Recipe

He we are going to cover a recipe that can be expanded into a great deal of different dishes. In making these you will be able to learn some basic knife skills that will be able to carry you forward.

The recipe is for a basic tomato sauce. The tools that you will need:

Required: Knife; cutting board; skillet; sauce pot; colander

Optional: Stick Blender; Potato masher; vegetable peeler

Techniques  learned: Basic knife skills

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled tomatoes
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 3 ounces olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a sieve over a medium non-reactive saucepot, strain the tomatoes of their juice into the sauce pot.

Take your hands or potato masher and try to press out as much liquid from the tomatoes as you can.

Add the sherry vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil to the tomato juice.

Stir and cook over high heat. Once bubbles begin to form on the surface, reduce to a simmer. Allow liquid to reduce by 1/2 or until liquid has thickened to a loose syrup consistency. About 20 minutes.

Cut carrot, onion, and celery into uniform sizes.

First take the onion and lay it on the cutting board. You are going to cut off the top of the onion and discard.

Now cut the onion in half across the vertical axis.

Peal the onion and carefully cut it down the middle while it is on its side.

Cut at least four vertical lines down the onion.

Turn and cut on the horizontal axis of the onion. This then produces a diced onion.

Now on to the celery. Cut off the tips and discard.

Cut them in half to a manageable size.

Next split them vertically down the middle.

Take the peaces and cut them horizontally to finish the dice.

Onto the carrots.

First peel the carrots with the knife or peeler.

Cut the ends of the carrot and discard. Also cut in half to a manageable size.

Cut the carrot in have vertically and then into three sections vertically.

Finally as with the celery cut horizontally to create the dice.

Lastly the garlic. First it must be peeled. To do this place it into a cup and shake the hell out of it. This will free up the skin from the garlic.

After shaking you can simply pick the cloves out.

The easiest way to prepare garlic is to put it on the cutting board. Place the side of the knife on top of the garlic and SMASH!

Now over medium-high heat warm the 3 ounces of olive oil in the skillet for about 3-4 minutes and then add the tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes for 5-8 minutes or until they begin to change color. Stirring constantly. After that then add all of the vegetables and capers.

Continue cooking and stirring for 10 minutes or until everything takes on a richer darker color.

Add the tomato and vegetable mixture to the pot with the reduced liquid. Blend or crush to desired consistency and adjust seasoning.

Crushed results.

Blended results.

Now there are many applications that this can be used with. You can simple add it to pasta in the crushed states. Ground meat can be add to make it a more filling sauce. You can blend it even more to use it as a marinara on a pizza. The choices are only limited to what you can think of, but it presents a starting point for many things.

Equipment List

When starting a new project it is good to know what equipment that will be needed. Starting to cook is no different. There are so many tools that can be purchase for a kitchen you can easily bankrupt yourself trying to buy them all. Below is what I consider the essentials of a kitchen. I will explain why each is needed. Just remember you do not have to get the best equipment out there to start with. You can turn out great food with inexpensive tools. Just understand that they will have to be replaced sooner.

1. Knives $25 – $250+

You only really need two of these, a large chef’s knife and a small paring knife. When picking out knives go to a store that will allow you to at least handle them. You want something that will be comfortable in your hands because it is one of the tools that you are going to be using the most, and it is the one that has the most potential to harm you. Also never get a serrated chef’s knife. Serration on a blade is only used for cutting bread.

2. Cutting Boards $15- $75

Everyone should have at least two cutting boards. One should only be used for fruits and vegetables and the other for raw meats. This is to prevent cross contamination of foods, which is a bad thing. There are two types of cutting boards out there, wooden and plastic. I prefer plastic because they are easier to clean and dishwasher safe.

3. Vegetable Peeler $2 – $15

This is a time saving item. You can peel vegetables with a knife, but these are very cheap and time saved is well worth the $10 you may spend on one. There are generally two different styles and comfort should be the deciding factor.

4. Large Spoons $4 – $10

These speak for themselves. When picking out go with wooden. They clean easily and can withstand greater heat than plastic. There is nothing worse than melting a plastic spoon in a dish, trust me.

5. Spatulas $4 – $10

These come in various shapes and each one has its own purpose. One of each is good to have. A nice silicone spatula can perform a variety of tasks and are safe on all surfaces. They can withstand a great deal of heat and won’t melt.

6. Tongs $4 – $20

Tongs are an extension of your hands. They are for handling anything and everything. They are used for flipping meat, tossing salad, serving, and handling hot items. Stainless steel with silicone tips will also help to save the life of any non-stick surfaces.

7. Whisks $4 – $15

If you plan of mixing anything by hand then you will need a whisk. There are many styles but a simple balloon whisk will suit almost all of your needs.

8. Colander $10- $35

Absolutely needs washing vegetables or straining anything. A basic stainless steel is all you really need.

9. Measuring Cups/Spoons $5 – $15

It is generally good to have two sets of these, a glass one for liquids and a stainless steel for dry goods. A good set of plastic spoons is great for measuring smaller things rather than eye-balling it.

