Introduction

Recipe standardization is one of the tools for quality and quantity assurance in food service establishments. As a tool for continuous improvement of the standards of the foods served, standardization is highly needed especially in large quantity food preparation for a standardized recipe is already a tested recipe that would give consistent results as to the quality and quantity(Perdigon, 1989).

Using standardized recipes in food service has the advantages of (1)assuring the management of a uniform quality product following standards in quantity and quality of ingredients, as well as the methods and techniques, (2) insuring accurate production of quantities required (yield) thus preventing under or overproduction that may affect costs, (3) serving as a good basis for requisitioning and costing in terms of ingredients used, (4) way of saving time, money and effort, and (5) sparing the management from the dependence on the decisions of the cook and/or changes in assignments of the kitchen personnel(Perdigon, 1989).

In addition, professional cooking in food service management should be based on procedures and methods rather than only on recipes oron the cook's judgment;hence, even the methods and procedures should also be standardized.recipe verification, creating or deciding on the recipe, preparing it, verifying the yield, and then recording changes are the stepsdone. Meanwhile, inproduct evaluation, the focus is on determining the acceptability of the product produced from the recipe by asking a panel to rate and evaluate it, and then process the results to make the necessary adjustments. On the other hand, duringquantity adjustment, changes in the recipe yield and ingredient amounts to produce less or more servings are taken. Either the factor method that makes use of a formula, or just the mere use of conversion charts are employed in recipe quantification.

The recipe standardization process can be summarized in three phases: recipe verification, product evaluation, and quantity adjustment (National Food Service Management Institute, n.d.). Inrecipe verification, creating or deciding on the recipe, preparing it, verifying the yield, and then recording changes are the stepsdone. Meanwhile, inproduct evaluation, the focus is on determining the acceptability of the product produced from the recipe by asking a panel to rate and evaluate it, and then process the results to make the necessary adjustments. On the other hand, duringquantity adjustment, changes in the recipe yield and ingredient amounts to produce less or more servings are taken. Either the factor method that makes use of a formula, or just the mere use of conversion charts are employed in recipe quantification.

In the context ofemergency feedingin a disaster-stricken country like the Philippines, theideal mass production setting for food service mayvarythan in production just at home.There are added points that must be considered. In emergency-situations, there is a need toimmediatelyproduce food that is appropriateto the target group, nutritionally adequate,andcan be preparedconsistentlywith the available resources. Another important factor is that the dish should beeasilytransported using the appropriate packagingthat is spill-proofwhile simultaneouslypreserve thefoodsoptimum qualityto be able tosatisfynotjust the hunger of the disaster or displacedvictims, but alsoto boost theirmoraleas well.

After the standardization process,thecorrect and final amount,quality and market formof ingredients,theproportion of the elementsin the dish,appropriate cooking equipment,best cooking techniques to employ,theefficient task distribution and managementand the appropriate packaging material to useshouldalreadybedetermined, practiced and established. It is of prime importance that these critical points have been answered satisfactorily in order to successfully quantify the food in 25 and 50 servings.

For the elderly target group, Malunggay Pancit with Puto was the dish decided by the group to prepare (refer to the methods part for therationalizationon choosing the recipe). Malunggay Pancit includes food groups of carbohydrates mainly from the noodles, proteins from the meat sources, and vegetables from the vegetable toppings or components of the dish.

Traditionally, Pancit is cooked by first cooking the meat and vegetableingredients together followed by the addition of the noodles with the usage of a broth to consistently keep the moisture that is just enough to prevent drying and just enough as well to avoidthe over hydration or sogginess of the noodles.

The dry heat and the moist-heat method are both employed in cooking the Malunggay Pancit. Dry heat method is the cooking method without moisture, where hot air, radiation or hot fat is used to cook. Dry-heat method was employed in cooking the tofu and braising the meats where they are fried first to render the fat, before the broth was added to tenderize the meat.

Meanwhile, the moist heat method is employed where heat is conducted to the food product by water or water-based liquids such as thechicken stock, andthe oil andsoy sauce mixtureused in cooking.Moist-heat was utilized in tenderizing the meat after they were fried, as well as in cooking in the vegetables and the noodles.

Factors such asbrowning the meat, fat rendering for flavors,tenderness of the meats, crispness of the vegetablesand the firmness of the noodles must be considered in cooking, hence the combination of the two methods were more appropriate to use. Cooking the Pancit in quantityhas to be done by separatelycooking the meat andvegetable ingredientsfrom the noodles. This is necessaryin order to ensurethatthemeatwas allowed to braiseuntiltender and moist, while the noodles werecookeduntilsoft yet firm ensuring thatthe flavor is evenly distributed.

In a large quantity, it will be difficult to control portion size, consistent flavor and the even distribution of ingredients if the Pancit ingredients will be cooked altogether. Hence, the meats (chicken, pork and pork liver) were braised first until they are tender and have absorbed the broth and flavorings before the vegetables were added. Separately, the noodles were cooked by simmering them in a proportionate amount of broth that will be absorbed by the noodles until they are soft and moist.

Meanwhile, the Puto should be steamed (moist-heat method) where the batter is exposed to steam until it has risen, became firm and opaque. In quantity cooking, steaming is usually done in special steam cookers, which are designed to accept standard-sized pans. Steaming can also be done on a rack above boiling water, a method that is more cumbersome and is used only occasionally in food service. For this activity, the special leveled steam rack was utilized where water was allowed to boil at 100oC normal pressure, and at the lowest compartment for the source of steam that will cook the Puto batters placed in the upper levels of the rack. Of course, in all endeavors concerning food handling, safety practices must be undertaken. For example, in quantification where there are large quantities of different ingredients to be handled, cross contamination should be minimized as much as possible by delegating certain areas for meat, perishables, and dry goods handling. Similarly, the proper attire for the food preparers should be worn, including hairnets, aprons, gloves, and face masks or mouth guards, so as to protect the food from physical hazards as well. Proper cooking temperatures should be monitored to avoid bacterial contamination, as should storage temperatures. In packaging or plating, minimal contact with the food contact surfaces should be kept. Lastly, as a general rule, sanitation of the workplace and the utensils and equipment to be used should be ensured.while simultaneouslypreserve thefoodsoptimum qualityto be able tosatisfynotjust the hunger of the disaster or displacedvictims, but alsoto boost theirmoraleas well.