Revised 10/2011

HRI 120 - Principles of Food Preparation (4 CR.)

Course Description

Applies scientific principles and techniques to the preparation of food, including carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, sugars and starches; fats, including animal and vegetable, as well as natural and manufactured; and proteins, such as milk, cheese, eggs, legumes, fish and shellfish.

Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

This course provides the student who is preparing for a career in the hospitality industry with basic scientific principles of food preparation, with emphasis on quality control. 

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

None.

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

  • Critique and analyze food products and recipes on the basis of food preparation principles
  • Identify the characteristics of high quality food products based on the factors that affect the physical, chemical and biological reactions of carbohydrates, fats, and protein
  • Employ basic equipment in small quantity food preparation
  • Demonstrate the safe use and care of equipment used in food preparation
  • Know food preparation terminology and demonstrate techniques employed in small quantity food preparation
  • Relate the importance of professional appearance and behavior to sanitation and safety in the laboratory
  • Know basic information about the nutritive value of carbohydrates, fats, and protein
  • Evaluate products prepared in the laboratory by comparing with established standards
  • Gain experience of applying principles of measurement of ingredients
  • Identify and use various kinds of food thermometers
  • Know the graduation scale on each type of thermometer
  • Analyze the function of water and heat in food preparation: (solvent, dispersing agent, hydration, medium for heat transference, ionization)
  • Describe physical states (solid, liquid, gas) of water
  • Evaluate the factors that determine the preparation of high quality vegetables
  • Memorize the names of vegetable pigments
  • Recognize the nutritional importance of vegetables in the diet
  • Study the relationship between variety characteristics and quality characteristics in fruits and vegetables
  • Test color, flavor, textural changes in vegetables caused by acids, alkalis, minerals, enzymes, and heat
  • Determine the effect of method and time of cooking on vegetable color, flavor, and structure
  • Prepare and examine the effects on vegetables using different cooking methods, i.e., baking, broiling, sautéing, stir-frying, soufflés, and casseroles
  • Evaluate the factors that determine the preparation of high quality fruits
  • Study the conditions that affect enzymatic browning
  • Study the effect of breakdown of compounds and hemicellulose on cell structure
  • Explain the effect of osmosis on cell structure
  • Prepare pectin gels
  • Know the relationship between pectin, protopectin, and pectic acid compounds in gel formation
  • Taste and name different types of fruits; tropical/sub-tropical
  • Illustrate methods of starch granule separation used in gelatinization of the starch
  • Emphasize the necessity for separation of starch granules for even hydration and gelatinization
  • Study quality characteristics of selected starch thickened food products
  • Demonstrate the increase in viscosity in starch thickened products
  • Illustrate acceptable methods for the preparation of white sauces
  • Show the relative degrees of viscosity of white sauces prepared with varying ratios of flour to milk
  • Discuss the use of these sauces in food preparation
  • Demonstrate methods of cookery which retain the nutrients added to enriched rice and pasta products
  • Demonstrate methods of cereal cookery
  • Learn principles of salad dressing formation based on emulsion principles
  • Define temporary and permanent emulsions
  • Classify salad dressing according to emulsion type
  • Learn the procedure of reforming broken emulsions for use in other recipes
  • Recognize common emulsifiers used in food preparation
  • Differentiate between a salad dressing and mayonnaise based on standards of identity
  • Learn the role of salads in menus and principles of salad preparation
  • Define appetizer, accompaniment, main course, and dessert salads
  • Prepare salad recipes and evaluate according to standard principles of salad preparation
  • Learn the name and distinguishing quality characteristics of green used in salad preparation: iceberg, leaf, endive, romaine, etc
  • Study the appropriate type of dressing for main salad classifications
  • Discuss and illustrate marinades and salad dressings
  • Acquaint students with the properties of fats and oils
  • Define smoke point and acrolein
  • Learn appropriate deep fat frying temperatures for different foods - protein and carbohydrates
  • Study factors that affect the smoke point of fats, and rate of fat decomposition
  • Acquaint students with factors that influence fat absorption by deep fat fried foods
  • Illustrate principles involved in the preparation of gelatin products
