Download Chapter 8 Seasonings Used to Enhance Flavor

Seasonings are used to enhance and build favor profles that are already present in a dish, and favorings
are used to add a new favor dynamic or modify the original favor. Herbs are the leafy parts of certain
plants that grow in temperate climates. Spices are the roots, bark, seeds, fowers, buds, and fruits of
certain tropical plants. Herbs are generally available fresh and dried. Spices are mostly available dried.
Fresh herbs can only withstand about 30 minutes of cooking, so they work best for fnishing dishes,
tossing in before serving, or in other accompaniments such as fresh salsas. Dried herbs work well in
longer cooking applications. Whole spices take longer to release favors than ground spices. Figures 8-2
and 8-3, and Tables 8-1, and 8-2, show common herbs and spices used in the kitchen as well as
information on each one’s aroma, favor, and effect on food. To toast a spice, place a sauté pan on
medium to high heat for about 1 minute, add the spices in the dry pan, and toss quickly, being careful
not to burn, until a nutty aroma is extracted from the spices. Many herbs and spices can be combined to
produce blends with global seasonings adding distinctive favors. To develop a favor profle, you need to
consider the meal period, the favor direction you want to go in, the accompanying dishes, presentation,
and your specifc combination of ingredients, such as cilantro with lime, onion, and cumin. Consider the
powerhouses of favor listed in Table 8-3 when developing favor profles.
Balanced preparation techniques include reduction, searing, deglazing, sweating, and pureeing of
vegetables or starchy foods to thicken soups, etc. Rubs combine dry ground spices and fnely cut herbs.
They may be dry or wet. Wet rubs (also called pastes) are mixed with liquids such as mustard and
vinegar. Rubs work particularly well to add favor to beef, chicken, and pork. Pat evenly on meat, poultry,
or fsh—just before cooking for delicate items and at least 24 hours before for large cuts of meat.
Marinades are useful for adding favor as well as for tenderizing meat and poultry. A marinade usually
contains an acidic ingredient such as vinegar to break down any toughness. Oil is often used in
marinades to carry favor but it isn’t essential. To give marinated foods favor, try citrus zest, diced
vegetables, fresh herbs, shallots, garlic, low-sodium soy sauce, mustard, and toasted spices.
Dry-heat cooking methods are acceptable for balanced cooking when heat is transferred with little or no
fat. Excess fat is allowed to drip away from food being cooked. Both pan frying and deep frying add
varying amounts of fat and kcalories, so they are not an acceptable cooking method. Sautéing can be
made acceptable by using nonstick pans, healthy oils, and at times finishing with a small amount of
butter. You can also use two sprays of vegetable oil cooking spray. To dry sauté, heat a nonstick pan,
spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray, then wipe out the excess with a paper towel. Heat the pan again,
then add the food. If browning is not important, you can simmer the ingredient in a small amount of
liquid such as wine, vermouth, favored vinegar, juices, or defatted stock to bring out the favor. Add
shallots, garlic, or other seasonings, then deglaze the pan with stock, wine, or another liquid and reduce
to a sauce. To stir-fry, coat the cooking surface with a thin layer of oil such as peanut oil, which has a
strong favor so you can use a small amount. Have all your ingredients ready. Preheat the pan to a high
temperature. Stir the food rapidly during cooking and don’t overfll the pan. When roasting, always place
meats and poultry on a rack so they don’t cook in their own drippings. You can add favor when roasting,
broiling, or grilling by using rubs, marinades, or smoking, and also by deglazing the roasting pan to make
either jus or jus lié. For roasted, broiled, or grilled foods, consider favorful sauces such as chutneys,
relishes, purees, mojos, coulis, salsas, compotes, or vinaigrettes. Moist-heat cooking methods involve
water or a water-based liquid as the vehicle of heat transfer. In moist-heat cooking of meat or poultry,
the danger is that the fat in the meat or poultry will stay in the cooking liquid. This problem can be
resolved to a large extent by chilling the cooking liquid so that the fat separates and can be removed.
Moist-heat cooking methods do not add the favor that dry-heat cooked foods get from browning,
deglazing, or reduction. To be successful, you will need good fortifed stocks or jus, well-trimmed
seasoned meats and skinless poultry, and seasonings such as wine and fresh herbs. Introduce favor into
steamed and poached foods by adding herbs, spices, citrus juices, and other favorful ingredients to the
water. For example, fsh is often poached in a court bouillon, a favorful liquid. Foods to be braised are
also often marinated before searing to develop favor and tenderize the meat. When browning meat for
braising, sear it in as little fat as possible without scorching and then place it in a covered braising pan to
simmer in a small amount of liquid. To add favor, place roasted vegetables, herbs, spices, and other
favoring ingredients in the bottom of the braising pan before adding the liquid.
Vegetarian, low fat, and other requests are becoming fairly common. Part of your daily regime as a chef
is to be prepared for these special needs without creating kitchen havoc. The best approach when
designing your menus is to have choices that follow the basic dietary guidelines discussed in this book.
With more people seeking healthier foods in restaurants, the need for menu selections to be better
balanced and limited in rich ingredients is greater than ever. Have these basic preparations ready to
respond to almost any special request: marinate meats without using salt; reheat blanched vegetables in
a small amount of seasoned stock, then fnished with a moderate amount of whole butter, an extravirgin olive oil, or favored nut oil; whole-grain chips with balanced dips such as hummus work well for an
appetizer; have a well-balanced dressing for salads and stock for soups and sauces; and consider
balanced desserts featuring fruits.
You can control the number of kcalories in a dish in many ways, but you will probably wind
up either adjusting the portion size and/or the amount of fat in the menu item. Also, choose
cooking methods such as broiling or steaming that don’t add kcalories.
