Guide to Good Food, 13th Edition Page 240 (258 of 762)

240
Part 2 The Management of Food
Some recipes recommend shielding areas of unevenly shaped foods that might
overcook with small pieces of aluminum foil. Be sure to check manufacturer’s directions
before using any type of metal in a microwave oven. The foil will refl ect the microwaves
so the covered areas will not continue to cook. However, microwaves will penetrate the
uncovered areas, allowing them to fi nish cooking.
Use care to keep foil or any metal material away from microwave oven walls. When
metal meets oven walls, arcing, or sparking, can occur. Intense arcing can cause
oven failure. The presence of narrow bands of metal, such as wire twist ties and metal-
trimmed china, can also cause arcing.
Browning Techniques
Many foods cook so quickly in a microwave oven they do not have time to brown.
Browning does not affect the quality and fl avor of food. However, browning does affect
appearance, which in turn affects appetite appeal.
Some microwave ovens have browning or crisping units, which provide excellent
browning. If your microwave does not have such a unit, you can use gravies, sauces, or
toppings to cover a lack of browning.
High-Altitude
Cooking
Atmospheric
pressure decreases
at high altitudes. At an
altitude of 3,000 feet
(914 m), this decrease begins to affect the outcome of
food products. As the altitude increases, so does the
effect on food. If you are cooking at high altitudes, you
may need to make some adjustments to your recipes.
Water boils at a lower temperature at high
altitudes. Therefore, most foods cooked in liquid will
require more cooking time. Liquids also evaporate
faster at high altitudes. You may need to add extra
liquid when preparing some foods. You may need to
reduce the temperature of deep fat to keep foods from
overbrowning before they are thoroughly cooked.
Breads and cakes tend to rise more during baking
at high altitudes. To account for this, an increase oven
temperature may be needed. This will help set the batter
before air cells formed by leavening gases have a chance
to expand too much. A decrease baking time may be
needed to keep foods from overcooking at the higher
oven temperatures. Reducing the amount of leavening
agents used in recipes will help compensate for excess
rising. Using larger baking pans will also keep baked
goods from overfl owing the pans as they rise.
For best results when cooking at high altitudes,
choose recipes designed for high-altitude cooking.
Many commercial mixes include high-altitude
directions on the package.
Food Science
©2011 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.
Increasing oven temperature by 25°F (4°C) will keep
breads and cakes from rising too much when baking
at high altitudes.

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240
Part 2 The Management of Food
Some recipes recommend shielding areas of unevenly shaped foods that might
overcook with small pieces of aluminum foil. Be sure to check manufacturer’s directions
before using any type of metal in a microwave oven. The foil will refl ect the microwaves
so the covered areas will not continue to cook. However, microwaves will penetrate the
uncovered areas, allowing them to fi nish cooking.
Use care to keep foil or any metal material away from microwave oven walls. When
metal meets oven walls, arcing, or sparking, can occur. Intense arcing can cause
oven failure. The presence of narrow bands of metal, such as wire twist ties and metal-
trimmed china, can also cause arcing.
Browning Techniques
Many foods cook so quickly in a microwave oven they do not have time to brown.
Browning does not affect the quality and fl avor of food. However, browning does affect
appearance, which in turn affects appetite appeal.
Some microwave ovens have browning or crisping units, which provide excellent
browning. If your microwave does not have such a unit, you can use gravies, sauces, or
toppings to cover a lack of browning.
High-Altitude
Cooking
Atmospheric
pressure decreases
at high altitudes. At an
altitude of 3,000 feet
(914 m), this decrease begins to affect the outcome of
food products. As the altitude increases, so does the
effect on food. If you are cooking at high altitudes, you
may need to make some adjustments to your recipes.
Water boils at a lower temperature at high
altitudes. Therefore, most foods cooked in liquid will
require more cooking time. Liquids also evaporate
faster at high altitudes. You may need to add extra
liquid when preparing some foods. You may need to
reduce the temperature of deep fat to keep foods from
overbrowning before they are thoroughly cooked.
Breads and cakes tend to rise more during baking
at high altitudes. To account for this, an increase oven
temperature may be needed. This will help set the batter
before air cells formed by leavening gases have a chance
to expand too much. A decrease baking time may be
needed to keep foods from overcooking at the higher
oven temperatures. Reducing the amount of leavening
agents used in recipes will help compensate for excess
rising. Using larger baking pans will also keep baked
goods from overfl owing the pans as they rise.
For best results when cooking at high altitudes,
choose recipes designed for high-altitude cooking.
Many commercial mixes include high-altitude
directions on the package.
Food Science
©2011 Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, Inc.
Increasing oven temperature by 25°F (4°C) will keep
breads and cakes from rising too much when baking
at high altitudes.

