Beans that are brightly colored and crisp are the best to select.
Broccoli heads that are light green and yellowing should be avoided.
Cabbage should have bright leaves without brown spots.
Cauliflower with withered leaves and brown spots should not be chosen.
Celery stalks should have firm crisp ribs.
Cucumbers should be firm and not have soft spots.
Peas that are shriveled or have brown spots should be avoided.
Peppers that are crisp and bright colored should be chosen.
Spinach leaves should be crisp and free of moisture.Take the time to talk to the people in the produce department at the supermarket. They will be able to
tell you when the trucks come to the store so that you will know when the freshest products are put out
on the shelves.
Cooking Terms and Techniques
Success in the kitchen starts with an understanding of cooking vocabulary, and good technique is the
key to cooking a great restaurant-quality meal.
Most ingredients are cut into smaller pieces before being used in a recipe. Sometimes you want the
pieces uniform in shape and size; other times it doesn't matter. Here are the basic cutting techniques.
Chopping refers to simply cutting into smaller pieces. It's a larger cut than a dice or a mince and
doesn't have to be uniform. To chop vegetables, keep the tip of the chef's knife on the cutting board
and cut uniformly down through the vegetable with a rocking motion. Feed the item being chopped
toward the blade, keeping your fingers curled tight.
Dicing is a cube that is usually ¼ ′′–¾′′ square. To dice something, cut it into panels in the
thickness you want your dice to be. Stack the panels and cut uniform matchsticks in the width you
want your dice to be. Then line your sticks and cut them into a dice.
Mincing is a very thin cut of food. To mince, chop it roughly on a cutting board. Gather up the
pieces in a pile. Position your knife above the pile. Keeping the tip touching the cutting board,
repeatedly raise and lower the length of the blade down through whatever you're mincing, moving the
blade in an arc.