Chapter 1

Generalities about cooking

1. Origin of gastronomy and culinary art

 Gastronomy is the set of rules that define the art of making a good
meal. These rules combine the art of properly preparing meals, selecting
products and to taste them as well. The etymology of the word gastronomy comes from Greek
gaster = the belly, the stomach and nomos = the law. Gastronomy is
literally the art of settling the stomach1

In the 20th century, gastronomy is defined as a way, often

elitist, to cook and taste food. It has been claimed that the art of
preparing a meal is that of a cook and the art of enjoying it well is that of
gourmet

Today, gastronomy is gradually being considered as one of the

components of culture. It is the synthesis of know-how and traditions,
and it constitutes an intangible heritage.

Gastronomy is becoming the subject of studies and scientific research in

the whole world. For some people, gastronomy is a luxury due to the prices
to high-end restaurants. To be a foodie, one does not need
of silver. Gastronomy also involves simple products and recipes of
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everyday experiences that can contribute to taste education

Culinary diversity varies according to regions, nations,

epochs and modes. The differences are related to food resources.
locales and sociocultural principles, for example religion, social origin,
education, financial resources.

2. Brief history of French gastronomy and its evolution

French cuisine has evolved enormously over the centuries, in

In this part, we will address the key points in the progress of cooking.
French.

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In the same place

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 Throughout all time, man had to eat to survive, so he
went through several stages:

2.1. Cro-Magnon Man

First discovery: fire

Thanks to fire, man was able to grill and roast the products of hunting and ...
fishing.

Second discovery: fermentation

The discovery of fermentation has revolutionized eating habits.

. It is primarily a means of preservation.

. It transforms the taste and texture of food.
. It allows for the transition from dry biscuits to soft bread.

With fruits or cereals, alcoholic beverages were created. With milk

the fermentation of cheeses has been able to be carried out.

2.2. Middle Ages

This period is characterized by:

. A limited number of techniques.

. Four cooking methods are known:
Roasting, poaching, braising, frying.
. The sauces were made from liquids with acidic flavors.
and vinaigrettes, bound with soaked bread or egg yolk.
2.3. Renaissance
. The Renaissance brought us the renewal of the table.
. The range of products is expanding with the arrival of
Sicilian artichokes, American cardoons, the corn of
Peru, the Jerusalem artichokes from across the Atlantic, the tomatoes,

peppers, beans, potatoes, coffee, chocolate, who

 . transiting through Spain and Italy3

3. Development of agriculture

It is thanks to Olivier de Serre (agronomist), who through his research

discoveries, was the richest agricultural operator of the time.

4. Evolution of the equipment

The chef of Pope Peter V revolutionized the equipment of kitchens.

the time saying that the kitchen should preferably be placed in a location
distant and reserved from the public. It must be built on flat land, especially
well-ventilated, cheerful and well-distributed with wide chimneys, tables and blocks.

The goods must be stored on shelves and the meat hung up.
hooks.

17th Century
During this time, the birth of haute cuisine occurred through:
Creation of juices and sauces that become the ancestors of
our funds.
Development of foams.
Birth of stews and sauces.

18th century
During this period, known as the time of:
Cuisine and alchemy, or there was the discovery of the
the phenomenon of osmosis (ôsmose), Brillat-Savarin said that
The Amazon praises the quality of good soups.
Food trades are restructuring

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 The butchers had the right to kill, to market the
fallen trees.

The tripe vendors sold the offal bought from the butchers

Butchers sold pork or other meat in the form of

charcuterie, but are not allowed to kill the pigs.

Caterers offered all kinds of cooked meats

in the form of stews accompanied by sauces.

The roasters are authorized to sell roasted meat. But

definitely not stews or anything else.4

Birth of the word restaurant

The use of the word restaurant dates back to 1765, by Mr.

Baker said fields of birds where he served restaurants? "On his door a
the sign said, come all to me, you whose stomach cries out in misery, I will give you
would restore

19th Century
. Golden Age of French Gastronomy

This period is known for:

Birth of cast iron stoves.

