Purchasing of Food

With the present difficulty of earning a living and with food expenses topping the family's overall budget, it is of prime importance that purchasing food should be done judiciously. Hereunder are some guidelines that should be observed when making food purchases:

1. Check the supplies on hand and prepare an inventory of these.
2. Using the inventory prepared as the basis, make a market list of supplies that should be bought.
3. Select the market/grocery/store where the food purchases will be done. Consider their location, service and food prices.
4. Shop at a time when the shopping place is not very crowded.
5. Examine th efood labels. Look for such information as number of servings, ways of preparing and storing and expiry date. Compare different brands for cost per weight and quality.
6. Buy locally produced foods whenever possible.
7. Buy foods that are in season. They are fresher, cheaper and are easily available.
8. Buy in amounts that can be used readily and stored easily.
9. Take advanage of new foods in the market. Promotional sales done by food companies to introduce new products provide big savings to food shoppers.
10. Buy by weight rahter than by measure or number.
11. When going from one section of the market to another, buy everything needed in the particular section so as to avoid useless returning back and wasteful expenditures of time and effort which case fatigue on the marketer.

When preparing the market list, the following reminders should be taken into consideration:

1. Use the food inventory to check on existing supplies and those that are needed to be bought. Check also the leftovers in the refrigerator.
2. Plan a weekly menu. List the food item called for in the menu.
3. Consollidate the items needed as follows:

- Beef

- Pork

- Chicken

- Eggs

- Vegetables

- Fruits

- Groceries

- Miscellaneous

Food Storage

Prompt care and proper storage are needed as soon as foods are brought home from the market. Included in these are meat, eggs, milk, butter, cheese, fresh vegetables and fruits which should be stored in the refrigerator.

Meats and fishes should be plased in the freezer of meat keeper; vegetables and fruits at the lower compartment called the vegetable keeper; eggs on the egg rack; butter and cheese on the butter/cheese rack which is ususally behind the door of the refrigerator.

Frozen foods should not be allowed to thaw and then refrozen. When thawed, cooking should follow immediately.

Staple foods like rice, flour, coffee, tea, legumes, potatoes and sweet potatoes or camoe will keep their quality when stored in a cool, dry place.

Food Preparation

It is often said that food preparation is both a science and an art. It is a science when preparing foods because scientific principles should be observed.

Among these are:

1. Vegetables and fruits should be washed before paring, peeling and cutting them up to conserve the water soluble nutrients.
2. Food colors can be retained if teh cooking vessel is covered during cooking.
3. Overcooking should be avoided to conserve the heat soluble nutrients.
4. Foods regardless of cost but belonging to the same food groups may take each other's place in the menu depending on the family's food bufget.
5. Tubers or root vegetables need more time to cook thatn leafy vegetables.

That food preparation is an art is evident in the following:

1. The same food items may be prepared and served in a variety of ways depending on the artistry of the one who is doing the food prepation and service.
2. Desserts, salads and drinks add color and texture to make meals more pleasing to the eyes.
3. Some vegetables may be cut up for decorative effects. Examples of these are carrots, tomato and peeper flowers.
4. Desirable combinations contribute to the elegance and acceptability of some foods. Among the nutritious daily food combinations are:

• Lunch: Ground pork, Omelet, Shellfish, Pork cubes, Casserole dish, fish and Beef bones.
• Supper: Fish, Beef, Legues, Chicken, Omelet, Shellfish and Ground beef.

For snacks, acceptable combinations are:

- Pancit palabok, sotanghon or dinuguan with puto

- mami with siopao

- bibingka, kesong puti and tea

- champorado with fried dilis

- suman with mango

- arroz-caldo with pork and tokwa

- Ukoy with halu-halo

- sandwich with cold drink

Food preparation requires mastery of common weights and measures which are a must in following recipes. These ae:

1 tablespoon (tbsps. of T) = 3 teaspoons (tsp. or t)

1/4 cup (c) = 4 tbsp.

1/3 cup = 5 tbsp plus 1 t

1/6 T = 1 c

1 c = 8 ounces (oz)

1 pint = 2 c

1 quart (qt.) = 4 c

16 cups = 1 gallon

16 oz = 1 pound (lb)

Following a recipe requires also a knowledge of these steps:

1. Read and understand the recipe.
2. Assemble all the ingredients and utensils needed.
3. Make all measurements using standard cups and measures.

- flour, sugar, salt and other and otehr dry ingredients should be overflowing in cups or measuring spoons and tehn levelled off with a straight edge knife or spatula.

- Sift flour before measuring to incorporate air. This will make the products lighter and fluffer.

- Pack down sugar firmly into the measuring cups and level off with a spatula or straight edge knife.

- When measuring liquids, use standard graduated measuring equipment such as glass cups and graduated measuring spoons. Pitch cup on level surface and read at eye level.

- In measuring fat which is stored in teh refrigerator, bring first to room temperature then press firmly into measuring equipment and level off when overflowing.

4. Execute the steps closely as called for in the recipe.

5. Clean up while working. Keep a damp cloth close at hand for wiping. Clear off work area with used pots and pans and other paraphernalia used in food preparation.

Food Serving

Foods which are well planned and prepared lose their appeal if these are not served attractively. Proper serving calls for the use of appropriate table appointments-flatware (spoon, fork, teaspoon, knife), dinnerware (plate, saucer, cup, serving platter), glassware (glasses) and linens(table napkin, tablecloth, underliner and placemat).

The setting of the table or table service may be formal or informal depending on the occassion.

When the members are seated and all foods are served from the table by being passed by the mother and father who are at the head table, the service is called Family Service. This is the most commonly used service in the Philippines.

When all the courses, soup, meat or dish or poultry, vegetables, salad, rice, bread and dessert are served on a compartmentalized tray or plate, the service is called Tray or Plate Service as the case may be.

During special occassions, guests help themselves by gettinghteir choises from among those which are placed on the table. This serice is called Buffet or Self-Service because the guests help themselves to a second helping by returning to the food laden table.

The most complicated table service is the Russian or Formal Service. In this type of table service, thera re at lest five courses which are all served from the kitchen. This is a food service which cannot be used without a helper as this necessitates the use of numerous table appointments, one set for every course in the menu.

Social Graces At The Table

Etiquette is the proper behavior at a particular place and during a particular occassion, based on courtesy and consideration for others. Etiquette should be practiced not to impress others but to be a way of life.

In dining, the social gracces or proper behavior called for are as follows:

1. Say "Please" and "Thank you" as called for y the situation.
2. Wait for the host or hostess to sit down before taking your seat. Wait for them to begin eating before you start.
3. Sit up straight in your chair. Wait for the food to be passed or ask to have it passed.
4. Take only small bits of food. Chew and swallow it quitely.
5. Avoid talking when the mouth is full. Remember to drink water, milk and other liquids slowly.
6. Break or cut foods into bite size pieces i.e. bread should be bite-size before buttering. However, only enough for one or two bites should be buttered at a time.
7. Place the spoon on the saucer beside the cup. Avoid leaving the soon standing in the cup.
8. Used flatware should be placed in the dish not on the table.
9. When finished eating, leave the flatware on the right handside of the plate. The cutting edge of the knife should be turned towards the center of the plate and teh fork prongs up beside it. The napkin which is partly folded should be at the left side of the plate.
10. Carry on pleasant, cheerful and interesting conversations during meal time.

Try to practice this at home so you'll get used to it.