a small percentage.

Housekeeping cleaning types: daily/make-up room cleaning, departure or checkout cleaning, special/spring cleaning, public-area cleaning, and periodic deep cleaning of upholstery and carpets.

In India a Form C must be filed for foreign guests (and Form D for guests from Pakistan) with the police/FRO within 24 hours of check-in; Indian guests sign the arrival register.

Room types: single, double, twin, triple, quad, Hollywood twin, studio, parlour suite, duplex suite and presidential suite; suites are sold by the number of bedrooms.

Key control: keys issued against the room number in the register, magnetic key cards re-coded at every check-in, and a safety-deposit locker facility for valuables.

A business plan covers: executive summary, business description, market analysis, marketing plan, operations plan, management and organisation, and financial projections.

Break-even point in units = total fixed cost ÷ (selling price per unit − variable cost per unit); in value, divide fixed cost by the contribution margin ratio.

Marketing mix 4Ps: Product (quality, range, packaging), Price (cost-plus, going-rate, penetration), Place (location, distribution, delivery) and Promotion (advertising, offers, social media, word of mouth).

Business ownership forms: sole proprietorship (unlimited liability), partnership, LLP (limited liability, separate legal entity), private limited company and co-operative society.

Funding routes in India: own capital and family, bank term loan and cash credit, Mudra loans (Shishu, Kishor, Tarun), PMEGP subsidy, CGTMSE collateral-free cover and MSME schemes.

Licences for a food business in Tamil Nadu: FSSAI registration/licence, GST registration, Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments registration, local-body trade licence, and fire NOC for large premises.

Revised MSME limits (2025): micro up to ₹2.5 crore investment and ₹10 crore turnover; small up to ₹25 crore and ₹100 crore; medium up to ₹125 crore and ₹500 crore.

GST registration thresholds: ₹40 lakh annual turnover for goods and ₹20 lakh for services (lower for special-category states); the composition scheme suits small turnover with a flat rate.

Entrepreneur versus manager: the entrepreneur spots opportunity, bears risk and innovates; the manager plans, organises and controls resources within an established venture.

Food cost percentage = (cost of food sold ÷ food sales) × 100; a rising trend signals over-portioning, waste, pilferage, price rises or a menu-mix shift.

Cost of food sold = opening stock + purchases − closing stock, adjusted for staff meals and complimentary items transferred out of the kitchen.

Portion cost = total cost of the standard recipe ÷ number of portions yielded; add a share of overheads before setting the menu price.

Edible portion cost per kg = as-purchased cost per kg ÷ yield percentage, where yield % = (edible portion weight ÷ as-purchased weight) × 100.

Selling price = portion cost ÷ target food cost percentage; alternatively use a mark-up factor = 1 ÷ target food cost percentage.

Cost types: fixed (rent, insurance, salaries), variable (food, fuel per cover) and semi-variable (electricity, telephone); prime cost = food cost + labour cost.

Stock turnover rate = cost of goods sold ÷ average stock value; low turnover means capital tied up and a higher risk of spoilage in perishables.

Control cycle: purchasing, receiving, storing, issuing, production and selling - each stage needs a document (purchase order, GRN, requisition, KOT, bill) to fix responsibility.

Variance = actual cost − standard cost; investigate any unfavourable variance beyond the accepted tolerance rather than adjusting the standard.

Communication process: sender → encoding → message → channel → decoding → receiver → feedback, with noise able to distort the message at any stage.

The 7 Cs: clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous; written guest communication fails most often on the last two.

Non-verbal categories: kinesics (body movement), proxemics (space), haptics (touch), oculesics (eye contact), paralanguage (tone, pitch, pace) and appearance/grooming.

Proxemics distances: intimate 0–45 cm, personal 45–120 cm, social 1.2–3.6 m and public beyond 3.6 m; service staff normally stay in the social zone at the table.

Complaint handling sequence: listen without interrupting, empathise, apologise sincerely, take ownership, offer a solution, act promptly, and follow up to confirm satisfaction.

Telephone etiquette: answer within three rings, greet with the department and your name, speak at a moderate pace, never say the caller is wrong, and repeat the message before closing.

Barriers to communication: semantic/jargon, physical noise, psychological (prejudice, stress), organisational (hierarchy, unclear channels) and cultural/language differences.

Active listening techniques: maintain eye contact, lean forward, take notes, avoid interrupting, paraphrase to check understanding, and confirm with a closing summary.

Grooming and presentation standards communicate service quality before a word is spoken: clean uniform, closed polished shoes, trimmed nails, tied-back hair and a name badge.