Discovery by Ferdinand Carré of the first machine to produce

artificial ice.
The foams of the 19th century are at the top of the poster, Carême, Dubois,
Gouffé establishes the principles, refines them.

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 The hot dishes, the decor of which goes in a double sense, it raises the
dish while crowning it.
. Emergence of food agronomy

The greatest revolution of this century remains the technological revolution by

the invention of canned food by Nicolas Appert, of margarine, of sugar
beetroot and powdered soups.

These discoveries were all made for military needs.

20th Century

Birth of tourism

At the end of the 19th century, the Côte d'Azur is discovered, people go to the thermal springs, the high

society is seen in the most beautiful palaces, it's the beginning of the
genuine hotel industry.

Auguste Escoffier codifies cuisine and adds the final touches to

the building constructed by Carême, Gouffé, Dubois, and Bernard.
The new cuisine
Birth of light cooking or return to nature.
A reversal of customs will gradually be established by alleviating the
sauces, presentation, cooking.
It is under the impetus of Michel Gérard that the said new one is born.
cuisine. The change in behavior of cooks since the years
1970 brings a food reversal5
Renaissance of the cooking profession

The merit of the cooking profession goes to Mr. Paul Bocuse, as he knew how to...
his sense of communication to promote French culinary knowledge in the
whole world.

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This 20th century, through consecration, research, and rigor, has revealed to
the extent of men's knowledge, particularly French, in the field
culinary. But

This knowledge has a downside, the production costs, therefore productivity, which has
allowed financiers to open a new form of catering, the
fast food.

Future generations will have the right to look behind them, but will have
does it allow us to maintain our culinary traditions for a long time? This,
The future will tell us.6

Cousin
Definition

The kitchen is the set of techniques for preparing food in order to

their consumption by human beings. The cuisine is diverse across the
world, fruit of local natural resources, but also of culture and
beliefs, the improvement of techniques, exchanges between peoples and
cultures.

Cooking has thus transcended its simple biological imperative of nourishment to

become a corpus of more or less sophisticated techniques, a cultural fact, a
element

of heritage and national or family identity, an element of systems of

value, but also a subject of study for social sciences and sociology,
see an issue of policy and public health.7

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 Typology of kitchens

Each people, nation or civilization has developed, based on resources

local natural characteristics as well as the character of each society, of the evolution

social, traditions, interactions, different cuisines. The

movements of people throughout History have caused mixtures and
evolutions of cooking. By

For example, European cuisine has been enriched by the contributions of the Crusaders.
return from the Crusades and, overwhelmed by the
returned products

D’Amérique aux XVe et XVIe siècles, qui sont rentrés dans la tradition
European (tomato, turkey, potato, etc.). With colonization
quasi-global European standard of the late 19th century, the standard of cuisine
European cuisine seemed to assert itself. By the end of the 20th century, kitchens had

mixed from contributions of

Whole world (world Food) while the major non-European cuisines have
in turn penetrated the Western countries (Moroccan cuisine, Caribbean cuisine,
Mexican cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Indian cuisine, Japanese cuisine, etc.

Historical cuisine

From the texts preserved or copied since Antiquity, from the objects
found during archaeological excavations and, more recently thanks to the
carpology, we can learn about the cuisine of the peoples of the
prehistory, protohistory, Antiquity __ especially in Egypt
antique, ancient Greece and ancient Rome - and Europeans in the Middle Ages.
The recreations of recipes from
Such mets as they existed at the time are part of what has been called, in the 20th
century, the "historical cuisine".

So-called traditional cuisine

Traditional cuisine is the preparation of dishes in accordance with the

agricultural production, therefore culinary tradition, of a valley, of a region,
of a country.

It consists, in a place, of preparing food products from

terroir and seasonal corresponding to this said place in so-called classic recipes
more or less complex (e.g.: veal Marengo, Auvergne stew,
ratatouille in summer, charcuterie in winter...). This cuisine is practiced in the
households, in commercial dining places aiming to be traditional,
but also by certain fast food chains.