10. Thermometer $25 – $40

To ensure that foods are cooked to their specified safe cooking temperature you are going to need one of these. I recommend a good digital instant read thermometer. Make sure to get one that the probe can withstand oven temperature.

11. Pots and Pans $30+ ea.

Here is where people can really go overboard on purchasing. You will only need 4 to get started.

1. Large stock pot:

Anything within an 8-12 Qt. range will serve as a good start. This is used for cooking pasta, making soups, and stocks.

2. Sauce Pan:

A good stainless steel 1.5 Qt. Great for Mac and Cheese and making sauces, of course.

3. Cast Iron Skillet:

A good 8 – 12 in. pan is all you need. This is a jack of all trades item here. This serves as you main non-stick cooking pan. A well-treated cast iron skillet will last longer than you will. For starters try to find a pre-seasoned skillet. Just remember that once you start using cast iron you are to never wash it with soap. A good brush and hot water is all you need to clean one.

4. Dutch Oven:

These are made of various types of materials ranging from cast iron to enameled cast iron. Ideal for browning and searing in, cooking and re-heating chilis, stew, chowders and for simmering or slow-cooking foods. But know, a good one is not cheap.

Works Cited

http://www.mariashriver.com/blog/2011/03/10-essential-cooking-utensils-every-kitchen-should-have

http://lifehacker.com/5515892/michael-ruhlmans-essential-kitchen-tools

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/tools-products/cookware-bakeware/kitchen-tools-checklist-00000000001975/index.html

Safety

Anyone that has ever gotten food sickness knows that it is no fun. In this section I will give information that will hopefully prevent you from causing someone else to get sick. The best way to remember this is to just remember the four C’s: Contain; Chill; Clean; Cook. (1)

Contain:

Prevent microbes from spreading from where they might be to where they might want to go, or as some say “cross contamination.” You should keep all like meats separate. You do not want to store you chicken in the same place you store vegetables in the refrigerator.

Take a cooler with ice when you go to the store for shopping. The time on the ride home can give bacteria time to start growing as food warms. Also this will keep meat juice from spreading to other things by keeping it separated.

When working with raw meats make sure to wash your hands after you handle it each time. If you do not want to have to do this, then use latex or vinyl gloves.

Also use different cutting boards for different things. Label cutting boards so that it is easy to remember which one you cut chicken on.

Chill:

Bacteria grow and rapidly reproduce at temperatures between 40F and 140F, so keep your refrigerator set between 35F and 38F and your freezer below zero.

Once you are done cooking any leftover should be immediately packaged and stored. If you need to rapidly cool something, lay it out on a sheet pan and put into the freezer.

Clean:

            This one cannot be understated. Make sure to thoroughly clean all tools, hands, cutting boards, counters, and so on after every use. If meats were used make sure to sanitize the area with proper cleaning solutions.

Cook:

            These are the FDA’s recommended cook temperatures. (2)

Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures

Use this chart and a food thermometer to ensure that meat, poultry, seafood, and other cooked foods reach a safe minimum internal temperature.

Remember, you can’t tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at it. Any cooked, uncured red meats – including pork – can be pink, even when the meat has reached a safe internal temperature.

Why the Rest Time is Important

After you remove meat from a grill, oven, or other heat source, allow it to rest for the specified amount of time. During the rest time, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys harmful germs.

Category	Food	Temperature (°F)	Rest Time
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures	Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb	160	None
	Turkey, Chicken	165	None
Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb	Steaks, roasts, chops	145	3 minutes
Poultry	Chicken & Turkey, whole	165	None
	Poultry breasts, roasts	165	None
	Poultry thighs, legs, wings	165	None
	Duck & Goose	165	None
	Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird)	165	None
Pork and Ham	Fresh pork	145	3 minutes
	Fresh ham (raw)	145	3 minutes
	Precooked ham (to reheat)	140	None
Eggs & Egg Dishes	Eggs	Cook until yolk and white are firm	None
	Egg dishes	160	None
Leftovers & Casseroles	Leftovers	165	None
	Casseroles	165	None
Seafood	Fin Fish	145 or cook until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork.	None
	Shrimp, lobster, and crabs	Cook until flesh is pearly and opaque.	None
	Clams, oysters, and mussels	Cook until shells open during cooking.	None
	Scallops	Cook until flesh is milky white or opaque and firm.	None

Works Cited

1. Brown, Alton. Good Eats 3: The Later Years. New York : Abrams Books, 2011.

2. [Online] http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/mintemp.html.

Intro

I want to start with this project with two things. A picture and a quote. First the picture.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/cook_home

“I do know that we have some pretty big problems in this country, and I think at least a few of them could be solved if we concentrated as much on cooking as we do on eating. Food is fabulous stuff, to be sure, but cooking can also be its own reward. Cooking is an action, and it’s time for more action and a little less consumption.”

