CFSP Kitchen Operations 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CFSP candidate is reviewing a production schedule. Which document best communicates to line cooks exactly how many portions of each menu item to prepare for a banquet?
- The standardized recipe file
- A production forecast sheet (Correct answer)
- The vendor purchase order
- The menu engineering matrix
Correct answer: A production forecast sheet
A production forecast sheet specifies the exact quantities of each item to be prepared, based on expected covers and historical sales mix.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the role of an expeditor (expo) during restaurant service?
- Takes guest orders at the table and relays them to the kitchen
- Coordinates dish timing between kitchen stations and ensures plates are correct before leaving the kitchen (Correct answer)
- Manages vendor invoices and delivery schedules
- Operates the point-of-sale system for table billing
Correct answer: Coordinates dish timing between kitchen stations and ensures plates are correct before leaving the kitchen
The expeditor acts as the communication hub between kitchen stations, ensuring all components of a table's order are ready simultaneously and plated correctly.
Question 3: A chef is preparing hollandaise sauce. To minimize the risk of a Salmonella outbreak, which practice is most critical?
- Using clarified butter instead of whole butter
- Ensuring egg yolks reach at least 145°F (63°C) during preparation (Correct answer)
- Adding lemon juice only after removing from heat
- Whisking continuously to prevent sauce from breaking
Correct answer: Ensuring egg yolks reach at least 145°F (63°C) during preparation
Hollandaise uses egg yolks that must be heated to at least 145°F during the ribbon stage to reduce the risk of Salmonella to safe levels.
Question 4: A foodservice operation wants to reduce food waste from vegetable prep. Which prep strategy best achieves this goal?
- Pre-cutting all vegetables 48 hours in advance
- Using whole-animal and whole-vegetable butchery with trimmings in stocks or soups (Correct answer)
- Purchasing pre-cut vegetables from a supplier
- Storing all raw vegetables at room temperature to prevent freezer burn
Correct answer: Using whole-animal and whole-vegetable butchery with trimmings in stocks or soups
Nose-to-tail and root-to-stem cooking utilizes trimmings and secondary parts in stocks, soups, or specials, directly reducing waste and food cost.
Question 5: Which of the following best defines 'as purchased (AP) weight' in food costing?
- The weight of food after trimming, cooking, and portioning
- The total weight of food as it arrives from the supplier before any processing (Correct answer)
- The weight per individual portion served to the guest
- The combined weight of all ingredients in a standardized recipe
Correct answer: The total weight of food as it arrives from the supplier before any processing
AP (as purchased) weight is the raw product weight received from the vendor before any trimming, fabrication, or cooking losses are applied.
Question 6: A restaurant is implementing a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. Which step involves listing all biological, chemical, and physical hazards associated with each ingredient and process step?
- Establishing critical limits
- Conducting a hazard analysis (Correct answer)
- Setting up monitoring procedures
- Verifying the HACCP system
Correct answer: Conducting a hazard analysis
Hazard analysis (HACCP Principle 1) involves identifying and evaluating all potential hazards at each step in the food production process.
Question 7: In high-volume foodservice, a cook uses a blast chiller after cooking large batches of rice. What is the primary food safety benefit of this equipment?
- It improves the texture of the rice for next-day service
- It rapidly moves food through the temperature danger zone, limiting bacterial growth (Correct answer)
- It extends the rice shelf life beyond 14 days
- It eliminates the need for date labeling on stored food
Correct answer: It rapidly moves food through the temperature danger zone, limiting bacterial growth
A blast chiller rapidly reduces food temperature from 135°F to 41°F within safe time limits (typically 2 hours), minimizing time spent in the 41°F–135°F danger zone where pathogens multiply.
CFSP Kitchen Operations 5
A CFSP candidate is reviewing a production schedule.
Which document best communicates to line cooks exactly how many portions of each menu item to prepare for a banquet?