Chapter 18 Sample Test Questions
For each of the following, indicate whether you would use starchy or waxy potatoes.
1. French fries
2. Baked potatoes
3. Potato salad
4. American fries
5. potato chips
6. Croquettes
7. Au gratin
8. Duchesse
9. Garnish for beef stew
10. Rissolé
Multiple Choice
11. Fresh, unprocessed potatoes should be stored
(a) in the refrigerator.
(b) in a cool, moist place.
(c) in a warm, dry, dark place.
(d) in a cool, dry, dark place.
12. Which of the following is not an ingredient in duchesse potatoes?
(a) butter
(b) nutmeg
(c) milk
(d) egg yolks
13. French fries made from fresh, raw potatoes are seasoned by
(a) sprinkling the potatoes with salt before frying.
(b) soaking the cut potatoes in salt water before frying.
(c) sprinkling the potatoes with salt after frying.
(d) both b and c.
14. The temperature of the fat for blanching french fries (the first cooking stage) should be
(a) 300ºF (150ºC).
(b) 325ºF (160ºC).
(c) 350ºF (175ºC).
(d) 375ºF (190ºC).
15. The potato is a _________ .
(a) starch
(b) vegetable
(c) both a and b
(d) neither a nor b
16. Which of the following statements about potatoes is false?
(a) They are one of the most popular vegetables.
(b) Potatoes function as both a vegetable and a starch.
(c) Potatoes may be cooked in only a limited number of ways.
(d) Potatoes appear in all three meals more than any other food.
17. Russet or Idaho potatoes are __________.
(a) ideal for boiling
(b) best for deep-frying
(c) high in moisture and sugar
(d) best for salads, soups, and hash browns
18. __________ potatoes can be white, yellow, blue, or purple.
(a) All-purpose
(b) Waxy
(c) Russets or Idaho
(d) none of the above
19. What kind of potato is most often used for duchesse potatoes?
(a) All-purpose
(b) Waxy or new
(c) Russets or Idaho
(d) None of the above
20. When French fries have dark streaks and poor texture, there is a good possibility that __________.
(a) they were made from waxy potatoes
(b) the oil they were cooked in was high in saturated fat
(c) they were cooked at an unacceptably high temperature
(d) the potatoes they were made from were too high in starch
21. Which of the following statements is true about solanine?
(a) It gives potatoes a green color.
(b) It is poisonous in large quantities.
(c) It is formed when potatoes are stored in the light.
(d) all of the above
22. Why would a baked potato have an excessively strong sweet taste?
(a) It had been allowed to sprout.
(b) It was not baked long enough.
(c) It had been refrigerated before it was baked.
(d) either a or c
23. When potatoes are boiled, they should be __________.
(a) cooled in cold water after cooking
(b) started in hot, rather than cold water
(c) both of the above
(d) none of the above
24. Mashed potatoes, duchesse potatoes, and potato croquettes all start out as __________.
(a) potato purée
(b) Parisienne potatoes
(c) new or waxy potatoes
(d) all of the above
25. Which of the following pieces of equipment is used to prepare duchesse potatoes?
(a) colander
(b) pastry bag
(c) food mill or ricer
(d) all of the above
26. Potatoes should not be wrapped in foil when they are baked because they __________.
(a) steam rather than bake
(b) take much longer to cook
(c) lose most of their nutrients
(d) turn an unappealing gray color
27. The most well known type of potatoes baked "en casserole" are __________ potatoes.
(a) duchesse
(b) scalloped
(c) stuffed baked
(d) rissolé or cotte
28. French fries are often blanched in fat before they are deep fried because the blanching __________.
(a) decreases their final cooking time
(b) gives them an attractive appearance
(c) seals in their natural flavor and nutrients
(d) allows them to hold their shape better during deep-frying
29. What classical French term is used to describe a dish that contains potatoes?
(a) Printanier
(b) Parmentier
(c) Primeurs
(d) Potelle
30. Which of the following colors would you not expect to find in good-quality potatoes?
(a) purple
(b) green
(c) pink
(d) yellow
31. The potato is classified as a tuber, which means that it is an underground ___________.
(a) stem
(b) root
(c) seed
(d) endosperm
True/False
32. Potatoes to be combined with cream sauce should be drained well after boiling and rinsed in cold
water to remove excess starch.
33. Frozen French fries should not be thawed before frying.
34. Potato purée to be used for making duchesse potatoes should be quite moist.
35. Baked potatoes to be held for more than 30 minutes should be wrapped, breaded, and fried.
36. Potato croquettes are duchesse potatoes that have been shaped, breaded, and fried.
37. Potatoes that have been boiled with their skins on should be cooled before peeling.
38. Starchy potatoes contain less sugar than waxy potatoes.
39. Starchy potatoes contain less moisture than waxy potatoes
40. “New potatoes” is the name given to any small boiling potato.
Answers to Test Questions
1. starchy 11. d 21. b 31. a
2. starchy 12. c 22. d 32. F
3. waxy 13. c 23. d 33. T
4. waxy 14. b 24. a 34. F
5. starchy 15. c 25. d 35. F
6. starchy 16. c 26. a 36. T
7. waxy 17. b 27. b 37. F
8. starchy 18. b 28. a 38. T
9. waxy 19. a 29. b 39. T
10. waxy 20. a 30. b 40. F
