415C Vegetables, Starches & Eggs 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct technique for blanching vegetables?
- Cooking vegetables slowly in cold water brought to a boil
- Submerging briefly in rapidly boiling salted water then immediately plunging into ice water (Correct answer)
- Steaming vegetables over boiling water until fully tender
- Roasting vegetables in a hot oven until lightly caramelized
Correct answer: Submerging briefly in rapidly boiling salted water then immediately plunging into ice water
Blanching involves briefly cooking vegetables in boiling salted water then immediately shocking in ice water to stop cooking, preserving colour, texture, and nutrients.
Question 2: What cooking method best preserves water-soluble vitamins (B and C) in vegetables?
- Boiling in large amounts of water for a long time
- Steaming or microwaving with minimal water (Correct answer)
- Deep-frying at high temperature
- Roasting uncovered at high heat
Correct answer: Steaming or microwaving with minimal water
Steaming and microwaving use minimal water, preventing water-soluble vitamins from leaching out into the cooking liquid.
Question 3: What type of starch is used to make gnocchi in Italian-Canadian cuisine?
- Cornstarch
- Potato starch mixed with flour (Correct answer)
- Arrowroot
- Tapioca starch
Correct answer: Potato starch mixed with flour
Gnocchi are made from mashed potato combined with flour; the potato starch provides tenderness while the flour creates the structure needed to hold the dumpling together.
Question 4: What does 'al dente' mean when cooking pasta?
- Fully cooked until very soft
- Cooked so the pasta is tender but still has a slight firmness or bite in the centre (Correct answer)
- Half-cooked pasta used for baked dishes only
- Pasta cooked without salt
Correct answer: Cooked so the pasta is tender but still has a slight firmness or bite in the centre
'Al dente' means 'to the tooth' in Italian, describing pasta that is cooked tender on the outside but retains a slight firmness at the centre.
Question 5: What is the correct method for cooking dried legumes such as lentils or beans?
- Add salt at the very beginning to improve flavour throughout
- Soak overnight (for most beans), rinse, simmer in unsalted water until tender, then season (Correct answer)
- Never rinse canned beans before using them
- Boil at full heat for 2 hours without soaking
Correct answer: Soak overnight (for most beans), rinse, simmer in unsalted water until tender, then season
Most dried beans benefit from overnight soaking to reduce cooking time, and are simmered in unsalted water (as salt can toughen skins) until tender before seasoning.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'shocking' vegetables after blanching?
- To add flavour through rapid seasoning
- To immediately stop cooking and lock in colour, texture, and nutrients (Correct answer)
- To remove the skin more easily
- To reduce bitterness in leafy greens
Correct answer: To immediately stop cooking and lock in colour, texture, and nutrients
Shocking in ice water immediately halts carry-over cooking, preserving the bright colour, crisp texture, and nutritional value achieved during blanching.
415C Vegetables, Starches & Eggs 1
What is the correct technique for blanching vegetables?