YOUNG CHEFRecipes and Techniques for Kids Who Love to CookMark Ainsworth The Culinary Institute of AmericaTHEContentsIntroduction LEARNING THE BASICSSafety First Equipment Essentials Techniques Building Flavor How Food Fuels Your Body RECIPESBreakfast Soups, Salads, and Sandwiches Main Meals for Lunch and Dinner Simple Sides and Sauces Savory Snacks Sweet Snacks and Desserts Index Chopping an onionPeel the onion and cut it in half, leaving part of the root attached.Next, cut through the onion several times from front to back.Hold the onion half to stabilize it while you cut through the onion from top to bottom. The width of your slices will determine the nal size of the pieces. Make widely spaced cuts to dice, or closely spaced cuts to mince. Do not cut through the back (the root end) of the onion.Last, cut down crosswise through both cuts to dice or mince the onion.Kitchen ScienceWhy does chopping onions make you cry? When an onion is cut, it releases acid and enzymes that combine in the air to create a chemical calledsyn-propanethial-S-oxide, which irritates your eyes.Glossary of knife cutsSlicing A straight downward motion at regular intervals, so that the pieces are uniform in thickness. Julienning Cutting into long, uniform sticks. Done by rst squaring off the sides of the vegetable to make a rectangle. The vegetable block is cut lengthwise into slices, and then the slices are stacked neatly and cut into sticks.Dicing Cutting into uniform cubes. After cutting into julienne sticks, gather the sticks and cut them crosswise into small cubes.Foods can be diced into large ( inch), medium (about inch), or small ( inch) pieces, or very tiny (8 inch) pieces, which chefs call brunoise.Knife SkillsA chefs skill with a knife helps him or her work quickly and efciently with accuracy. Precise and uniform knife cuts are one of the keys to beautiful-looking and great-tasting food. Knife skills include how to hold a knife,how to handle knives safely, and how to cut foods into different shapes.TechniquesThe techniques in this chapterhow to slice and dice, how to measure ingredients, and traditional cooking methods such as frying or roastingare the cornerstone of every chefs success. The better practiced you are at these methods, the better a chef you will becomeand the better your food will taste.Cut the food with even knife strokes from the tip to the heel of the knife. While cutting, rest the side of the knife edge against your three middle ngers. Move your hand back along the food as you cut it.Your hand should be placed at the point that the blade and the handle meet.Hold the food with a claw like grip. Angle your ngers down and make sure your thumb is tucked in behind your index nger. Handling a chefs knifeKnife SafetyUnderstanding how to use and maintain knives and other kitchen tools is an important part of working in the kitchen, and essential to your own safety. You may need to talk to your parents before using kitchen knives. Here are some important rules:Keep knives sharp. A dull knife can be dangerous.Keep knives clean and dry; knives can be the cause of cross-contamination.Store knives properly. Never put knives into a sink full of water.Always cut on a cutting board, never on a plate or on the countertop.Use the right knife for the job.Never pass a knife to someone; always lay it safely on the table.4CIA The Young Chef | Learning the Basics5TechniquesThink Like a ChefWhat else could you add to pancakes to change their flavors? Hearty Pancakes = whole wheat flour + wheat bran (instead of white flour) + sunflower seedsSweet-and-Savory Pancakes = cooked bacon + scallions + grated cheddar cheesePancakesMakes about 12 pancakes2 cups all-purpose our2 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon salt2 eggs1 cups milk1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted butter, plus more as needed for greasing the pan1.In a mixing bowl, whisk together the our, sugar,baking powder, and salt.2.In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs,milk, and oil or melted butter.3.Pour the egg mixture into the our mixture and mix until the ingredients are just combined, but do not overmix (some small clumps of our are ne). 4.Preheat a griddle or frying pan and grease with butter or oil.5.Ladle about cup of batter for each pancake onto the hot pan or griddle, being careful to leave enough room for the batter to spread and for you to ip the pancakes. When bubbles begin to break on the surface of the pancake, ip the pancake and cook until golden brown on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve with syrup,powdered sugar, or fresh fruit.Add-ins:Fold cup mini chocolate chips or 1 cup blueberries into the nished batter before cooking.VariationCaramel Apple PancakesCook some diced apples in a saucepan with a little butter until soft. Drizzle your pancakes with store-bought caramel sauce and top them with the apples,a few walnuts, a sprinkling of sea salt, and some whipped cream (see page 000).6CIA The Young Chef | Recipes7Breakfast5.Preheat the oven to 425F. Oil two large baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.6.Roll each piece of dough into a ball and let rest for about 15 minutes.7.In a large bowl, combine the water and baking soda. 8.Roll each ball of dough into a 24-inch-long rope. If the dough is difcult to roll out, make it as long as possible, let it relax for a few minutes, and then continue rolling. 