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A Journey to Food - Field Trip-
On Friday April 5th 2013, I had the opportunity to experience one of the best field trips of my high school years. The day started off going to Whole Foods Supermarket where I was just mesmerized by all of the fresh organic produce. Dana and I took advantage of the freshly made almond butter. It was literally the machine of a soft serve ice cream machine, but almonds would purify in it and come out as almond butter. It tasted a lot better when it was made fresh due to the crunch of the tiny bits of almonds. Reflecting on this experience, it connects back to class where I learnt about monounsaturated fats and how they are the healthier choice. They lower cholesterol levels by the one double bond present which label them as the healthier form of fat. Almonds are also a source of protein where it can provide my glucose levels to remain constant and allow my hunger to fulfill for a longer period of time. I personally love nuts where I consume them on a daily basis which is why having the experience of making my own almond butter interacted with my daily routine.
I thoroughly enjoyed the tour where I was educated on the sustainability of products that are out there and what to eat and what not to eat. I knew that strawberries in the winter were not the season to be eating them, but did not know that it was that much of a concern. Also it was interesting to find out about the different types of sea foods that were on the market and what should be eaten and what should not be. It’s interesting how the store has a sign that says avoid, yet the fish is still out there waiting to be sold to a customer. As much as I learnt about Whole Foods the actual store itself, I would have appreciated it more if they talked more in depth about the nutrition in the store.
The next stop would be the Good Food Festival at the CNE. This festival allowed my taste buds to explore the different creations and tastes from a wide range and variety. The things I tried that were very unique, yet very enjoyable would be colourful kettle corn popcorn, maple cheese and cinnamon honey. Individuals considered new ingredients and ways to make their product more unique than the ones that are already on the market. I was able to take what I have learnt in class based on the information I know on macronutrients and classify the ingredients and nutritional facts. Dana and I enjoyed moments where sales representatives would elaborate on the vitamins and minerals in there products, and for once we were able to understand! Going from a product to a product allowed me to compare that nutritional values from one to the other. Overall I loved this field trip and it allowed me to appreciate food on a new level.
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Food Lab -Vitamins & Minerolls-
How can one get their vitamins and minerals without supplementing? The answer is simply with food. On April 2nd 2013, the class worked together and made Vietnamese spring rolls. Every kitchen was assigned a different task in order to prepare the ingredients that contributed to the buffet. These ingredients included avocado, cucumber, carrots, noodles, lettuce, and more fruits and vegetables that were filled with vitamins and minerals. Dana, Lucas and I were in a kitchen together to prepare the mango’s, which unfortunately only two were ripe enough. Dana and I also worked together to prepare a Vietnamese sauce that seemed questionable at the time, however turned out amazing. I loved that I had a variety of ingredients that I was able to choose from when I was making my roll.
Inspiration
I believe that the inspiration behind this food lab was to provide a healthy meal that consisted of a variety of ingredients. As we learned studying for the test about the different foods that contain specific vitamins and minerals, this food lab gave the class a chance to indulge in the multiple choices. When I was putting my roll together, I was thinking to myself of the characteristics each ingredient had. I put avocado in because it is high in folate, as well as carrots since it is high in vitamin A. I was able to expand my knowledge of what is in the ingredients to help me chose what went in my roll. From this food lab, I learnt to actually think about the ingredients in the food I eat, which enables me to make healthier choices.
Connecting
I read Hannah's blog and loved how she was very active in the lab as well. She said that she learnt that "less is more". When choosing ingredients to put in the roll, I can 100% agree to Hannah's statement. All of the ingredients looked so fresh and tasty that I wanted to stuff my rolls. However it would have just overpowered the roll and would not be as savouring as a roll with less ingredients.
