This is a management task!
Recipe & Product Development Practical Planner
The sheets contain the following sections and here are some supporting notes before you get started.
Recipe Name, Source & page number
When you start a product/recipe development activity you will have to research cookery books,
magazines and the internet for ideas. Always write down where you got the recipe from so you
can find it again if you need to. Try and use recipes that come from reliable sources and do not
contain too many ingredients. Copy the recipe from the book to paper so you can take into the
kitchen with you or made photocopy. Taking glossy books into the kitchen is not a good idea as they can easily get damaged.
Practical sessions at school may not be very long and you need to make sure you can be
successful in the time you have. If you know its only 45 minutes lesson don't try and make a
casserole that takes 2 hrs to cook unless you have an arrangement with your food technology
teacher to come back at lunchtime or the end of school. You also need to think about how you
are going to transport something like that home especially if it's hot. Tick this off the checklist
given once you have made sure that your chosen recipe meets your needs.
Time plan
We all time plan often without realising it but to be successful cooking in a short given period of time you have to identify how long each element will take. This is essential for two reasons:
- For you to have enough time to make your recipe and finish it
- For cooking to be fun
Many people find cooking to be a fun relaxing activity and cook as often as they can. Others
find it to be stressful and time consuming. It can be both of these but organisation is the key.
Mise en Place
First choose a recipe and read it carefully. It should have been written in a logical sequence
that is easy to follow. Not all recipes do this well, so reading through carefully is essential. If the
preparation method for each ingredient has not been given next to it, write this yourself on your
kitchen copy so you know exactly what you have to do before you start to cook. Chefs call this
'Mise en place' which is French for 'setting in place'. You will often see TV chefs with their
ingredients in little bowls already measured out before they start to cook. It's a really good
philosophy to use otherwise you may not be able to complete the work you have started as a key ingredient or piece of equipment is not available.
Make yourself a time plan for your practical session using the recipe as a framework. Gather
and prepare all your ingredients before you start. Always make sure you leave enough time to
clear up which should be done as you cook and never left for anyone else.
Tip
Only choose recipes that match your practical time
Recipe Evaluation
This task should be carried out as soon after the practical session as possible so you can still remember what you did.
Checklist
Go through the recipe –
Did you record all the changes you made? If you forgot try and do it as accurately as you can now.
How do you feel about the recipe? Do you think it worked?
Analyse the following:
Did the changes you make work?
Are there further changes you could make to improve the result?
For example:
- To make it lower in fat /to make it lower in salt / to make it lower in sugar;
- To make it taste better – more flavourful/spicier/sweeter;
- To improve the texture – more/less crunchy/gooey/creamy/silky/crispier/crumbly/melt in mouth;
- Appearance – was it attractive / tempting or do you need to improve this aspect.
Refer back to what you were trying to achieve and whether you were successful
Is it worth continuing with this recipe you have or trying another – think carefully about:
- the original source (cookbook, recipe column, magazine) it came from;
- was it tried and tested by the publication / author.
Remember if you follow a published recipe and don't make any changes that is not product or recipe development it's cooking by following a recipe which is a skill in itself. It is an excellent starting point for novice cooks who need to gain confidence in the kitchen. If you are making something for the first time use a classic recipe from a reliable source, follow it without changing anything. Once you know how the recipe works you can start experimenting!
Active Kids Get Cooking 2006