The art of combining the raw vegetables/fish or meat along with the necessary spices and salt to add flavor at the proper heat and temperature to bring about an edible end product is called Cooking. This process includes a number of techniques along with many variants which alter the food to make it tasty and digestible to the human body. It is not always necessary to cook food with heat but when cooked with heat and temperature the food chemically changes which in turn brings a flavor, color, texture and also adds to the nutritive value of the food.
The Effects Of Cooking
This art of cooking helps the human body to keep away from infections and bad health which otherwise would have taken place on the consumption of raw food. Cereals and food grains which are very raw are made soft and digestible with the help of cooking. But care should be taken while cooking as bad cooking can make the palate totally forbidden by the person as it loses its appearance and necessary flavor along with the nutrients.
Some of the foods have amino acids within themselves. When proteins are heated they change their original property and nature. This at times helps the food to become light which is good for health. In some cases the change can be different as it happens with the white of the egg which curdles. But the same gives a proper shapes and acts as an important factor like it happens when you prepare cake with the white of the egg which acts as a medium. This same medium is also used in many a sweets preparation depending on the topping of the dessert.
Food Safety Should Be A Matter Of Our Concern
The cutting boards used should be kept clean as they are the base ground for breeding bacteria. It has been found that plastic cutting boards are more reliable as they tend to have fewer holes which can cultivate bacteria. There has been a controversy and some still believe that wooden cutting boards are better. Whether it is wooden or plastic cutting board it is always better to wash and keep it dry after use for hygienic purposes especially after cutting meat, seafood or a domestic fowl.
To keep the board clean use hot water with some soap and finally rinsing it with some antibacterial cleanser. A tablespoon of dilute bleach mixed with a gallon of water is said to be safe but some experts believe it can spoil some food and avoid using it. All these are basically done to keep the cooking equipments with hygiene so as to avoid sickness as far as possible.
The Science of Cooking
Molecular Gastronomy is the name given to the scientific experience of cooking and gastronomy. This is another branch of food science. Many a scientists, cooks and writers have given their contribution in this field. Here are to name a few – HerveThis (chemist), NicholasKurti(physicist), PeterBarham (physicist), Harold Mc Gee(writers), Shirley Cohrieer(biochemist, writers), Heston Bluemental(cooks), Ferran Adria (cooks), Robert Wolke (chemist, writers) and Pierre Gagnaire (cooks).