When students make judgements about recipes and ingredients, they may start with a basic knowledge related to previous experiences, likes or dislikes.

Experience of cooking and using ingredients begins to help students to gain confidence to change and adapt recipes.  Gradually students will be able to manipulate basics to create their own recipes.

Essential knowledge includes: the function of ingredients, consequences of cooking methods, flavour combinations, texture requirements, nutritional needs and cost.

Seasonings are salt, sea salt, peppercorns, white ground pepper, mixed peppercorns

Other seasoning ingredients are dried and fresh spices, dried and fresh herbs, vinegars

Condiments such as mustards, dressings, ketchups, chutneys, sauces, fruit sauces, BBQ spices, chillies, soy sauces, rice wine, hoisin sauce, peri-peri sauce.

Basic, root ginger, black pepper, vanilla pods, citrus peel, umami paste, mint, sage, marjoram, tarragon, camomile, jasmine, garlic, shallots, horseradish, coriander, mace, nutmeg, aniseed, star anise, lime leaves.

CLASSIFICATION OF INGREDIENTS:

Colloids are formed when two substances aggregate and cannot be separated.  The substances are dispersed within each other, gas in solid as in a risen cake, or water in fat as in butter.

Suspensions are formed when two products are mixed by stirring but settle out after standing, like flour (starch) and water

Solutions are formed when one substance dissolves in another.  Sugar in water for example.

Concentrates have increased number of solutes within a solution.  Fruit juice concentrates are diluted with water in fruit drinks.  Meat concentrates are in stock cubes.  Reduction sauces rely on concentrating the flavours within the sauce by boiling off water.

Unlikely ingredients such as chocolate and blue cheese have enough flavour compounds in common to indicate that they may taste good together.  A flavour ‘thesaurus’ is a reference guide for flavour combinations.

Raising agents are ingredients that provide gases that will raise a mixture and make it have a light and open texture.

Raising agents can be chemicals such as sodium bicarbonate or Cream of Tartar.  Sodium bicarbonate also called Bicarbonate of Soda is an alkali.  It is used on its own as a raising agent in gingerbread, crinkle biscuits and parkin cake.  Cream of tartar is an acidic powder generally used together with bicarbonate of soda in scones and cakes.  Baking powder is a ready to use mix of bicarbonate of soda with cream of tartar and rice flour.

Raising agents can be biological such as yeast which is available fresh or dried.  In both cases given time and a food source, water and warmth, they will produce a gas called carbon dioxide.  The gas will cause a dough, or a cake mix, to rise.  Blinis, stollen, doughnuts and breads rely on yeast to create their unique textures.  Flatbreads, tortilla and fajita are unleavened breads.  They do not include raising agents or yeast in their recipes.

• Too much sugar in cakes: the cake will sink in the middle and may get a sugary crust
• Too little sugar in cakes: the cake will be tough and have a hard texture
• Too much fat in pastry: the pastry will be greasy and very crumbly and difficult to handle
• Not enough fat in pastry: the pastry will be tough, hard and pale
• Too much raising agent: over-risen bread or cakes that collapse and lose shape and structure
• Not enough raising agent: bread, scones or cakes that will not rise and will be hard and have a close texture
• Too much liquid in stews and casseroles: the gravy will be runny and thin and lack flavour
• Too little liquid in stews and casseroles: the meat/fish may be hard and tough with little juice.
• Too much setting agent: the filling, sauce or dessert will be rubbery and solid
• Too little setting agent: the filling, sauce or dessert will be runny and portioning will be difficult.

Is it a main part of the structure?

Will it affect the cost?

Is it pre-prepared?

Does it add texture?

Does it affect the colour?

Does it contribute to the health profile of the product?

Here is a list to support your thinking  ‘ Will it work if I ‘ . . .

Take influence from another country / cuisine

Take influence from retail outlet products (Tesco Finest range)

Take influence from a T.V. Chef?

Change the size – go larger / go mini

Change the shape and/or colour

Use a different cooking method

Decorate or garnish

Add a sauce or dip

Add an extra layer

Alter the nutritional profile

Change genre from savour to sweet or starter to dessert

Make a different end product – pizza from scone mix