SOUPS

Soups are a generally warm food made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are characterised by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth. Traditionally, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups. The established French classifications of clear soups are bouillon and consommé. Thick soups are classified depending upon the type of thickening agent used: purees are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisque are made from pureed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream. Other ingredients commonly used to thicken soups and broths include rice, lentils, flour, and grains; many popular soups also include carrots and potatoes.

Definition

It is probable that soup in its earliest form was a complete meal because it was found hearty, nourishing, economical and wholesome.

Soup is a liquid food consisting of meat, seafood, vegetables cereals or poultry. They play an important role on the menu and are regarded as appetizers as they stimulate the appetite for the heavier food to follow. On the menu, they are
served as the first course, if hors d‘oeuvre is not being served. If hors d‘ oeuvre is served then the soup is served as the second course.

Composition of soups

From the above explanation, it is evident that for making any kind of soup the following group of ingredients are obvious.

• Stock: of any variety.
• Main body ingredients: the soup will gets its name.
• Herbs: to match the flavor.
• Butter: as cooking medium.
• Seasonings: for the taste.
• Thickening agent: for binding solids and liquids.
• Garnish: for presentation and eye appeal.

The function of soup on the menu is to stimulate the customer’s appetite rather than act as a complete meal.  For this reason many soups are of alight and delicate nature.  Hot soups are a welcome feature on winter menus; conversely cold soups are ideal in the summertime.As the soup preparation needs very less amount of butter or fat and also not very spicy,it can be easily an ideal food for invalids.

EGG COOKERY

Introduction to Egg Cookery

An egg is a nutritious alternative source of protein to ovavagens. It is packed with a lot of protein and other energy-giving nutrients.

Initially, eggs were treated as non-vegetarian in nature, but today science has proved that unfertilised egg can be treated as vegetarian.

Egg cookery is very vast by itself. Eggs are used for cooking, baking, poaching, etc. be it in Indian style of cooking or continental, it plays a vital role. Eggs of hens, ducks, geese, quails, ostrich, and emu are used frequently nowadays.

The most popular and widely used eggs are of hens in India, although eggs of turkeys, guinea fowls, ducks, and geese are also used.

Colour
The colour of eggshells and egg yolks varies with the breed of hen and the food they eat, but this makes no difference to the food value.

Temperature
The ideal storage temperature for eggs is 2-5 degree Celsius.

Significance
Eggs are essential to all kinds of cooking, not only in the preparation but as food in their own right. They produce meals that are economical in price, and with a minimum of waste and time. By the term egg we mean those of the domestic hen, but these are not the only edible eggs. There are those of ducks, geese, turkeys, also of wild birds such as plovers and gulls.

An egg has been described as a “Complete Food” because they are highly nutritious and used in a range of recipes. Yolks and eggs are used separately.

In all culinary preparations, eggs are used for binding, colouring, enriching, increasing volume, coating, etc.

STRUCTURE OF AN EGG

Egg is primarily made up of shell, membranes, air cell, albumen, chalazae, vitelline membrane and yolk.

STRUCTURE OF AN EGG

Shell
Bumpy and grainy in texture, an eggshell is covered with as many as 17,000 tiny pores. Eggshell is made almost entirely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. It is a semi-permeable membrane, which means that air and moisture can pass through its pores. The shell also has a thin outermost coating called the bloom or cuticle that helps keep out bacteria and dust.

Inner and Outer Membranes
Lying between the eggshell and egg white, these two transparent protein membranes provide efficient defense against bacterial invasion. If you give these layers a tug, you’ll find they’re surprisingly strong. They’re made partly of keratin,
a protein that’s also in human hair.

Air Cell
An air space forms when the contents of the egg cool and contract after the egg is laid. The air cell usually rests between the outer and inner membranes at the egg’s larger end, and it accounts for the crater you often see at the end of a hard-cooked egg. The air cell grows larger as egg ages

Albumen
The egg white is known as the albumen, which comes from albus, the Latin word for “white.” Four alternating layers of thick and thin albumen contain approximately 40 different proteins, the main components of the egg white in addition to water.

Chalazae
Opaque ropes of egg white, the chalazae hold the yolk in the centre of the egg. Like, little anchors, they attach the yolk’s casing to the membrane lining the eggshell. The more prominent they are, the fresher the egg.

Vitelline Membrane
The clear casing that encloses the yolk.

Yolk
The yolk contains less water and more protein than the white, some fat, and most of the vitamins and minerals of the egg. These include iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, phosphorus, calcium, thiamine, and riboflavin. The yolk is also a source of lecithin, an effective emulsifier. Yolk colour ranges from just a hint of yellow to a magnificent deep orange, according to the feed and breed of the hen.