In terms of professional catering, traditional cuisine indicates that

all operations (from receiving raw materials to table service)

They take place in a unit of time, location, and action. On-site cooking is one of them.
the synonymous term.

Gourmet cuisine

If this cuisine is often expensive, it is because it is the symbol of a

quality restoration. It is supposed to use exclusively raw products
freshly sourced, and often so-called noble products (e.g.: truffle, caviar,
foie gras, etc.). It is often served as part of a "tasting" menu that
propose to

Enjoy many dishes served in limited quantities to allow you to...

tasting a wide sampling without reaching fullness beforehand
end of service.

New cuisine

The term 'new cuisine', used as early as the 18th century to translate the
rejection of old traditions, reappears in 1973 in the article "Long live the new"
French cuisine from the New Gault and Millau Guide.8

The New Cuisine emphasizes short cooking times and light sauces;
reject spices and marinades that can mask the flavor of the products; similarly
Does she challenge the now stereotypical association of products (meat and wine)?
red, fish and white wine, etc.); it advocates inventiveness regarding the use of
new products, regarding cooking methods and presentation.

Elle connait des détracteurs dans le grand public qui juge souvent les portions
too congruous, but influences the evolution of gastronomy in the world.

Molecular cuisine

Molecular cuisine studies the elemental matter composing the ingredients,

to optimize the chemical reactions that occur through mixtures, the
cooking, the sizes, the macerations, etc. It aims to use what is done
chemically the kitchen to better master it.

Examples

Cooking an egg at the exact temperature of protein denaturation to not

cook until white;

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Instant sorbet fabrication by dipping fruit juices in nitrogen
liquid.

Once the chemical principle is written and the aromatic bases identified, the recipe
can be reproduced exactly without any study or particular know-how.

In theory, the industry should be able to extract textures and aromas.

basic elements to compete with great chefs and offer compositions
synthetic products perfected in cocktails better than the products
origin costs. The problem of preserving perishable goods will be
resolved by aromatic extraction at source.9

4. Chef profession

Profession

Placed at the heart of a brigade, the cook has the choice of weapons and stoves:
traditional or corporate restaurant, cafeteria or canteen (Figure 1).

Her mission is unique: to delight the customers. In the kitchen, the team is called the
brigade. This term reflects the hierarchical organization that prevails in the kitchen,
indispensable to face the 'fire shots': mealtime.10

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 Figure 1. Tasting by the chef
Imagination, physical endurance, availability in time

The cook prepares the menu, designs the recipes, and creates the dishes. Before...
put on the 'piano' (the stoves), he chooses the products, calculates the
quantities, sometimes negotiates with suppliers. He prepares the ingredients and
make help for

The peeling, the preparation of meats, fish, but also for

the preparation of sauces, fillings, the production of the dish, the dessert, the control
cooking, stews. He alone takes on the most tasks.
complex and creative: the right combination of aromas and flavors,
presentation that whets the appetite. The chef is also asked to have a
developed sensitivity. Particularly in gourmet catering,
The profession is creative and avoids routine.

At the end of the shift, depending on the size of the company, he participates in the cleaning up.

cleaning, to the control of food preservation and hygiene of

material.

Working standing up, handling loads, being exposed to heat, are the
main characteristics of the profession. The pace of work accelerates during peak hours.
meals. Depending on the workplace, evenings can be long: you have to
quickly know what needs to be done and not let stress take over
ambient. Jacket, pants, and hat, work clothes are mandatory. And
The essential hygiene rules to know are strict.

The legal working time is 39 hours. The maximum time span of

11 hours per day and entitles to time off. The workday is often
organized with breaks: starting in the morning around 8 AM or 9 AM until the end
the service with an interruption in the afternoon. The resumption takes place in the evening around
18 hours until the end of the service, with the closing time depending on the attendance and habits.

of the clientele.

Note that the cook also works irregular hours: at the time when everyone...

