Chapter 13 Legumes, Grains, Pasta, and other Starches

Al Dente

-"To the tooth." -This means cooking should be stopped when the pasta still feels firm to the bite, not soft and mushy. -Much of the pleasure of eating pasta is its texture (that's why there are so many shapes), and this is lost if it is overcooked.

How long should it take to cook fresh egg pasta, if it has not been allowed to dry?

-1 to 1½ minutes to cook after the water returns to a boil.

Semolina

-A hard, high-protein flour often used for the best-quality macaroni products. -High-protein flour from the inner part of durum wheat kernels.

Legume

-A plant that bears seed pods that split along two opposite sides when ripe. -French word meaning "vegetable." -Legumes include beans, peas, lentils, and a number of other plants. -In culinary usage, we use the word to refer to the seeds from these pods, especially when they are mature and dried.

Unlike other grains, which have a husk covering each seed, corn has:

-A set of husks covering the entire seed head, or ear. -Also unlike other grains, corn is eaten as a fresh vegetable, although different varieties are grown as grain and as a vegetable.

Bran

-A tough but edible layer of a grain that covers the endosperm.

Couscous

-A type of granular pasta from North Africa that resembles a grain. -Made from semolina flour. -It is cooked by soaking and then steaming, using a fairly time-consuming process.

Basmati Rice

-An extra-long-grain rice widely used in India and surrounding countries. -It has a distinctive nutty flavor. -Brown basmati rice is also available.

How should you store raw grains?

-At room temperature in a dark, dry place and in a tightly sealed container to keep out moisture and insects.

Why doesn't rice cooked by the pilaf method need to be washed (unless it's dirty)?

-Because the fat coating each kernel helps keep the grains separate and reduces stickiness.

The milling process for white flour separates the _____ and _____.

-Bran and Germ -Wheat germ and wheat bran can be purchased separately. -They are usually used as additions to baked goods and some other dishes to enrich their nutritional content and to add flavor interest.

Many suggestions have been made for testing doneness of pasta, but none is more reliable than:

-Breaking off a very small piece and tasting it. -As soon as the pasta is al dente, the cooking must be stopped at once. -Half a minute extra is enough to overcook it.

The Risotto Method

-Classic Italian preparation made by a special procedure that is like neither the boiling method nor the pilaf method. -After sautéing the rice, add a small amount of hot stock or other liquid and stir until the liquid is absorbed. -Repeat this procedure until the rice is cooked but still firm. -Risotto should be served quickly, as it does not hold well.

Pasta Method

-Cooking rice and other whole grains in a large quantity of water and then draining, like pasta. -This method is good for producing separate, unsticky grains. -However, some nutrients are lost in the cooking water, so chefs disagree about the value of the method.

Hominy

-Corn that has been treated with lye. -When it is cracked into a coarse meal, it becomes grits, popular in the southern United States and wherever the foods of the South are appreciated. -Hominy in whole-grain form is known in Mexican cuisine as pozole (poh so hleh). (It requires several hours of simmering.)

Corn as a grain is not often cooked whole. More often, it is ground into _____________ and cooked into a porridge or used in baked goods.

-Cornmeal

White rice and other polished grains are only the _______________.

-Endosperm -The grain is polished or milled to remove the bran and germ.

The Pilaf Method

-Equivalent to braising. -The grain is first sautéed in fat and then cooked in liquid, preferably in the oven for uniform heating, until the liquid is absorbed. -The fat helps keep the grains separate and adds flavor.

The most common use of wheat is to be made into _______.

-Flour

Pasta

-General term for any shape of macaroni product or egg noodle. -Italian for "paste," so called because pasta is made from a mixture of wheat flour and water and, sometimes, eggs.

Quinoa (keen wah)

-Grain native to the South American Andes that has only recently become an occasional feature of North American menus. -Quinoa is high in good-quality protein and lower in carbohydrates than other grains. -It's a tiny, round grain with an ivory color and a mild, delicate flavor. -When cooked, the germ of the grain unwinds, making it look as though each grain has a tail.

Grains are the edible seeds of various members of the _____ family.

-Grass

Regular Milled White Rice

-Has been milled to remove the outer bran coating. -This process removes some vitamins and minerals, but it produces a white, lighter-textured product most people prefer. -White rice appears in several forms (Enriched, Short Grain, Medium Grain, and Long Grain).

Long-Grain Rice

-Has long, slender grains that stay separate and fluffy when properly cooked. -It is used for side dishes, entrées, casseroles, and so on.

Enriched Rice

-Has received a coating of vitamins to compensate for some of the nutrients lost in milling.

Brown Rice

-Has the bran layer left on, giving it a light brown color, a slightly coarse, crunchy texture, and nutty flavor. -Brown rice is available as short, medium, or long grain. -Brown rice takes about twice as long to cook as white rice.

Pasta is best if cooked and served ______________.

-Immediately -Whenever possible, you should try to cook pasta to order. -Fresh pasta, in particular, cooks so quickly there is little reason to cook it in advance. -In volume operations, however, commercial pasta may have to be cooked ahead of time.

