Method, in terms of food preparation, refers to the process involved in making food. Food is basically prepared by cooking and a few foods, like vegetable salads, can be prepared without cooking too. Cooking is a process of preparation of food by applying heat to it. Foods can also be prepared without the application of heat, i.e. without cooking.

Origin of Cooking Methods
Method, in terms of food preparation, refers to the process involved in making food. Food is basically prepared by cooking and a few foods, like vegetable salads, can be prepared without cooking too. Cooking is a process of preparation of food by applying heat to it. Foods can also be prepared without the application of heat, i.e. without cooking. Origin of Cooking Methods The invention of a method for preparation of food seems to be as old as the time when man started consuming prepared food. The history of cooking dates back to about 250,000 years ago and the earth ovens and ancient hearths were some of the few cooking equipments used during ancient times. Different Basic Cooking

As mentioned earlier, food can be cooked by both dry and moist heat method. Dry heat Cooking Methods The dry heat method of cooking does not involve bringing water in contact with the food while cooking. The food being cooked is heated without water and it cooks in its own juices. In some processes, the water content in the food dries up and the food gets cooked accordingly. Baking, steaming, grilling and roasting are the four basic methods of cooking food by dry heat method.

• Baking – this method involves cooking food in an enclosed chamber by convection heating.

• Steaming- this is a healthy cooking method which preserves the flavor and nutritional worth of the food being cooked. The food to be cooked is placed in a container which is placed in water which is heated to boiling. The vapors of the water cook the food.

• Grilling – this process of cooking involves placing food directly over fire and cooking it. The heat of the fire seals the food and the juices inside it cook it which results in the flavor and nutrients remaining intact. In early days, grilling basically involved cooking the food over charcoal fire, whereas in modern days, special equipment called grilling trays and stoves are used for the purpose which expose the food to direct heat.

• Roasting –In this method, food is exposed to direct fire, the heat of which seals the juices inside which cook the food. The nutrients and flavor of the food remain intact. Moist heat Cooking Method In any method that employs moist heating, the food is cooked in a medium which is commonly water, oil or fat.

• Boiling- in this method, the food is placed in a large quantity of water which is heated to its boiling point. The food is cooked till done or till it attains a tender feel.

• Stewing- Similar to boiling, stewing also involves cooking food in a medium, usually water or broth. However, the difference lies in the fact that in boiling the ingredient that is boiled is removed after being cooked from the medium, but in the case of stewing, the medium is thickened and is consumed along with the cooked solid ingredients.

• Frying- In this method, food is cooked in hot oil or oil-based medium like butter or fat. Deep frying involves cooking food in a lot of oil, while shallow frying involves cooking it in less amount of oil.

• Barbecuing – in this method food which is marinated with spices is cooked in a little bit of oil in a barbecue. Methods of Preparing Food without Cooking Food prepared by any method such as blending, freezing and tossing does not involve cooking.

• Blending – A number of drinks like milkshakes and fruit juices are prepared this way.

• Freezing- In this method food is frozen or chilled in a refrigerator. A number of savory and dessert recipes involve freezing as one of the major processes of their preparation.

• Tossing – this is a cooking action which involves mixing the different ingredients of a food by a throwing movement. Many salads and some pasta dishes involve mixing the seasonings by tossing the vegetables or pasta along with the seasonings.