Common Cooking Complications: What Went Wrong?

At one time or another, every dedicated cook has found that s/he has created not the anticipated masterpiece, but a culinary disaster! Even after following a reliable recipe word for word, it is possible to end up with a product that simply does not meet expectations. The quiz below will test your knowledge on some common cooking quandaries, and may even help avoid future meal mishaps.

1. Your blueberry muffins came out dense and chewy. Why?
a) Your oven was set at too high a temperature.
b) The blueberries weren't fresh.
c) You stirred the batter just until the lumps disappeared.
d) You let the muffins cool inside the muffin tins rather than on a cooling rack.

2. You decide to make dinner rolls from a yeast dough. You used the amount of yeast called for by the recipe, but the rolls taste strongly of yeast. What probably happened?
a) The dough temperature was too high during the rising stage.
b) The dough was not allowed sufficient time to rise before baking.
c) The yeast was used beyond its expiration date.
d) Too much sugar was used to "feed" the yeast.

3. Your fresh apple cake looks perfect from the outside, but when you slice it you notice that all the fruit has sunk to the bottom! What is a likely cause?
a) Too much baking powder was used.
b) Too much flour was used.
c) Not enough shortening was used.
d) The batter was not stirred enough.

4. Your poached fish comes out dry and it falls apart, even though you poached it only for the amount of time specified in the recipe. Why did this happen?
a) You used frozen fish that was thawed before cooking.
b) The cooking water was simmering throughout the poaching process.
c) The fish was under- or over-seasoned.
d) All of the above.

5. By trying to meet the "Five A Day" recommendation for fruits and vegetables, you make you and your family a doubled recipe of sautéed vegetables. When all of the vegetables are done, most are limp and rather colorless. Why might this have occurred?
a) You started with a pan that was not hot enough.
b) You used too many vegetables for a small surface.
c) Your pan was too thin.
d) All of the above.

6. To add more zing to rice and beans, you include freshly ground black pepper, a dash of allspice, and a few tablespoons of lemon juice in the pot. At serving time, you find that the beans have cooked unevenly; some are rather crunchy, others mushy. What was your mistake?
a) You didn't stir enough.
b) The rice and beans were cooked together rather than separately.
c) You added the seasonings too early in the cooking process.
d) The beans should have been pressure cooked instead.

7. Your quiche came out runny and separated, with some spots overcooked. How could you have avoided this?
a) Cook the quiche at a lower temperature.
b) Beat eggs using a food processor rather than a wire whisk.
c) In the oven, place the quiche pan in a cookie sheet filled with water.
d) All of the above.

8. To include more fiber in your diet, you substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour in your usual basic bread, which you make in the bread machine. It comes out dense, hard, and dry. How could this be prevented?
a) Double the amount of yeast used.
b) Add 1/4 cup of oil to the recipe.
c) Use less flour, keeping the rest of the ingredients the same.
d) Sift the flour before adding it to the other ingredients.

9. Your meringue pie came out watery and weepy. What could have caused this?
a) The baking temperature was too low.
b) Too much or not enough sugar was used.
c) The egg whites weren't beaten enough.
d) All of the above.

10. How can lumps in thick sauces and gravies be avoided?
a) Use a cold/lukewarm roux (mixture of fat and flour) and a hot stock.
b) Use a hot roux and a cold/lukewarm stock.
c) Make sure both the roux and the stock are hot.
d) Make sure both the roux and the stock are cold or lukewarm.

ANSWERS
1. c. Overstirring muffin batter is a common mistake. There are supposed to be lumps in the batter when you pour it into the baking tins; these allow for air holes to form (therefore fluffiness) during the baking process.

2. b. Yeast needs time to produce carbon dioxide by fermenting the sugar you add to the mixtures. If not enough time is allowed for this conversion, then the yeast will remain unchanged and end up in the finished bread.

3. a. When too much of any leavening agent is used in baking, the batter will become a bit too "light" in the oven, and the heavier fruit will sink down. Sinking may also happen if the fruit is not drained properly, if the wrong type of flour is used, or if the batter is too slack.

4. b. A common mistake in poaching is to use water than is too hot. During poaching, water may release steam, but is too hot if bubbles break on the surface. This is what distinguishes poaching from boiling. Whether or not the fish had previously been frozen should not affect the texture of the final product. Also, seasonings will not alter the flakiness.

5. d. The secret to sautéing fresh vegetables is to begin with a very hot pan, add a little oil or broth (room temperature or cold), and work quickly. If the pan is not hot enough, vegetables will cook slowly and eventually boil as the heat increases, and the food will become limp and overcooked. If too many vegetables are used on a small surface, cooking will be uneven. By the time all of the vegetables are no longer raw, some of them will be overcooked. If the pan is too thin, the temperature of the pan will be brought down too quickly when the cold vegetables are added, and it will take time for the pan to heat up again. Using a thick pan allows the pan to retain heat even when ingredients are added in large amounts.

6. c. The culprit seasoning added too early is the lemon juice. Beans cook better in an alkaline or neutral medium, not an acidic medium. Flavorings like lemon, vinegar, fruit juice, and salt should all be added to beans in the last 20 minutes of cooking. It is not necessary to stir beans very often, to cook beans and rice separately, or to pressure cook beans.

7. a. With any egg dish, such as an omelet, frittata, custard, or quiche, temperature is the most important factor influencing the finished product. Eggs begin to coagulate at 164 degrees Fahrenheit, and overheating past about 250 degrees will cause the air bubbles to collapse, and part of the mixture will contract, causing separation of the liquid. Egg dishes should be cooked at temperatures between 235 and 250 degrees.

8. c. Whole grain flours take longer to absorb moisture, and need a higher proportion of water than flours with the bran and germ removed (i.e., all-purpose flour). Whole wheat bread is tricky to make unless you follow a recipe that specifically calls for whole wheat flour and includes adjustments of other ingredients. All-purpose flour contains gluten, which is responsible for bread’s structure and fine texture. Whole-wheat flour contains less gluten, so when substituting whole wheat flour in a white bread recipe, it’s a good idea to replace part of the whole-wheat flour with bread flour or adding gluten (and increasing the water by about 1/4 cup per cup of whole wheat flour used).

9. d. Meringues are tricky to make right. If the baking temperature is too low, the improper amount of sugar is added, or the egg whites aren't handled as specified, the delicate meringue will break down. Practice makes perfect!

10. a or b. For a smooth, lump-free gravy or sauce, prepare the roux and the stock separately and then mix them over medium heat. Use either a cold roux and a hot stock or a hot roux and a cold stock. When they're both hot during the blending process, the mixture becomes overheated and starch lumps form. When they are both cold, the thickening process cannot occur. Using one hot and one cold will allow the mixture to start warm and heat slowly.

 

 

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