Culinarian Menu Planning & Food Preparation Flashcards

Which principle of menu planning ensures that no single flavor, texture, or color dominates the entire meal?

Answer: Balance

Balance in menu planning ensures variety in flavors, textures, colors, and cooking methods throughout the meal.

What is the primary purpose of blanching vegetables before freezing them?

Answer: To inactivate enzymes that cause deterioration

Blanching inactivates enzymes that cause color, flavor, and texture degradation during frozen storage.

In classical French brigade terminology, who is responsible for all sauces in a professional kitchen?

Answer: Saucier

The saucier is responsible for hot sauces, sautéed items, and is generally considered one of the most senior line cooks.

A recipe calls for an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for poultry. According to the USDA, this temperature ensures the destruction of which primary pathogen?

Answer: Salmonella spp.

Salmonella is the primary pathogen of concern in poultry, and 165°F (74°C) is the USDA-recommended temperature to destroy it.

Which of the following best describes a cyclical menu?

Answer: A set menu that repeats on a fixed schedule

A cyclical menu repeats on a predetermined schedule (e.g., a 3-week cycle), providing variety while simplifying production planning.

When making a velouté sauce, what is the primary liquid used?

Answer: White stock (chicken, veal, or fish)

Velouté is one of the five French mother sauces made by combining a white or blond roux with a white stock.

Which knife cut produces a uniform dice measuring approximately ¼ inch × ¼ inch × ¼ inch?

Answer: Small dice

A small dice measures ¼ inch on all sides; brunoise is smaller (⅛ inch) and julienne is a strip cut, not a dice.