  • Compare quality characteristics of a gelatin prepared from plain dry gelatin, and a commercial gelatin mix
  • Illustrate and discuss factors that affect the strength of a gelatin gel and gelatin foam
  • Identify through laboratory experiments and observation the characteristics of high quality protein products
  • Observe denaturation and coagulation of protein foods in the laboratory
  • Identify through laboratory experiments and observation the characteristics of high quality protein products
  • Acquaint the student with effect of acid on milk proteins
  • Identify the role of enzymes in coagulation of milk proteins
  • Appreciate the fact that stability of milk proteins may be both desirable and undesirable
  • Observe the effect of heat and temperature on milk proteins
  • Recognize the different types of milk products in the market place and their uses in a food service operation
  • Compare the flavor, cost, convenience and use in cooking of various types of milk
  • Understand the relationship between coagulation of milk proteins and the manufacture of natural cheese
  • Taste and evaluate natural cheeses and processed cheese products
  • Study factors inherent in the production of a natural cheese
  • Contrast and compare natural cheese and process cheese
  • Define the term "process" cheese and processed cheese food
  • Demonstrate the effect of emulsifiers on fat stability in cheese exposed to heat
  • Demonstrate the effect of heat on the protein and lactose in cheese
  • Observe the effect of length of aging and microorganisms used in aging on cheese flavor
  • Discuss the effect of high heat or prolonged heating on cheese proteins
  • Illustrate and discuss quality characteristics of shell eggs
  • Demonstrate selected methods for cooking eggs
  • Describe selected factors that affect the coagulation of egg proteins
  • Acquaint the students with differences between stirred and baked custards
  • Determine the effect of storage on egg quality
  • Identify changes occurring in eggs as they deteriorate
  • Demonstrate methods of minimizing the likelihood of forming a ferrous sulfide ring in hard cooked eggs
  • Differentiate between the coagulation temperature of egg whites, egg yolks, and whole egg
  • Explain the procedures to use while preparing an egg white foam of optimum volume, texture, and stability
  • Identify the factors contributing to volume in egg white foams
  • interpret the role of acid and/or sugar in the coagulation of egg white proteins
  • Prepare a soufflé
  • Diagram primal cuts on a beef carcass
  • Differentiate between primal cuts and secondary cuts on a beef carcass
  • Prepare and compare dry and moist methods of meat cookery
  • Discuss and illustrate factors that determine the tenderness of a cut of meat before cooking
  • Discuss the effect of cooking on the quality characteristics of cooked meat
  • Identify differences in fat, bone, muscle, and texture of meat cuts from different animals
  • Acquaint the student with poultry classified as tender and discuss typical quality characteristics of tender birds
  • Review the factors that cause a cut of meat to be considered less tender
  • Illustrate moist heat methods of cooking less tender cuts of meat
  • Demonstrate that collagen will hydrolyze in the presence of heat and moisture
  • Discuss the relative effectiveness of powdered enzyme, fresh enzyme and acid marinades in tenderizing meat
  • Evaluate the palatability of meats prepared with mechanical tenderizing, enzyme, and acid tenderizing
  • Distinguish between inspection, quality grading, and yield grading of meat and meat products
  • Identify the quality grades in meat products/poultry and eggs
  • Distinguish between fin-fish and shellfish and memorize the market forms of each
  • Prepare different types of fin and shellfish utilizing moist and dry heat methods of preparation
  • Determine the effect of pH on the rehydration of dried legumes outline optimal methods for softening legumes
  • Illustrate the use of legumes as meat substitutes
  • Acquaint students with the different variety of legumes
  • Observe the effect of adding calcium or acid to legumes
  • Acquaint the student with the biscuit, pastry and muffin method of combining ingredients for baked products
  • Observe changes that occur in muffin batter with extended stirring of ingredients
  • Observe the effect of kneading on biscuit dough
  • Demonstrate the effect of the buttermilk (acid) leavening system on quality of biscuits
  • Illustrate leavening action as water is converted to steam in baked products
  • Identify characteristics of the basic sauces
  • Prepare basic sauces

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Food Choices
  • Food Safety
  • Heat Transfer
  • Weights / Measures
  • Knife Skills
  • Seasonings / Flavoring
  • Quick Breads
  • Pasta and Cereal
  • Grains
  • Legumes
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Fats and Oils
  • Salads
  • Gelatin
  • Meat
  • Poultry
  • Seafood
  • Milk, Eggs, Cheese