POTATOES, GRAINS AND PASTA

Collectively known as starches

Buying Potatoes

■ Choose potatoes that are heavy and very

firm with clean skin and few eyes.

■ Avoid many eyes, sprouts and green

streaks

Potatoes

■ Mature potatoes are fully grown

■ New potatoes are immature potatoes of ANY variety.

They are waxy with a high moisture content

Nutritional Value

■ Potatoes are high in complex carbohydrates, with little or no

fat, vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium.

■ Although vitamin C is destroyed when potatoes are cooked

in liquid

Difference between potatoes

■ Mealy potatoes (also known as starchy potatoes) have a high starch content and thick skin

– They are known as bakers

– They are low in sugar and can be fried

– Waxy potatoes have a low starch content and thin skin

Storing Potatoes■ Potatoes should be stored in a cool dark place

■ Do not store uncooked potatoes in the refrigerator

because the inside turn to sugar

■ Do not store potatoes with onions

Solanine■ Green spots on potatoes contain solanine a toxic substance

(if eaten in large amounts)

■ Solanine is also found in the eyes and sprouts

■ Do not wash potatoes before storing it can cause them to

become moldy.

Fingerlings■ The potatoes are generally small, long and finger-

shaped

■ They are low in starch and good for roasting and

salads

Purple Potatoes■ They have a deep purple skin, and bright purple

flesh.

■ They are mealy, with a flavor and texture similar to

russets

Red Potatoes

■ They have a thin red skin and crisp, waxy flesh best

suited for boiling or steaming

Russet Potatoes

■ Also known as Idaho potatoes are the standard

baking potato.

■ They are long with rough reddish-brown skin.

■ They have a mealy flesh

■ They are excellent baked and fried.

White PotatoesRound white potatoes are known as all-purpose

potatoes

■ They are available in round or long varieties

■ They have a tender, waxy yellow or white flesh

Yukon Gold

Medium sized, slightly

flattened, oval

potatoes delicate pale

yellow skin and pale

yellow flesh

Sweet Potatoes

■ They have a darker orange, moister flesh and higher in

sugar.

■ They are best suited for boiling, baking, pureeing and frying

Cooking Potatoes

They way to tell if potatoes are done

cooking is when they are soft and tender.

Check with the tip of a knife

Roasting and Baking

■ Mealy potatoes are ideal for baking

■ Use a fork to pierce the skin

■ Cooked in dry heat

■ A correctly cooked potato should be white and fluffy

not yellowish or soggy

■ A true baked potato is not wrapped in foil or

microwaved because then it is being steamed

Baking En Casserole

■ Potatoes are sliced

■ Added to a baking pan and covered with sauce

■ And Bake

■ Example is scalloped potatoes

Sautéing and pan-frying

■ Waxy potatoes such as red and white skinned

varieties

■ Shredded or sliced potatoes are added to a small

amount of fat

Deep-frying

■ Top quality russet potatoes are recommended for

deep-fat frying

■ Peeled potatoes should be soaked in clear, cold

water until ready to cook.

■ This keeps them crisp

Boiling

■ Waxy potatoes are best for all moist-heat cooking methods

■ Potatoes are boiled in water, stock or milk

■ Always begin cooking in cold water

■ Cut potatoes into uniform pieces to promote even cooking

■ Pieces shouldn’t be too small because they become soggy

■ COVER with water

■ Cook until tender

■ Drain

GRAINS■ Botanically, grains are grasses that bear edible seeds

■ Most common grains are wheat, corn, oats and rice

Grain Kernel

There are 3 parts to a kernel

Bran-outer covering that is brown high in fiber

and B1, B2, and niacin vitamins

Endosperm- the center, the largest part that is

milled into flour is high in carbohydrates and

protein

Germ-contains fat and thiamin

Corn■ Cornmeal-is made by drying and grinding corn known as dent. It is

used in breads, coating for fried food

■ Hominy-dried corn that is soaked in hydrated lime or lye

Hominy is available dried, cooked or canned, It is used in stews, soups or

side dishes

■ Grits-are made by grinding dried hominy. They are used as a hot

breakfast cereal

Ricelong-grain, medium-grained and short grained

■ Brown rice-the bran is attached

■ White rice-bran removed and polished

■ Converted rice-is parboiled to remove the surface starch

and forces nutrients into endosperm

■ Instant or quick-cooking rice- rice is fully cooked and then

flash-freezing. This removes some of the nutrients and

flavor

■ Wild Rice-isn’t truly a rice but a reedlike aquatic plant. It is

dark brown or black

Types of Rice

Cooking Rice

■ Do not rinse rice it washes away nutrients

■ The standard ratio when cooking rice is two parts

water to one part rice.

■ Add rice to pan with water, boil then simmer for

approximately 20 minutes

Wheatis most often milled into flour

■ Cracked wheat-is the whole wheat kernel broken into varying degrees

of coarseness.

It must be soaked for several hours before cooking

■ Bulgur- is a wheat berry with the bran removed, it is steam-cooked,

dried and ground into a varying degree of coarseness. Used in stews

or pilafs

■ Couscous- the endosperm is steamed, pressed to form tiny pellets and

dried

Other grains

Barley- is used to feed animals, but some is in stew or

soups

Buckwheat/Kasha- it really isn’t a grain but rather a fruit

but it is prepared like grains

Millet- is a high protein cereal grain with bland, nutty

flavor

Oats- are consumed as breakfast cereal, muffins,

cookies and other baked goods

Quinoa-cooked like rice, a gluten-free product

Nutritional Value

■Grains are high in carbohydrate,

vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber

Storing Grains

■ Store in an airtight containers, placed in a

cool, dark dry place

Whole grains need to be stored in the

refrigerator

Cooking Grains

■ The basic way to cook

grains is to simmer

and Cook until tender

In general they are fully

cooked when almost all

the water is absorbed

Pastamade from unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with

liquid

■ The most common liquid is eggs or water

■ Dough can be colored with pureed vegetables like carrots and spinach

■ Dough can be cooked while still moist and pliable or dried

Pasta Shapes

Pasta preparation

■ Pasta can be prepared by hand or by a pasta

machine

Pasta■ Fresh pasta is cooked in 3-5 minutes

■ Dry pasta is cooked in 6-12 minutes, depending on

thickness

■ Pasta is cooked using the boiling method

– It is important to use ample water!

– Allow one gallon per each pound of pasta

– Add salt for flavor

– Add oil to prevent sticking together

Al Dente’

■ To cook pasta until

it is firm to the bite

■ Literally means “to

the tooth”