9.Hold both ends of the dough and cross them over each other, twisting the ends around and pressing them to the sides of the pretzel to form the traditional shape.10. Briey dip each pretzel into the water and baking soda bath and then place them on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each pretzel with coarse salt.11. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.Bakers Note:Instead of salt, you could top the pretzels with cinnamon-sugar.Soft Pretzels Makes 8 pretzels1 cups warm water1 tablespoon honey1 teaspoons dry yeast2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the dough2 cups all-purpose our, plus more if needed, plus more for dusting1 teaspoon salt3 cups water, for boiling the pretzels2 tablespoons baking soda1 tablespoon coarse salt1.Combine the warm water, honey, yeast, oil, our,and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer tted with the dough hook (or in any large mixing bowl, if you want to knead it by hand).2.Knead on low speed, or by hand, for 8 minutes. After several minutes, the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl; if it doesnt,add a few more tablespoons of our to the dough.3.Remove the bowl from the mixer and oil the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size,1 to 2 hours.4.Scoop the dough onto a our-dusted work surface and cut it into 8 equal pieces.Kitchen ScienceYeast is a living organism that needs warmth,moisture, and food to begin fermenting. Fermentation is the process of converting sugars into carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide gas gets trapped in the ours protein structure, formed during mixing, and causes bread (and pretzel) dough to rise. Yeast is sensitive to temperature and will die at 138F. The ideal temperature for fermentation is between 80F and 90F.8CIA The Young Chef | Recipes9Savory SnacksThink Like a ChefYou can use any of your favorite ingredients to create all kinds of different burritos. Here are some ideas to get you started:Tex-Mex Chicken and Cheese Toasted Burritos Makes 6 burritos1 cooked rotisserie chicken(about 12 to 14 ounces of meat)2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese cup Tomato Salsa (page 000) cup sour cream6 our tortillas (8 or 10 inches in diameter)1 tablespoon butter1 tablespoon vegetable oil1.Remove all of the meat from the chicken and shred or chop it. Combine the chicken with the cheese, salsa, and sour cream.2.Lay the tortillas onto a baking sheet and portion the lling in the center of the tortillas. Fold the edge closest to you over the lling, then fold the left and right sides over and roll into a burrito. (If the tortillas are rm and difcult to fold, it might be helpful to warm them slightly in the oven or a microwave before you add the lling.)3.Heat a large saut pan over medium heat and add the butter and oil. Add the burritos, with the seam side down on the pan. Cook, flipping the burritos as needed, until they are golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted,about 5 minutes. Thai-Style Chicken Burritochicken + brown rice + cabbage + mango + peanuts + peanut sauce (page 000)Mediterranean Veggie Burrito chickpeas + garlic + tomato + spinach + feta cheese + lemon juiceSpicy Breakfast Burrito scrambled eggs + bell pepper + crispy bacon + cheddar cheese + pickled jalapenos + hot sauceCurry Burrito potatoes + peas + carrots + curry powder + paneer + yogurt10CIA The Young Chef | Recipes11Main Meals for Lunch and DinnerThe Must-Have Book for Junior Chefs in the Making Aspiring chefs turn to The Culinary Institute of America for top-tier trainingand now younger cooks can too. Coauthored by chef-instructor (and parent) Mark Ainsworth, this book is for kids ages 10 to 14 who love to cook or who want to learn how, from the perspective of the nations best culinary college. It begins with the fundamentalsfrom cooking methods to kitchen safety to how food fuels your body. These lessons are applied in more than 100 wholesome recipes for dishes that kids (and their families and friends) will love, from Chinese Takeout Chicken and Broccoli to Mexican Street Corn Salad to Raspberry Shaved Ice. Loaded with insider tips, fun facts, and other learning tools, each recipe is a springboard for developing skills, expressing culinary creativity, and having fun in the kitchen!Fun features include Step-by-step photographs of essential cooking methods includingstir-frying, sauting, grilling, and roasting Key kitchen practices such as measuring, mise en place, and knife skillsUnderstanding avor, including how we perceive taste, and how to use seasonings and aromaticsMore than 100 amazing chef-tested (and kid-tested) recipesRecipe variations, serving suggestions, and other ideas to inspire creativityPublication Date: April 26, 2016ISBN: 978-0-470-92866-0Paperback, 8" x 9"192 pages, full-color throughout$23Publicity ContactBrittany Edwardsbrittany.edwards@hmhco.com(212) 592-1112Publicity & MarketingNational MediaOnline Marketing and Social Media PromotionCross-Promotion with CIATHE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA is the worlds premier culinary college, offering degrees in culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, culinary science, and applied food studies. MARK AINSWORTH is a CIA chef-instructor and parent of two teenage girls.