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Colourful Pop
Rainbow popcorn from the good food festival! #popcorn #colours #delicious
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Food Lab- Lipids as a Condiment-
Besides ketchup, relish and mustard, what is the next common condiment that individuals use? This source of a spread is a lipid, a fat that is composed of 3 fatty acid chains connected to a glycerol. I had the opportunity to make mayonnaise with Dana and George. It was a simple spread made up of only 3 egg yolks, 300ml of corn oil, a tsp of mustard, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. It was extremely easy to make with the help of my group members working together. Inspiration I believe that the inspiration behind this lab was to explore the nature of the ingredients. Also, to learn about how easy it is to consume a small amount of a substance that is so good, yet so bad at the same time. Learning about lipids with a polyunsaturated fat allowed me to further my education on health choices, tastes and preferences. The class was ranged with polyunsaturated to monounsaturated oils, which are different in characteristics and flavours. I was able to experience the different types of oils that were used in order to produce completely different outcomes. Experience In the process of making mayonnaise, I learnt that pouring in the oil was essential for the chemical reaction to take place in order to produce the product. This is because the oil had to slowly mix with the mixture forming so it was able to break apart bonds and form new ones. The result from using corn oil seemed tasteless where it had no distinct overpowering flavour. Even though we squeezed a lot of fresh lemon juice to give it a kick, the overall result was not strong. This showed the polyunsaturated fats are very simple when comparing them to monounsaturated fats. Personally I do not enjoy eating mayo so I did not have the chance to try other groups creations. Knowing the ingredients does not seem appetizing to me, knowing that there are no pure benefits from consuming mayonnaise. Overall this lab allowed me to explore monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in a fun hands on way. By using my senses I was able to visually see and taste the differences.
Reflection on Ha-eun'd Blog
Ha-eun mentioned a fantastic point that she learnt how to separate egg yolk from the egg white. I agree with her that this is a life skill to have in the kitchen because so many different recipes call for the different parts of the egg, or if you just want to watch your cholesterol levels. She also said that her mayonnaise was too thick and wanted to alter it by adding in water. I disagree with this because I did not find a problem with the thickness of the product, overall I thought it was extremely lighter than the one's purchased from grocery stores.
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Food Lab -Carbohydrates in the Kitchen-
When people think of carbohydrates, they think of anything that has to deal with gaining weight such as cookies, bread, and chips. However little do people know that fruit, vegetables, and salad are all sources of carbohydrates. In this food lab, I was in a group with Dana and Lucas that made a delicious Jamie Oliver’s blackened chicken san frau quinoa salad. It consisted of quinoa, mango, peppers, avocado, spinach,mint, coriander, chicken and feta cheese. All of these ingredients consist of macronutrients, however the prime focus was carbohydrates. The overall product I believe did not need any modifications, only to make it more often!
Inspiration
I believe that the inspiration behind this food lab was to explore carbohydrates in a healthy matter. The variety of pasta’s and other ingredients that were used were able to expand student’s taste buds and allow them to crave for more. That being said, to put away the chips and cookies and to expose the more colourful, more tasteful and healthier choice of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are needed for brain function and to provide muscles with daily energy. This food lab was able to provide these necessities by the different ingredients that were used. Individuals may stick to white pasta with tomato sauce, however participating in making the quinoa salad allowed me to further my education of healthier food choices. Also, this food lab exposed us to the two different kinds of carbohydrates, the simple (monosaccharide) and the complex (polysaccharide). This lab showed a variety of the two types based on the ingredients that were used.
Experience
This food lab exposed me to a variety of different ingredients that tend to be the healthier choice of a carbohydrate meal. The “junk food” that individuals eat are the bad carbs and do not provide any health benefits to an individual. However, this food lab exposed the healthy carbohydrates that provide positive energy for my body to use. Carbohydrates are the first source of energy that the human body uses before fats. Therefore, individuals must provide their body with the good carbs so that it can break down the molecules into glucose and store it as useful energy.
Being exposed to eating healthier carbohydrates provides the human body with more benefits than just accessible energy. The quinoa salad is an example of a meal that is high in nutrients that contain vitamins and minerals. This salad was able to provide fibre, which North American’s do not get enough of. The fruits and vegetables (mango, avocado, spinach and peppers) were able to supply vitamins and minerals such as folate, vitamin E, and vitamin C. Overall I enjoyed this food lab very much because it was able to fulfill my interests in cooking on an educational manner.
