Question 1

What are the functions of ingredients in National 5 Practical Cookery?

Accepted Answer

Each main ingredient has a job in a dish. Eggs bind, aerate (trap air), thicken, glaze and coat. Flour gives structure and bulk, forms gluten that traps gas so bread and cakes rise, and thickens sauces. Fat shortens pastry for a crumbly texture, adds flavour and moisture, helps trap air in creaming, and can be used to fry. Sugar sweetens, helps trap air, browns the surface and adds keeping quality. Raising agents produce gas that expands to make a mixture rise. Liquid binds, hydrates flour to form gluten, and turns to steam, which also helps a mixture rise.

Question 2

What does a raising agent do in a cake?

Accepted Answer

A raising agent makes a mixture rise and become light by producing a gas, usually carbon dioxide, inside it. As the cake heats, the gas bubbles expand and push the mixture up, and the structure then sets around the bubbles so the cake stays risen. Examples include baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, while whisked-in air and steam from the liquid also act as raising agents. Without one, a cake would be dense and flat because there would be little gas to lift it.

Question 3

How do you plan a menu for a particular consumer?

Accepted Answer

Start from who is eating and the occasion, because a meal for a child, an athlete, an older person or a family will differ. Aim for balance and variety across the courses, with a range of colours, textures, flavours and cooking methods. Follow current dietary advice (the Eatwell Guide and Scottish Dietary Goals): plenty of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods, enough protein, and not too much fat, salt or sugar. Meet any special dietary needs, such as a vegetarian or allergy requirement, and make sure the dishes are realistic to make in the time available.

Question 4

How do you meet special dietary needs in a dish?

Accepted Answer

For a vegetarian, leave out meat, fish and poultry, check for hidden animal ingredients such as gelatine, and replace the protein with beans, lentils, eggs, cheese or a meat substitute so the dish stays balanced. For a food allergy or intolerance, leave out the allergen completely and avoid cross-contact, for example using gluten-free flour for coeliac disease or leaving out nuts for a nut allergy. Other needs to consider include age, activity level, health goals such as lower fat or salt, cultural or religious requirements, and budget.

Question 5

How do you work out the cost of a dish?

Accepted Answer

List every ingredient in the recipe with the quantity used. For each one, work out the cost of that quantity from the pack price, for example if 500 grams of flour costs 60 pence then 250 grams costs 30 pence. Add up the cost of all the ingredients to get the total cost of the dish, then divide by the number of portions to find the cost per portion. Knowing the cost lets a cook keep within a budget, compare dishes and price the food sensibly if it is being sold.

Understanding ingredients and the consumer: overview of this SQA National 5 Practical Cookery area

The key topics in understanding ingredients and the consumer

How the topics connect

How to study this area

For the official course specification

Sources & how we know this