Cooking is the art of preparing food in such away that it will appeal to the eye, be tasty, be easily digested, and furnish nourishment. This section provides information on food types, methods of cooking, and specific preparation techniques that may be used to produce high-quality products. The sanitary aspects of food preparation will be considered first.

SANITARY ASPECTS

Every precaution should be taken in the handling of food to prevent contamination. The following paragraphs explain the procedures that must be followed during the preparing and handling offood.

Safe Holding Temperatures for Cooked Foods

Protein foods that are not served immediately after they are cooked must be either chilled to temperatures of 40F and lower (but not frozen) or held at 140F and higher. Protein foods include meats, fish, poultry, gravies, meat stock, soups, eggs, custards, cream fillings, and milk.

Cooked protein foods that have been held at temperatures between 40F and 140F for more than 4

Figure 5-8.-Even balance scale.

hours should be considered unsafe for consumption and discarded. The exception to this rule is reconstituted dehydrated egg mix. Reconstituted egg mix, if not used immediately, must be placed in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and used within 1 hour. If foods are refrigerated at intervals and then intermittently permitted to warm up, the total time of the various periods between 40F and 140F must not exceed 4 hours. Protein foods composed of ingredients that are hand-peeled, hand-sliced, or hand-diced after they are cooked should never be used as leftovers. The 4-hour limit between temperatures of 40F and 140F is usually taken up in preparing, chilling, and serving these foods. Such foods include, but are not necessarily limited to, potato, chicken, turkey, macaroni, shrimp, and egg salads. Hand preparation not only increases the chances of contamination, but also increases the length of time that these foods have been held at room temperature.

You should not return opened jars or bowls of mayonnaise and cooked salad dressings from salad bars to refrigerators for reuse at a later meal because of the danger of miscalculation of total lapsed time that these salad dressings have been held at temperatures between 40F and 140F. Instead, mayonnaise and cooked salad dressings should be placed on the salad bar in small quantities and must not be returned from the salad bar for reuse. If economically feasible, individual packets or servings of items such as catsup, mustard, and mayonnaise should be used on the salad bar. This will prevent waste and be more sanitary.

Care of Leftovers

When leftovers or warm foods are chilled, care should be taken to ensure prompt and thorough chilling (40F or below) to the center of the food mass. Foods that are to be refrigerated should be placed in shallow pans to a depth of not more than 3 inches and should be covered with lids or waxed paper. Large deep pans must not be used since the center of the food may remain warm long enough to permit the growth of harmful bacteria. Foods to be chilled must be placed in the chill box immediately and the containers labeled with the time and date of preparation. Do not save leftovers for more than 36 hours. Freezing leftovers is prohibited.