2. Use Table 11-1 to pick appropriate menu choices low in kcalories.
1. For a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, switch from fried foods and high fat
dairy, meats, and desserts to lean proteins (especially poultry and seafood), fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nonfat dairy, balanced oils, and balanced sauces.
2. Table 11-2 lists appropriate menu choices for a diet low in fat and cholesterol.
1. Currently, sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in the American
diet, followed by grains-based desserts (cakes, cookies, pies, etc.), sugar-sweetened fruit
drinks, dairy-based desserts (ice cream, etc.), and candy.
2. Table 11-3 lists appropriate menu choices for a low-sugar diet.
3. If you have diabetes, your body cannot make or properly use insulin. This leads to high
blood glucose, or sugar, levels in your blood. Healthy eating helps keep your blood sugar
in your target range. Treatment for diabetes is individualized and includes a balanced diet
that supports a healthy weight, physical activity, as well as insulin or other medications as
needed. Diet is a critical part of managing diabetes, and involves paying attention to when
and how many carbohydrates you eat.
1. If a menu item is high in sodium, it is most likely that you are either purchasing a processed, high-sodium main ingredient and/or you are using a lot of salt/high-sodium condiments in the recipe. Don’t forget that unprocessed meats, poultry, and fsh, fresh fruits and
vegetables, as well as beans and peas (as long as they are not canned) are all low in sodium.
2. Table 11-4 lists appropriate menu choices for a low-sodium diet.
1. A food allergy involves an abnormal immune-system response. The most common sites
(Figure 11-5) are the mouth (swelling of the lips or tongue, itching lips), the digestive tract
(stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea), the skin (hives, rashes, or eczema), and the airways
(wheezing or breathing problems).
2. If the response doesn’t involve the immune system, it is called a food intolerance. Symptoms of food intolerance may include gas, bloating, constipation, dizziness, and diffculty
sleeping. Food intolerances are much more common than food allergies.
3. Food allergies are much more common in infants and young children, who may outgrow
them later. Adults also have food allergies—especially to fsh and shellfsh. The following
foods account for 90 percent of all food allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fsh, shellfsh, wheat, and soy.
4. Most cases of allergic reactions to foods are mild, but some are violent and life-threatening
and can be caused by simply a trace amount of the offending food.
5. Whereas people with true food allergies must avoid the offending foods altogether, people
with food intolerances can often eat small amounts of the offending foods without experiencing symptoms. The most common food intolerance is lactose intolerance.
6. As a chef or foodservice professional, you can do the following to create a food allergy
management plan to assist customers with food allergies: Determine who will answer guest
questions, determine who will be responsible for keeping recipe information up-to-date as
well as check ingredients used in menu items, determine what steps the kitchen and waitstaff will take to avoid cross-contact, and determine what to do in an emergency.
7. Table 11-5 lists foods to avoid for different food allergies.
1. Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune disease. When a person with celiac disease
consumes any food, beverage, or medication containing gluten (found in wheat, barley,
rye, or oats contaminated with these grains), his or her immune system is “triggered” and
responds by damaging the lining of the intestinal tract. Symptoms include abdominal pain,
diarrhea, and/or a severe skin rash.
2. Other people without celiac disease also have gastrointestinal symptoms after eating gluten. They have a condition called “non-celiac gluten intolerance.”
3. To avoid gluten, you need to check food labels for wheat (including durum wheat, farina,
graham four, wheat bran, wheat germ, semolina, kamut, and spelt), barley, rye, triticale,
oats (unless labeled gluten-free), malt, brewer’s yeast, dextrin, and modifed food starch.
4. Permitted fours include: Brown rice, wild rice, white rice, corn and cornmeal, amaranth,
quinoa, millet, teff, sorghum, fax, and buckwheat groats—buckwheat is not technically a
grain and it does not contain gluten. Starches/thickeners such as potato starch, tapioca
starch, arrowroot, and corn starch are permitted as well.
5. Most fresh and processed fruits and vegetables are gluten-free, along with fresh proteins
and most dairy products.
6. Table 11-6 gives guidance on eating a gluten-free diet.
7. In a restaurant, chefs must look out for cross-contact between foods containing gluten
and foods being prepared as gluten-free. Gluten-free foods should be stored and prepared
separately using clean equipment.
1. In lactose intolerance, lactase is defcient so lactose (milk sugar) is not split into its components in the small intestines. Instead it travels to the colon, where it attracts water and
causes bloating and diarrhea. In addition, intestinal bacteria ferment lactose and produce
gas. Symptoms usually occur with 30 minutes to 2 hours and clear up within 2 to 5 hours.
2. Treatment for lactose intolerance includes a diet limited in lactose (present in dairy and
added to some other foods), use of lactose-free milk and milk products and/or lactase, and
consuming small servings of dairy with a meal and/or dairy products lower in lactose (such
as hard cheeses and yogurt) as tolerated.
1. Whereas vegetarians do not eat meat, poultry, or fsh, the largest group of vegetarians,
referred to as lacto-ovo vegetarians, do consume animal products in the form of eggs (ovo-)
and milk and milk products (lacto-). Another group of vegetarians , lacto vegetarians , consume milk and milk products but forgo eggs. Most vegetarians are either lacto-ovo vegetarians or lacto vegetarians.
2. Vegans, a third group of vegetarians, do not eat eggs or dairy products and therefore rely
exclusively on plant foods to meet protein and other nutrient needs.
3. Vegetarian diets, including vegan diets, can be used for individuals during all stage of the life
cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence. Most vegetarians
get enough protein, and their diets are typically lower in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
(as long as they avoid whole milk dairy, high-fat snacks, and fried foods). When plant proteins are eaten with other foods, the food combinations usually result in complete protein.
4. Guidelines are given for planning vegetarian meals including vegan meals.