What's your cooking IQ? Survey

1. Who is the patron saint of pastry chefs?

Who is the patron saint of pastry chefs? Saint Hilary

Saint Joseph

Saint Honoré

Saint Therese

2. Profiteroles, also known as cream puffs, are made of an airy pastry puffed with cream. What is this airy pastry called?

Profiteroles, also known as cream puffs, are made of an airy pastry puffed with cream. What is this airy pastry called? Choux

Chiffon pastry

Puff

Brioche

3. Flour from which grain is used to make traditional pumpernickel?

Flour from which grain is used to make traditional pumpernickel? Barley

Wheat

Quinoa

Rye

4. What does it mean to “blanch” a vegetable?

What does it mean to “blanch” a vegetable? Immerse it for a short time in boiling water

Sautee it in butter

Soak it in cold water

Rub it with salt before cooking

5. What is the hottest part of a chili pepper?

What is the hottest part of a chili pepper? Stem

Seeds

Skin

Inner membrane

6. What was the first (widely available) commercial cookie in the United States?

What was the first (widely available) commercial cookie in the United States? Oreo

Chips Ahoy!

Animal Cracker

Keebler

7. Which of the following is a real food?

Which of the following is a real food? Spoo

Gagh

Salzburger Nockerl

Lembas

8. Which are the herbs, which are the spices?

Which are the herbs, which are the spices? Fennel

Anise

Clove

Lemongrass

Cardamom

Marjoram

9. Semolina is a type of:

Semolina is a type of: Berry

Flour

Nut

10. How long can perishable foods be kept at room temperature?

How long can perishable foods be kept at room temperature? 2 hours

1 hour

24 hours

30 minutes

11. Which of the following is not a type of pasta?

Which of the following is not a type of pasta? Orecchiette

Vermicelli

Ditalini

Fantoccini

12. The main ingredient of the British Jaffa Cake is:

The main ingredient of the British Jaffa Cake is: Orange juice

Chocolate

Banana

Coconut

13. What does it mean to bias-slice a food?

What does it mean to bias-slice a food? Slice it in half

Slice it into equal pieces

Slice it crosswise at a 45-degree angle

Slice it into triangular pieces

14. Which term means to peel the skin off a vegetable?

Which term means to peel the skin off a vegetable? Pare

Unskin

Sear

Skim

15. Under what circumstances would a demitasse spoon be used?

Under what circumstances would a demitasse spoon be used? Serving potatoes

Eating cereal

Eating creamy soups

Stirring sugar into tea or coffee

16. What is the term given to the liquid butter used as a dip for seafood?

What is the term given to the liquid butter used as a dip for seafood? Milked butter

Drawn butter

Thinned butter

Screened butter

17. How many cups are in a gallon?

How many cups are in a gallon? 16

18. What is a chinois?

What is a chinois? A type of knife

A type of strainer

A type of baking sheet

A type of spatula

19. True or false?

True or false? Adding a slice of raw potato while cooking an over-salted vegetable will soak up excess salt.

20. True or false?

True or false? The main ingredients of the Moroccan bisteeya pie are chocolate and coconut.

21. True or false?

True or false? Butter is a source of Vitamin B.

22. True or false?

True or false? The Chinese have been making tofu for over 2,000 years.

23. Extra credit: A Bakewell Tart is an English cake consisting of a shortcrust party, a layer of jam and what type of filling?

Extra credit: A Bakewell Tart is an English cake consisting of a shortcrust party, a layer of jam and what type of filling? Hazelnut

Buttercream

Almond

Lemon

Scoring: Give yourself 1 point for each correct answer.
Give yourself one point for each correct answer
1. Saint Honoré
2. Choux
3. Rye
4. Immerse it for a short time in boiling water
5. Inner membrane
6. Animal Cracker in 1902
7. Salzburger Nockerl: a sweet Austrian dessert soufflé. (Spoo is a tasty snack in Babylon 5, gagh is a Klingon delicacy in Star Trek, and lembas is a type of bread made by elves in Lord of the Rings.)
8. One point each. 1. Fennel is a herb; 2. anise is a spice; 3. clove is a spice; 4. lemongrass is an herb; 5. cardamom is a spice; 6. marjoram is an herb.
9. Flour
10. 2 hours
11. Fantoccini is another name for a marionette puppet.
12. Orange juice
13. Slice it crosswise at a 45-degree angle
14. Pare
15. Stirring sugar into tea or coffee
16. Drawn butter
17. 16
18. A type of strainer
19. True
20. False
21. False
22. True
23. Almond filling

How did you do?
20 to 28 points: Executive chef. Congratulations! You know how to cook and what the ingredients are. As a prize, take yourself out to dinner.
11 to 19 points: Sous chef. Good job! Keep reading the Table section and keep cooking.
1 to 10 points: Cooking school student. You’re not quite ready to open your own restaurant — but you’re probably great at ordering in.