SELECTION OF AN EGG

Selection criteria of an egg are as follows:

• A fresh egg is heavy. As the egg gets older it loses water through the shell making air pocket larger so the older the egg, the lighter it will be.
• One way of judging the quality is by observing the condition of the shell. When the egg is freshly laid the shell is covered with a substance called bloom. This coating disappears with time. So the egg may be considered as fresh if the bloom is there.
• One can determine the freshness of an egg by shaking it.
• Another is to break an egg on to the plate if the yolk is compact and positioned in the centre, the egg is fresh if the egg is old, the yolk has the tendency to spread.
• The freshness of an egg can also be tested by holding it up to the light this process is known as candling. Holding the egg in front of the light, an air chamber indicates fresh egg.
• It is easy to test the freshness of an egg by plunging into the water. The fresh egg will settle in the bottom of the glass and if the egg is stale it will float to the surface water.
• Stale eggs will have an unpleasant odour.
• Check for the crack in the shell which could let bacteria in and contaminate the egg.

USES OF EGG IN COOKERY

Various forms of using eggs in food preparation are:

Binding
Addition of eggs to minced mead and mashed vegetables etc. helps to bind the mixture. As the heat coagulates, the proteins are bound into a cohesive mass. It helps to retain the shape of mutton croquettes, meat loaf, medallions, hamburgers, etc.

Coating
The egg and egg batter help to give a coat to the food items and prevent them from disintegrating and give them a protective coating. Many of the food items such as fish fillets, croquettes, etc. are dipped into the batter before crumbing and then fried. Eggs are also used for preparing pancake batters.

Leavening
By beating the egg whites, foam is made up of air bubbles, surrounded by a thin elastic film of egg white. The mixture, when added to products such as sponge cakes, meringues, souffles, etc., increases the volume and the egg white film hardens. Addition of sugar to egg white makes it stable, smooth, and the foam does not collapse easily. Egg yolk has a less foaming power because of its fat content. An egg is used as the principal ingredient for Chou paste from which eclairs, beignets, fritters, and profiteroles are made.

Emulsifying
Eggs form stable emulsions. For example, mayonnaise, oil, and vinegar separate out unless oil droplets are coated with a substance that keeps them from separating. Eggs are the emulsifiers that give a smooth mayonnaise sauce. It is also used as an emulsifier in ice creams, cakes, cream puffs. Eggs enhance colour and shine.

Thickening
Eggs help to improve the consistency of gravies, curries, sauces, and soups. Egg liaisons used in soups and sauces help to thicken and improve consistency. When used in custards, the heat coagulates the eggs and makes the custard firm.

Decoration and Garnishing of Dishes
Silver, sieved or quarters of boiled eggs are used to decorate or garnish dishes such as salads, biryanis, curries, Vienna steaks, etc. For Consomme Xavier, threaded eggs are added as a garnish.

Clarifying
Consomme are clarified with egg whites.

Nutritional Value of an Egg
Eggs provide a significant amount of protein to one’s diet, as well as various nutrients. Chicken eggs are the most commonly eaten eggs and are highly nutritious. They supply a large amount of complete, high-quality protein (which contains all essential amino acids for humans), and provide significant amounts of several vitamins and minerals, including vitamin A, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium.

They are also one of the least expensive single-food sources of complete protein. One large chicken egg contains approximately 7 grams of protein. All of the egg’s vitamin A, D, and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods which naturally contain Vitamin D. A large yolk contains more than two-thirds of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg of cholesterol.

COMMODITIES: SHORTENING (FATS & OILS)

Fats are solid at room temperature and melt when heated. Those used in cooking include butter, margarine, lard, suet, and hydrogenated fat.

Oils are liquid at normal temperatures but solidify at lower temperatures. Those commonly used in cooking are peanut (groundnut/arachide) oil, coconut oil, mustard seed oil, sesame (till) oil, olive oil, and safflower oil.

Shortenings of fats that are used in the baking industry and confectionery.

Hydrogenation Of Oils
The conversion of oil into fat is known as hydrogenation. The process changes the physical properties of the oil.
Hydrogenation consists of treating oil under suitable pressure and temperature with hydrogen, in the presence of a catalyst, usually Nickle (Ni). Under these conditions, the unsaturated fatty acids present in the oil combines with the hydrogen. This chemical process brings about a physical change and the liquid oil change into solid fat. The unsaturated fatty acids are chiefly those of the oleic type and are converted into solid stearic acid. The varying consistencies available in fats is due to the process of hydrogenation being stopped at various stages.

Shortenings
Fats can be used as shortenings or as a cooking medium. In confectionery, fats impart their characteristic flavor as well as shortening qualities. Their effect is to coat and break down the gluten strands, so that instead of being hard and tough to eat, foods containing shortening break off short and melt readily in the mouth.

Factors to look for in Shortenings:

Creaming Value
This affects the volume of the item eg: cakes. The amount of air incorporated during creaming increases the volume of the item.