-Alton Brown

Everyone that starts cooking will at some point have this encounter that is so well capture by the comic. What I want to do through this project is help people not get discouraged when this happens. This isn’t a complete how to guide on cooking, that would require far more knowledge than I posses. What I want is that this will server as a introduction that will help people become comfortable with cooking. I have done my best to gather some of the most basic, introductory knowledge that will serve as a spring board to a new skill that will help you through the rest of your life.

Info

All of us have to eat. Most of us don’t even consider where we are going to get that meal from and do a poor job of choosing it most of the time. In doing this we waste a great deal of time and money on food that may not be the best for us. Sometime that food ends up hurting us in some way or another. With this project I hope to educate people on why home cooking can be better for you and a more sustainable option.

 

We waste a lot of things in our lives. One of the greater things that we waste is food. On average we waste 1.3 lbs of food every day (1). A study by the University of Arizona in 2004 indicated that 14-15 per cent of US edible food is untouched or unopened, amounting to $43 billion worth of discarded, but edible, food (2). Another survey, by the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, found that 93 percent of respondents acknowledged buying foods they never used (3). We do a bad job at using the food that we buy and use. People need to be more aware of the things that they waste.

 

The CDC estimates that there are annually 47.8 million cases of food borne illnesses. Of that 47.8 million 127,839 of those cases resulted in hospitalizations. (4) Almost all of these can be prevented by simply washing hands and thorough cooking and proper storage of food. These are things that should be observed but are not always done depending on where the food is purchased. We as consumers need to where our food comes from and how well it is prepared.

Top five pathogens contributing to domestically acquired foodborne illnesses

 

Pathogen	Estimated number of illnesses	90% Credible Interval	%
Norovirus	5,461,731	3,227,078–8,309,480	58
Salmonella, nontyphoidal	1,027,561	644,786–1,679,667	11
Clostridium perfringens	965,958	192,316–2,483,309	10
Campylobacter spp.	845,024	337,031–1,611,083	9
Staphylococcus aureus	241,148	72,341–529,417	3
Subtotal			91

 

 
Project

The plan with this project is that everyone will walk away with a beginner’s knowledge of how to cook. I feel that at the moment that if you were to jump into cooking you would be greatly overwhelmed with all of the information that is out there. With this project you will be able to develop a foot hold that will be able to help you adventure out into more of the culinary arts. All of this information will then be broken down into sections. The first section will be the type of equipment that will be needed to start your first kitchen. Each piece will give a description of what that item is, cost, and why it is important as a first item. As with starting any new long term project it is good to know what you need and the things that you don’t need so that you can avoid wasting money. The next section will be a list of food safety guidelines. This is will include proper cook times, temperatures, and storage opinions for many things. Shelf life of things may be considered, but most items include that within the packaging. The final section will be a list of a few recipes that will help someone to learn how to start cooking. Each recipe will be a base recipe that could be used to develop three or four other dishes by adding things to them. The recipe section will be broken down to make them easier to understand. First I will explain what a person will be learning by making the item. Then the recipe will be made, showing step by step pictures of what things should look like along the way. Once it is made there will be a graphic that will show what you can add to create many other dishes from the same item and other tips on how to tweak the original recipe, if possible. As stated this isn’t to be a full guide on how to cook, but it will hopefully serve as a primer for those that feel that cooking is intimidating or can’t be done.

 

Relevance
Now the question that is asked is, “how does cooking tie into all of the things listed above?” Well it all goes to the idea that the more you work with something the better you take care of that thing. When you start cooking you realize that the better the ingredients that you are using the better the things that you make them with end up being. Cooking can be seen as a gateway into wanting to improve the things around you, because of the quick return you get from doing it. You are able to know very quickly if a meal is going to end up turning out well. There is also a great deal of benefits the come from cooking your own food.

1. It is cheaper than eating out

2. Cooking for yourself is healthier

3. Your meals are suited to your taste

4. Avoid intake of unwanted chemicals & additives

5. You can change things to fit any diet (5)

This is a way of changing things that you can control yourself. It is also an easy way to make an impact. The goal is that people will get inspired by cooking and it will lead to other improvements in their lives and their community. People will become more interested in supporting more ecological means of food production, such as grass fed beef. Not only because it is better environmentally, but also produces a better quality. Maybe others will go on to start their own gardens, support a local CSA, or shop at a farmer’s market. All of those things put you in contact with people that are supporting a more sustainable food production. Food is also a large part of any culture and says a great deal about that culture. What does our need for fast food say about our culture in America?

Works Cited

1. Miller, Chaz. [Online] http://waste360.com/mag/waste_food_waste_3.

2. [Online] http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Business/US-wastes-half-its-food.

3. Parker-Pope, Tara. [Online] http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/from-farm-to-fridge-to-garbage-can/?ref=science.

4. [Online] http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html.

5. [Online] http://arabia.msn.com/lifestyle/healthandfitness/wf/2011/january/cookyourmeal/top-reasons-why-you-should-cook-your-meal.aspx.