Help

Chapter 12 Recipes and Work Plans
239
Using Microwave Recipes
Many people use their microwave ovens mainly for defrosting, reheating, and
making popcorn. However, you can also cook foods in a microwave oven if you have a
little specifi c knowledge.
Microwave cooking times vary, depending on the power of the microwave oven
being used. Cooking time in a microwave recipe refers to the total amount of time food
is exposed to microwave energy. Microwave cooking power is measured in units of
power called watts. Most oven models produce a maximum of 600 to 1,100 watts. More
watts mean faster cooking. For best results, you should always start with the shortest
microwave cooking time stated in a recipe. Then check to see if more time is needed.
Many microwave recipes specify standing time. This is the time during which
foods fi nish cooking by internal heat after being removed from a microwave oven. For
instance, a recipe for baked potatoes may specify four minutes of cooking time and fi ve
minutes of standing time. Failure to allow for standing time can result in foods being
overcooked. This can cause dehydration, or drying out. Wrapping foods in aluminum
foil will help hold in heat during standing time.
Covering Foods
Many microwave recipes state that you should cover foods during cooking.
Covering distributes heat more evenly and helps foods retain moisture so they will not
dry out. The steam held in by the cover can help speed cooking time and tenderize
foods. Covers are also useful for preventing spatters inside the microwave oven.
Several materials can be used to cover foods in a microwave oven. Tight fi tting
casserole lids and microwave cooking bags are excellent for foods that require steam
for cooking. Waxed paper works well as a loose covering. Covering foods with paper
towels will help absorb spatters. (Choose paper towels designed for microwave use, as
they are free of materials not approved for food contact.)
Covering food with plastic wrap will help retain moisture. (Plastic wraps designed
for the microwave oven work best because they will not melt during cooking.) Recipes
often recommend venting the plastic wrap. This means turning back a corner of the
wrap to form a vent so steam can escape and prevent a buildup of pressure.
Not all foods require a cover in the microwave oven. You may leave some foods
uncovered to allow excess moisture to evaporate. You may need to cover other foods
for only part of the cooking time. For best results, follow the directions in your recipe.
Evenness of Cooking
Microwaves are not always distributed evenly throughout the microwave oven
cavity. This can cause foods to cook unevenly. Stirring foods partway through cooking
will redistribute the heat and promote more even cooking. Many microwave recipes also
recommend rotating food at one or more intervals in the cooking period. (Turntables
included in many microwave ovens rotate food automatically during the entire cooking
cycle.)
Foods tend to cook more slowly in the center of a container in a microwave oven.
Therefore, recipes often suggest arranging individual foods, such as potatoes, in a
circular pattern. They recommend placing large or dense foods, such as meats, around
the edge of a dish. Arrange unevenly shaped foods, like chicken legs, with the thicker
parts toward the outside of the container.

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Chapter 12 Recipes and Work Plans
241
Measuring Ingredients
When preparing foods, you will need to measure different types of ingredients in
different ways. Knowing how to measure ingredients correctly will help food products
turn out right.
Measuring Dry Ingredients
Dry ingredients include sugar, fl our, baking soda, salt, and spices. Measure these
ingredients in dry measuring cups. Spoon the ingredient into the correct measuring cup
until it is overfi lled. Do not shake or tap the measuring cup. Hold it over the ingredient
container or a sheet of waxed paper. Then use a straight-edged spatula to level off any
excess. The ingredient should be even with the top edge of the measuring cup.
Flour is thoroughly sifted during the milling process and does not need to be sifted
before measuring. Just stir it lightly and measure it like other dry ingredients. However,
you should not skip the sifting step when a recipe tells you to sift fl our with other dry
ingredients. In this case, sifting helps combine the ingredients.
Measure brown sugar a bit differently from other dry ingredients. Press it fi rmly into
a dry measure with the back of a spoon. This is called packing. Overfi ll the measuring
cup and then level it with a straight-edged spatula. The brown sugar should hold the
shape of the measuring cup when you dump it out.
Use measuring spoons when measuring less than 1⁄4 cup (50 mL) of dry ingredients.
Dip the correct measuring spoon into the ingredient container and level off any excess.
You may need to use combinations of dry measures to measure the amounts of
ingredients you need. For instance, you would fi ll a
1⁄3-cup
measure twice to measure
2⁄3 cup. You would fi ll a 1⁄4-teaspoon measure and a ½-teaspoon measure to measure 3⁄4
teaspoon.
Measuring Liquid Ingredients
Liquid ingredients include milk, water, oil, juices, food colorings, and extracts.
Measure these ingredients in liquid measuring cups or measuring spoons. The handles
and spouts on liquid measuring cups make pouring easy. The extra room at the top of
the cup will help you avoid spilling.
Set the liquid measure on a fl at surface. Then bend down so the desired marking
on the measuring cup is at eye level. Slowly pour the ingredient into the measuring cup
until it reaches the mark for the desired amount. See 12-4.
Use measuring spoons when measuring less than ¼ cup (50 mL) of liquid ingredi-
ents. Carefully pour the ingredient into the correct spoon until it is fi lled to the edge.
Measuring Fats
Butter, margarine, shortening, and peanut butter are fats used in recipes. Stick
butter and margarine have markings on their wrappers to help you measure needed
amounts. Each stick equals 8 tablespoons or ½ cup (125 mL). Use a sharp knife to cut
through the wrapper at the marking for the desired number of tablespoons.
You can measure shortening and peanut butter in dry measuring cups. Use a fl exible
spatula to press these ingredients into the measuring cup, making sure you eliminate
any air pockets. Overfi ll the measuring cup, then level it with a straight-edged spatula.

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Page 2Part 1 The Importance of Food click to expand contents

Page 148Part 2 The Management of Food click to expand contents

Page 256Part 3 The Preparation of Food click to expand contents

Page 456Part 4 Food and Careers click to expand contents

Page 490Part 5 Foods of the World click to expand contents

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