Germ

-In a grain, it's the tiny embryo that forms the new plant when the seed sprouts.

Couscous (koose koose)

-Isn't actually a grain, although it resembles one. -It is made from semolina wheat, a variety of high-protein wheat, and is sort of a granular pasta.

Parboiled Rice or Conerted Rice

-It has been partially cooked under steam pressure, redried, and then milled or polished. -This process results in a higher vitamin and mineral content, compared with regular milled white rice.

Polenta

-Italian-style cornmeal. -Polenta has become popular in North America in recent years.

Jasmine Rice

-Long-grain white rice from Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia. -It is fragrant, a little like basmati rice but more delicate or floral.

Oats

-Most familiar in North America as a breakfast food. If they are cooked and not just softened during the steaming process, they become instant oats. These need no additional cooking, only reconstituting with boiling water.

Wild Rice

-Not actually rice but rather the seed of an unrelated grass native to the northern United States and Canada. -The grains are long, slender, hard, and dark brown or nearly black in color. -Because of its unique nutty flavor, scarcity, and high price, wild rice is considered a luxury food.

Arborio Rice

-One of several Italian varieties of a type of short-grain rice essential for making the highest-quality risotto. -It is the variety most often found in North America and the one specified in recipes. -Two other varieties, less widely available, used for risotto are: 1. Carnaroli 2. Vialone Nano

Soybeans

-One of the world's most important bean crops because of their high protein content as well as their rich oil content. -Fresh soybeans are used as a vegetable. -Dried soybeans are very hard and require a long cooking time, but they are not often cooked and eaten directly. -Rather, they are used to make a variety of other foods, such as soy sauce, soybean paste or miso, and tofu or bean curd.

Legumes are high in ________ and, thus, are important in vegetarian diets.

-Protein -They are rich in B vitamins and minerals. Some legumes, like the soybean, are also rich in fat.

Because dried beans, peas, and lentils are dry and hard, they must be ___________.

-Rehydrated -They must absorb water—in order to be made edible.

Chickpeas, also called garbanzos (or in Italian, ceci) (chay chee)

-Round, hard, yellow-brown beans about twice the size of peas and best known as the main ingredient in hummus. -They stay firm and whole when cooked and have a nutty flavor. -Dried chickpeas are also ground into flour.

The primary cooking method used to prepare dried legumes is ___________.

-Simmering -Once the beans are cooked and tender, they can be finished in a variety of ways.

Lentil

-Small, lens-shaped legumes. -They have a shorter cooking time than kidney beans, even when whole, and do not need soaking. -If desired, however, they may be soaked, resulting in an even shorter cooking time.

A product labeled whole grain consists of:

-The endosperm, bran, and germ.

Husk

-The inedible fibrous outer layer of a grain that is removed during processing.

Parboiled Rice

-The most widely used in food service. -The grains stay firm, separate, and light, and the product holds well in the steam table without becoming mushy or sticky. -However, the flavor and texture are not like those of regular long-grain rice, so it is not preferred by all customers.

Endosperm

-The starchy mass of a grain that forms most of the kernel.

Why must Quinoa be washed and rinsed well before cooking?

-To remove a bitter coating that occurs naturally on the grain.

True or False: Cooking times differ for every shape and size of pasta.

-True -Timing also depends on the kind of flour used and the moisture content. -Times indicated on packages are often too long.

Bulgur

-Type of cracked wheat that has been partially cooked or parched. -It is usually available in coarse, medium, and fine granulations.

Farro (far oh)

-Wheat-like grain that may be an ancestor of modern wheat. -It has been used in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years and is still widely known in Tuscany and other parts of Italy.

Most grains are cooked by one of three cooking methods:

1. Simmering Method 2. Pilaf Method 3. Risotto Method

A grain consists of what 4 parts?

1. The husk—an inedible fibrous outer layer that is removed during processing. 2. The endosperm—the starchy mass that forms most of the kernel. 3. The bran—a tough but edible layer covering the endosperm. 4. The germ—the tiny embryo that forms the new plant when the seed sprouts.

Commercial Pasta Shape and Uses: Lasagna

Description: Broad, flat noodles, often with rippled edges Suggested Uses: Baked with meat, cheese, or vegetable fillings

Commercial Pasta Shape and Uses: Fettuccine

Description: Flat egg noodles or Wide, flat egg noodles Suggested Uses: Rich cream sauces or meat sauce

Commercial Pasta Shape and Uses: Orecchiette

Description: Little ears Suggested Uses: Chunky vegetable sauces

Commercial Pasta Shape and Uses: Bow ties or Farfalle

Description: Look like bow ties Suggested Uses: With sauces containing chunks of meat, sausage, or vegetable

Commercial Pasta Shape: Orzo

Description: Rice-shaped

Commercial Pasta Shape and Uses: Conchiglie

Description: Shells Suggested Uses: With seafood or meat sauces; small sizes can be used in salads