| People all over the world eat cooked food, but people | | | | water. Steam rises from the boiling water and passes |
| in different countries cook their food differently. Most | | | | through the steamer to cook the food. |
| people in this country like to eat meat, fish and | | | | 2. In a frying pan of boiling water. The food is put in a |
| vegetables cooked, but there are some people who | | | | steaming tray which rests on a stand in the frying pan. |
| like to eat raw fish. With the expectation of some | | | | A well fitting lid covers the tray and steam from boiling |
| vegetables and fruits, most of the food eaten is | | | | water cooks the food. This method is faster than the |
| cooked to a greater or lesser degree. The reasons for | | | | first method. |
| cooking food are:- | | | | 3. In saucepan with a tight fitting lid.a) Food is placed in |
| 1. To soften the food so that it can be more easily | | | | a bowl or basin which stands in a saucepan of boiling |
| digested. | | | | water that comes up to half way up the side of the |
| 2. To improve the flavor of food. The flavor of the | | | | bowl, or placed on rice which is about to cook.b) Food |
| meat and fish is greatly improved by cooking. | | | | is placed on a plate and is covered with the saucepan |
| 3. To improve the appearance of food, as uncooked | | | | lid. The plate is placed on top of the saucepan which is |
| meat or fish is objectionable to some people. | | | | half filled with boiling water. |
| 4. To kill germs so that the food is safe to eat. | | | | Frying |
| 5. To vary the flavor of the food. Different methods of | | | | This is a very quick method of cooking and is the most |
| cooking and the addition of different ingredients and | | | | popular method of cooking in this country. There are |
| flavoring give a wide variety of flavors to food. | | | | three methods of frying:- |
| There are many methods of cooking food as below:- | | | | 1. Dry frying where no oil is used at all as in frying |
| Boiling | | | | peanuts or coconuts. The food is put into a clean, dry |
| Food is cooked in boiling liquid tell tender. Vegetables | | | | frying pan and is stirred over a slow fire until the food |
| should be put into boiling water and boiled quickly, while | | | | is evenly browned and cooked. |
| meat should be put into cold water and brought up to | | | | 2. Shallow fat frying where a little oil is used to prevent |
| the boil when making soup, or put into boiling water for | | | | the food from sticking to the frying pan, as in frying |
| stews. When boiling meat, the temperature is lowered | | | | eggs, pancakes or vegetables. When vegetables are |
| to simmering point as soon as the water boils, | | | | fried, they are tossed in a little fat which is absorbed |
| otherwise the protein in meat will harden and will be | | | | by the vegetables. This method of cooking vegetables |
| difficult to digest. Fish is put into boiling water and | | | | is also called sauteing. |
| simmered till cooked. If it is allowed to boil all the time | | | | 3. Deep fat frying where food is cooked in at least 2" |
| the fish will break up. Boiling food to cook it partly is | | | | of hot oil. There must be enough oil to completely |
| called parboiling. Slow boiling so that the liquid bubbles | | | | cover the food when the food is first put in. This |
| slowly all the times and only a little steam is given off is | | | | method of frying is used for curry puffs, fry chicken |
| called simmering. | | | | and many other dishes. |
| Stewing | | | | Grilling |
| This is long, slow cooking in a little liquid. This is a good | | | | This is cooking food directly over hot charcoal or under |
| method of cooking, as cheaper and tougher pieces of | | | | the electric or gas grill, as in cooking barbecue chicken |
| meat can be cooked with other ingredients to make | | | | or making toast. This is a very quick method of |
| them and better flavored. Stewing should be done in a | | | | cooking and only very tender pieces of good should |
| pan with a lid, as foods become tender more easily in | | | | be cooked by this method. |
| a closed pan where the steam cannot escape too | | | | Baking |
| easily. It is also an easy method of cooking as very | | | | This is to cook food in the heat of an oven as in |
| little attention is required when the food is slowly | | | | baking cakes, pastries, biscuits and bread. The hot |
| stewing. | | | | oven heats up the air inside it and food is cooked by |
| Steaming | | | | the hot air. Care must be taken to cook the food |
| Food is cooked in steam from boiling water. Only | | | | thoroughly without burning it. |
| tender bits of food should be steamed. It is a slow | | | | Roasting |
| method of cooking but it makes food easy to digest. | | | | This actually means cooking over the open fire, but |
| Delicately flavored foods are best steamed as no | | | | with the introduction of the oven, it has now become |
| flavor is lost during cooking, so the food retains all its | | | | very much like baking, except that fat is added to |
| own flavor. Steaming can be done by the following | | | | prevent the food from drying and burning and also to |
| methods:- | | | | improve the flavor. |
| 1. In a steamer which sits over a saucepan of boiling | | | | |