Chapter 3 Lab Activities – sustainable cooking basics
Key Word Definitions – healthy cooking methods & terms
Healthy cooking methods are ways to cook food that does not add any extra fat or salt. Please define the following cooking terms:
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Key Word Definitions – basic knife & cooking skills
Please define the following cutting terms:
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Let’s Start Cooking!
When holding a knife, wrap your hand with all your fingers around the knife handle. Or, you may wrap your hand around the handle placing your index finger and thumb on both sides of the blade. Either way, make sure you have a secure grip.
Use your other hand to stabilize the food being cut. To protect your fingers on your stabilizing, curl your fingertips under to resemble a bear claw, and push your knuckles down on the ingredient to hold it in place.
When cutting, the knife will move in a rocking motion. Put a wet towel under your cutting board to secure the board to the countertop, if need be.
LAB ACTIVITY
Using the Chef’s knife, complete the following vegetable cuts and set them aside:
For this activity, you will need:
- 1 potato (preferably Yukon Gold)
- 1 carrot
- 1 green onion
- 1 bunch of fresh basil
- 1 head of cabbage
- 1 bell pepper
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water.
- Wash and dry all produce.
- Make sure the cutting board is secure and you have a comfortable grip on the Chef’s knife. Set all vegetable cuts aside in separate bowls.
- Cube the potato so that all pieces are a similar size.
- Mince the green onion.
- Peel the carrot. Slice the peeled carrot.
- Chiffonade basil
- Shred Cabbage
- Julienne bell pepper
- Dice the julienned pepper slices
Produce not used in this lab should be either frozen for later use or composted.
Questions/Reflections
- What are the four steps of food safety? What is the Danger Zone?
- How important is hand washing in food safety procedures? When should you wash your hands when preparing food?
- What is composting and why is it important?
- Define the “bear claw” in cutting.
- Name and define three healthful cooking methods and explain why they are healthful.
- Have you ever heard of solar cooking before or have you used the power of the sun to cook anything? If not, do you think you will ever use this method?
REFERENCES/ADDITIONAL READING: FOOD SAFETY
- Food Safety Quick Tips, FDA.gov
- Food Safety Education, USDA.gov
- Gateway to Federal Food Safety Information, Foodsafety.gov
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Epa.gov/greenscapes
- ChooseMyPlate – Food Waste Activities, USDA.gov
- “Let’s Talk Trash,” USDA.gov
- “The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Complete Food and Nutrition Guide,” Duyff, Roberta L.
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, eatright.org
- New York Times – Cooking, cooking.NYTimes.com
