Western Cuisine Craftsman flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Temperature danger zone

The range between 5°C and 63°C (41–145°F) in which bacteria multiply most rapidly; keep high-risk foods outside this range except during brief preparation.

Two-hour cooling rule

Cooked food must drop from 63°C to 21°C within two hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within four more hours, for a maximum of six hours.

HACCP seven principles

Hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and record-keeping form the seven principles of a HACCP food safety system.

Handwashing duration

Wash hands with soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds, including backs, between fingers, thumbs and under nails, then dry with a disposable towel.

Chlorine sanitizer strength

For food-contact surfaces, mix chlorine sanitizer to 100–200 ppm and allow at least 30 seconds contact time; test with strips because concentration decays with heat and organic soil.

Honing versus sharpening

Honing realigns the existing edge with a steel and is done frequently; sharpening removes metal on a stone or grinder to create a new edge and is done less often.

Pinch grip

Hold the knife by pinching the blade between thumb and forefinger just ahead of the bolster, with remaining fingers wrapped around the handle; this gives maximum control.

Brunoise cut

A brunoise is a 3 mm cube dice made by cutting food into julienne strips, then turning and cutting again into uniform cubes; used for garnishes and fine texture.

Mise en place

French term meaning 'everything in its place': all ingredients prepped, measured and arranged, and equipment ready before service begins, improving speed and consistency.

White stock ratio

A standard white stock uses about 50% bones, 10% mirepoix and 100% water by weight, for example 5 kg bones, 1 kg mirepoix and 10 litres cold water.

Five mother sauces

Escoffier's mother sauces are béchamel (milk and white roux), velouté (white stock and roux), espagnole (brown stock, roux and tomato), sauce tomate and hollandaise.

Consommé raft

A clarification raft of ground lean meat, egg white, mirepoix and tomato is stirred into cold stock, brought slowly to a simmer and left to clarify; do not boil.

Collagen conversion

Collagen, the main connective tissue in tough cuts, converts to gelatin during long moist cooking at 70–80°C, tenderising the meat and thickening the braising liquid.

Carryover cooking

Roasts continue to rise 2–5°C after removal from the oven as heat moves inward; pull meat 2–5°C below the target doneness and rest it before carving.

Fillet pin bones

Pin bones are small intramuscular bones in fish such as salmon and cod; remove them with tweezers or pliers by pulling along the bone's angle before portioning or cooking.

Ten-minute fish rule

Bake or grill fish at about 230°C for roughly 10 minutes per 2.5 cm (inch) of thickness, measured at the thickest point, until the flesh just flakes.

Chlorophyll colour loss

Green vegetables lose bright colour when acids or prolonged heat break down chlorophyll; blanch briefly in boiling salted water, then shock in ice water to set colour.

Starch gelatinization

When starch granules are heated in liquid to about 60–70°C they absorb water, swell and burst, thickening the mixture; stirring and acid slow this process.

Sugar soft-ball stage

At 115°C sugar syrup forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water; this stage is used for fudge, fondant and soft caramels.

Dark chocolate tempering

Melt dark chocolate to 45°C, cool to 27°C while stirring, then reheat to 31–32°C; this creates stable beta crystals for snap and shine.

Menu engineering stars

Stars are menu items with both high popularity and high contribution margin; keep them, protect quality, place them prominently and avoid raising price sharply.

Contribution margin

Contribution margin equals selling price minus food cost; it shows the cash each dish contributes toward labour, overhead and profit, unlike food-cost percentage alone.

Atwater energy factors

Protein and carbohydrate each supply about 4 kcal per gram, fat supplies 9 kcal per gram and alcohol supplies 7 kcal per gram.

Major food allergens

The common major allergens include milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame; EU rules also list celery, mustard, lupin, molluscs and sulphites.

Brigade de cuisine

The classic kitchen hierarchy: chef de cuisine, sous chef, chef de partie (station chef), commis and plongeur, each with defined responsibilities and a clear chain of command.

Par level

A par level is the minimum quantity of an ingredient or prepared item kept on hand to cover expected service; when stock falls to par, staff reorder or prep more.

Food cost percentage

Food cost percentage equals food cost divided by food sales, multiplied by 100; a 30% result means 30 cents of every sales dollar pays for food.

Edible portion cost

Edible portion cost equals as-purchased cost divided by yield percentage; if a 10 kg case yields 7 kg usable, the EP cost is AP cost ÷ 0.70.

Combi oven modes

A combi oven combines convection heat and steam; modes are convection (dry heat for roasting), steam (100°C moist heat) and combination (both, for braising and reheating).

Ice-point calibration

Calibrate a probe thermometer in an ice-water slurry at 0°C (32°F); adjust the nut until the display reads 0°C, then verify in boiling water at 100°C.

PASS extinguisher use

Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle and Sweep side to side; only fight small fires with a clear escape route behind you.

Burn first aid

Cool a burn under running cool water for 20 minutes, remove jewellery before swelling, cover loosely with cling film or a clean non-fluffy dressing and seek help.