Pasta and eggs

Pasta is a mild-flavored flour and water product that was probably developed when other people had to find uses for food stuffs they had on hand

Usually, vegetable purees and other flavors such as curry or sesame are added as well

Western pasta is made with water and hart durum winter wheat flour, which is rich in gluten and “stronger” than ordinary flour

Semolina is fine milled from durum wheat. One of the coarser grinds of this wheat, it makes pasta that stays whole in boiling water and lends itself to diverse shapes.

Preparing fresh pasta

Facilities:

Be sure that you have plenty of work space. Use a counter or table that is the right height for you to mix and knead the dough. Avoid plastic or laminated surfaces-the dough will stick to them. Keep the work surface clean by scraping off bits of sticky dough, and keep it lightly floured.

To store pasta, while it is drying out and resting, empty a counter and cover it with clean, lightly floured kitchen towels. Leave room to set out the rolled-out dough and finished cut pasta

Equipment:

To prepare the dough you need a fork, measuring cups and spoons. Mix the dough in a large stainless steel bowl or directly on the counter or table top. To roll out the dough, either a rolling pin or a pasta machine. The rolling pins used in Italy are long; thin ones (sold in this country as “French rolling” pins). A long pin will roll out more dough, but a regular rolling pin will also do very well. Use the machine or a sharp knife to cut the rolled-out dough into noodle strips. Dry out the ready noodles by placing them on the kitchen towels, as described above.

It takes a very large kettle to cook pasta. Because you will have to fill it with water and lift it, choose a kettle that is not very heavy in itself. To drain the pasta use a colander or a spoon shaped pasta rake.

How much dry pasta to cook:

Macaroni and spaghetti approximately double in volume while cooking; egg noodles remain about the same. When a pasta product is used for the main dish, allow 2 ounces of uncooked product per serving. The following chart should give you a quantity guide:

Product

Dry

Cooked

Elbow macaroni

2 cups

4-1/2 cups

Spaghetti

2 cups

4-1/2 cups

Egg noodles

4 cups

4 cups

Mass production of pasta:

The modern pasta plant is almost completely automated. Semolina, farina, or other high quality hard wheat flour is purchased in bulk and arrives by rail in air slide cars. A pneumatic unloading system transfers it to bulk storage bins, which automatically stop loading when they are full. A second pneumatic transfer system moves the flour to press bins for mixing with water.

The dough is kneaded, and then forced by presses through dies (metal disc with holes). Dies can make as many as 325 different shapes of pasta.

Drying is the most critical part in manufacturing pasta. The pasta is automatically conveyed to drying units. Longer products, such as spaghetti, are hung on rods, elbow macaroni and other short products are spread on a belt. The air temperature must be determined accurately for each product. If drying is too fast, the pasta will break and crack easily; if drying is to slow, the product can spoil.

EGGS

Grade and size

Most eggs are sold graded from freshness and size according to USDA standards. The process of grading for freshness is known as candling, which entails placing the egg in front of every strong light beam in a darkened room. Twirling the egg in front of the light makes it possible to judge the thickness of the white, the size and position of the yolk and the size of the air cell.

The freshest egg has a thick white that supports the rounded, firm yolk and a small air cell.

Freshness of an egg refers to its quality, not its age. The freshest eggs are grade “AA”, followed by “A” and “B”. The color of the eggs is also classified according to the size and weight. (See chart)

Egg sizes and weight

Classification weight per Doz.

Jumbo………………30 oz

Extra large………….27 oz

Large……………….24 oz

Medium…………….21 oz

Small……………….18 oz

Peewee…………….15oz

When eggs are graded, the carton or case receives a label that indicates the grade (freshness) and size. Although quality and size are both marked on the carton, they are not interrelated – that is, the largest eggs are not necessarily of the best quality. Eggs of any size may be in any of the three grades.

Market forms of eggs:

Fresh:

Fresh or shell eggs are used most often in a food service operation.

Frozen: [frozen eggs are available in the following forms]

· Whole eggs

· Whites

· Yolks

· Whole eggs with extra yolks

Dried: [dried eggs are available in the following forms]

· Whole

· Yolks

· Whites [albumen]

Eggs: Quality and storage

Proper storage essential for maintaining quality. Eggs keep for weeks if held at 36°F, but they lose quality quickly if held in room temperature. In fact, they can lose a full grade in one day at warm temperatures. There is no point in paying for grade “AA” if they are ”A” by the time you are using them.

Store eggs away from other foods that might pass on undesirable flavors or odors.

Nutritional contribution:

The nutrients in eggs are so well balanced that they can be rated with milk as a nearly perfect food.

Eggs make important contributions to nutritional needs. The yolk is a rich source of nutrients and contains more vitamins and minerals than the white; it also contains some fat. However, yolk and white are most often used together and thus the nutrient values are usually considered for the whole egg, and not the yolk or white alone

Protein:

Eggs, like milk, contain complete protein, which is needed for growth and for repair of body tissues. Most of the protein is found in the whites. With their high quality, eggs can be used as substitute for meat.

vitamins:

The yolk contains most f the vitamins found in the egg.

The white contains only riboflavin. The yolk contains vitamins “A” and “D”; it is a good source of vitamin “B2” and a fair source of vitamin “B1”; and it contains a trace of niacin. Eggs are also an important source of vitamin “D”, a nutrient not found in most other foods.

Minerals:

The most important minerals provided by eggs are iron and phosphorus, found only in the yolk. Iron is not widely distributed in foods; in addition to eggs, it is in meats and green leafy vegetables.

Iron is essential for the formation of hemoglobin, the red pigment of the blood. Hemoglobin carries oxygen to the cells and carries dioxide away to be eliminated. When there are too few red blood cells, a condition called anemia develops. Because of eggs are such an important source of iron and thus a booster of hemoglobin, they help prevent anemia

Comparative nutritive value

One cooked EGG

One prepared BEEF

Protein gm

6.0

7.8

Calcium mg

25.0

3.0

Iron mg

1.3

1.0

Vitamin “A” [iu]

538.

0

Thiamine mg

0.04

0.02

Ascorbic acid mg

0

0

Riboflavin mg

0.13

0.06

Functions in cookery:

• To add nutrients:
  • This is one of the most important functions of eggs because of their nutrient content
• To improve color:
  • Flavor and texture of food products. Most foods simply taste better when eggs are added
• To thicken:
  • And bind food together or coat foods for frying. When eggs are heated, the protein will coagulate and become firm.
• For an leavening agent:
  • When egg white is beaten it forms a foam that holds large quantity of air. When the foam is heated the air bubbles expand, the egg white stretches and then the egg coagulates to give a light, porous structure to the product
• For an emulsifying agent:
  • The egg yolk has emulsifying properties because its protein can surround tiny globules of oil and keep them from separating. Eggs ACCT as an emulsifying agent in many foods like cakes, popovers and mayonnaise, etc

Preparation and uses of eggs

During cooking eggs coagulate; the degree will depend on the temperature and cooking time. Eggs may coagulate only slightly, as in an soft boiled egg, or more completely, as an hard boiled egg. When eggs are used alone or as the principle ingredient, it is important to use eggs of high quality.

Different ways of cooking eggs:

• eggs cooked in the shell
  • soft – medium – hard
• poached eggs
• eggs fried to order
  • Sunnyside up – over easy – medium – hard – basted
• scrambled eggs
• omelets