The world eats, late at night, on Sundays, on holidays, during vacations.

This offset is often compensated by bonuses or recovery days.

There are also restaurants and breweries open only at lunchtime or in the evening,

Or still closed on weekends.

Traditional cook, collective catering.

The image of this profession is often associated with that of the cook who practices

in traditional cuisine. However, company cafeterias and restaurants

also work with so-called collective cooks. The
schedules are more regular, positions more stable as they are less subject to
seasonal hires. Unlike traditional catering, the
the legal duration of working time is 35 hours. The work of the cook
the community is somewhat different, as it uses more of
Products from the agri-food industry. Presented in a form that
facilitates storage, preservation, and quick cooking, they leave less
give space to imagination. But to please the children of the cafeterias or to
residents of nursing homes while ensuring them a balanced meal
give a social fiber to the profession.11

It should be noted that collective catering is in full development:

business restaurants, health establishments, schools concede their
catering activity at
Groups.
. New techniques, new products

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 The new preservation and cooking techniques as well as the
latest products offered by the agri-food industry, influence on
the organization of work and the completion of certain tasks. Prepared in advance
ready-to-use, vacuum-packed, freeze-dried, it is necessary to know how to assemble the products,

learn new cooking techniques and use the appropriate equipment. The
development of "cold cuisine" (based on frozen products or
Reheating) modifies culinary practices.

These changes affect all types of catering and lead to

greater versatility of cooks. The diversity of types of
restoration develops positions where the cook is both in the kitchen and "in
outside. Thus, he can manage the service teams and the next moment be in
direct contact with the client. He must be able to adapt and have skills
relational.12

Quality of the Cook

. Generality

The future chef who hopes to quickly climb the various ranks of the

The profession will have to develop, in addition to its practical know-how, certain
qualities.13

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CLEANLINESS The restaurant professions require cleanliness.

Impeccable in body and attire.

ORDER Be organized, have a method, tidy up and clean.

TASTE
 Being able to discern and associate different flavors.

/É/MURN
It is necessary in the interest and for the safety of
everyone.

RAPIDITY Learn to work well, then do it quickly.

INITIATIVE
Knowing how to make decisions at the right time.

CREATIVITY

Having an artistic sense for presentation and

composition.

ECONOMY
Handle the products with care. Avoid wasting them.

RESPECT
Accepting that others are different Being at
customer service
 5. Kitchen Staff

Brigade

Definition

The entire staff working in a kitchen constitutes a brigade.

(Figure 2).

The composition and importance of a brigade vary according to the class of

the establishment and the number of meals to be served.14

Figure 2. Personnel of a kitchen brigade.15

Composition of a Brigade

The brigade is composed of personnel structured according to the following hierarchy:

THE CHEF

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2016. p10
He places the orders, does the shopping, and checks the quality, engages his

Personnel, leads the training of clerks and apprentices, composes the menu and the
small and takes care of part of the management.

THE SECOND
Position generally held by the saucier chef or the pantry chef.

THE SAUCER THE FISHMONGER

He prepares: The funds and He prepares: The fish,
base sauces, the meats the mollusks and the
in sauce and the dish of the day, shellfish, the toppings of
various toppings. fish

THE ROTISSERIE THE PANTRY

He prepares: all the food He is in charge of all the

cold preparations, He
Roasted, grilled, and fried.
control and supply
the cold rooms.

The vegetable chef THE PASTRY CHEF

He prepares the soups, the He prepares the pastry.
vegetables and side dishes.
The ice creams, the desserts on
plate, the petits fours and
mignardises.
All these heads of departments are assisted by:

The Clerk: Depending on the size of the brigade, one can find several

Comm.

The kitchen helper: They are unskilled workers. They are responsible

Peeling, washing the vegetables, preparing the fish, and cleaning the premises.

The apprentice: They go through all the parts during their training.
The battery diver: He washes and maintains the battery and the equipment.

In small establishments, he replaces the kitchen boy.

The dishwasher: He washes and maintains the cutlery, the plates and the

Dishes.