Shortening value
The shortness gives to the end product. Shortness is a quality essential in products such as biscuits & cookies.

Stability
Refers to keeping quality and shelf life.

Consistency
Hardness or Softness depending on the purpose. Hardness for puff pastry and softness for cakes.
Water absorption will also affect the emulsification value of the shortening.

Power
As for shortening agents, fats add to the nutritional and satiety values of flour mixtures like doughs and batters. They also contribute to the taste and flavor. The type of fat and the way it is incorporated will affect the texture (eg: shortcrust pastry and flaky pastry). Baking must be done at correct temperatures. As the fat melts during baking, it must be absorbed by the flour. If the heat is insufficient, the melted fat will run out and result in a hard product. Fat which has been broken up into small particles during creaming will be more easily absorbed than fat left in large pieces.

Fat as a frying medium

Fat as a frying medium function in three ways:

• It serves to transmit heat to the articles of food to be fried.
• It adds to the nutritive value (calories).
• It contributes to the flavor and taste and texture of the food.

Fat used as a frying medium must have:

• High smoke point
• Low congealing point
• Low moisture content
• High stability
• The acceptable flavor which is neutral

RAISING AGENT OR LEAVENING AGENT

Leavening or raising means to increase the surface area of any dough or batter by creating gas bubbles inside the dough or batter. This also makes a product light in weight. The expansion of gas bubbles during baking increase the volume of the product and gives a desirable porous structure.

Raising agents that are used in the kitchen can be classified into the following categories:

• Biological (yeast)
• Chemical (baking powder, baking soda, baking ammonia)
• Mechanical (beating, whisking, creaming, sieving)
• Lamination
• Combination of all

Biological Raising Agent

Yeast can be of two types:

1. Fresh or compressed yeast
2. Dry yeast

The scientific name of yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Yeast is unicellular microscopic fungi.

The structure of yeast consist :

• Cell wall
• Protoplasm
• Vacoale

Food

Simple sugar like dextrose or fructose.

Suitable climate

80 to 85 degree F, at least 70% humidity can give the best result.

Fermentation activity

The protoplasm of yeast contains the following enzymes:

Invertase

It converts cane sugar or sucrose into a simpler form of sugar which is known as invert sugar, which is a combination of dextrose and fructose.

Maltase

It converts maltose sugar into dextrose which can be directly fermented by yeast.

Zymase

This is the most important fermenting agent which breaks invert sugar and dextrose to carbon dioxide, some amount of pure alcohol, and a very small amount of glycerin, acetic acid and some amount of lactic acid. It also produces some flavourful aroma which gives a pleasant fermentation flavor.

Protease

It softens down the flour protein, thus gives a better stretchability for the bread (to be specific on gluten) so that it can get a good volume and structure.

Storage of yeast

Stored at 45 degrees F. Yeast is killed by heat in a range of 127 degrees to 140 degrees F.

The symptom of damaged or rotten yeast

• Buttery consistency
• Brownish in colour
• Crumbly in texture,
• Very obnoxious smell.

Chemical Raising Agent

Chemical raising agent is brought about by the production of carbon dioxide in a solution of acid and alkali, in the presence of heat.

Baking Powder

It is a leavening agent made up of a mixture of an acid reacting salt with bicarbonate of soda. We also add some starch to the mixture to keep it in a dried condition and also to act as a separator between sodium bicarbonate and acid reacting salt, until used.

On the presence of both heat and moisture, the acid reacting salt reacts with sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide. A part of the gas is entrapped into the gluten structure or small air cells of a batter which already has developed because of creaming action of fat, these structures now expand with the production of the gas and during baking also and the small part of the gas is absorbed by the media itself.

Cream of tarter is actually a form of refining tartar which is a by-product of precipitation from the grape wine manufacturing process

Ammonium Carbonate

It also produces carbon dioxide in the presence of heat but because of the strong offensive flavor, it is always to be used with very strong flavouring agents.

Mechanical Raising Agent

It is an incorporation of air by beating, creaming, whisking and sieving. Whisking of egg and sugar, creaming of fat and sugar, sieving of flour are the e.g. of mechanical raising. All these actions involve physical movement hence known as mechanical raising or leavening.

Lamination Or Water Vapour

Lamination acts as a raising procedure where the fat and dough is folded and rolled. The moisture incorporated in the fat and in the dough also will vaporise during baking and gives it the lift (or raising).

In Indian cuisine, idlis and dhoklas are steamed where heat helps to puff up the final product by vapourising the steam. In popcorn, the corn pop because of the moisture present inside and ultimately its volume increase. In choux pastry water vapour acts as raising agent.

Combination Of All

Danish pastry is an eg. of combination raising where we use yeast in the dough and fat is used by a lamination process. Some other eg. are vanilla buns, fruit cake, etc, where we use whisking, creaming and chemical raising, agent.