The fresh fruits and vegetables that were used.
Taking it home
I had the opportunity to make this food lab twice. My mother was in search of a quinoa recipe and after having this food lab in class, I thought that I would give it a try. I followed the same steps that I did at school, but used multi grain quinoa instead. I found that it provided a wider variety of taste and texture with the multi grains. I also did not use feta cheese in the one at home. At school the cheese provided more moisture, which was a loss of key ingredient at home. Also, at home I did not use enough spinach and greens to make the actual salad green coloured. I used more mint which mixed nicely with the onions to provide a distinct flavouring. My dad, who is always the one making dinner was impressed with the outcome, and his only critique was that it needed more lime. I was told the same feedback by Ms. K as well! I learnt that quinoa absorbs everything which is why the outcome on both meals feel tasteless in the sense that they are missing a dressing. I really enjoyed every ingredient that was used, especially the mango and avocado because I am hardly exposed to it. Overall my family loved the dish because of the ingredients and unique qualities that are hidden in the recipe. Just like me, quinoa is a dish that we never consume that often, but now tables will definitely turn. Due to the fact that they enjoyed it so much, my family now has an excuse to get me to cook more often.
Process of preparation.
The final product used with multi grain quinoa.
Reflection on Hanna's Lab
Hannah took part in making the gnocchi lab, which I thought was delicious. To me, her process of making the overall product took a lot of steps and teamwork. The size of the gnocchi turned out to be perfect, allowing portion control. I tasted the one with out the tomato sauce and thought that it was just a bit too salty. The seasoning could have been modified so that there could be a balance. I also disagree with Hanna about modifying the amount of flour that was required. I thought the ratio of flour to potato was even. Gnocchi is a polysaccharide which is healthier on the body because it is able to break down a lot slower compared to a monosaccharide carbohydrate. I think that participating in this particular lab is very beneficial to learning about the ingredients and the science behind it.
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Chopped winter salad with butternut squash, apples, & feta
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What a way to start off the March Break. Cafe Demestries #fruit #waffle #yum
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Who would have thought thyme, mint, and citrus combined would have been any good? Usually, I would rely on a cookie to feed my craving of sweetness and chocolate. However after the food lab that I took part in on February 13th 2013, I have learnt that there is a healthier way to capture that specific craving. Lucia, Jesse and I worked together to create thyme mint citrus shortbread cookies that allowed our taste buds to experience something new.
Modification
Overall, the cookies that I made had a delicious, unique taste in a healthy way. However, the amount of butter that was called for in the recipe could have been modified to make the outcome healthier. Instead of one full cup of butter, which is high in trans fat, half a cup could have been used. Also, more orange zest could have been added. Thyme is a strong herb, and by having the same amount of thyme and orange zest, the thyme over powered the orange flavour.
Inspiration
I believe that the inspiration behind this food lab was to get a variety of tastes and flavours that herbs provide. Each individual herb has a distinct taste as well as naturally has health benefits. The eight different recipes that were used, all focused on a specific herb and how it could be added to ingredients to fulfill the craving of sweets in a healthier way. The ingredient of thyme is healthy for the human body and associates with chest and respiratory problems. The inspiration of herbs connects back to the food and nutrition course by elaborating the healthy components of food and how it can be added to different ingredients. Baking is a science in the sense that key ingredients are needed for the product to have an overall successful outcome. Having herbs as the key ingredient in this food lab, it provides good energy from calories that are made up of complex carbohydrates and not simple sugars. Connecting this food lab back to the class, I am learning about the different herbs, as well as experimenting with different flavours and making healthier choices. This food lab exposed me to a variety of different herbs that I would not usually bake with, allowing my knowledge to grow in the component of food.
Experience
This food lab, being the first of the semester allowed me to learn from my mistakes. My group experienced obstacles where our dry ingredients were all mixed as one, instead of whisking the sugar, butter and egg first, which the recipe called for. I learnt that not rushing through tasks, will provide a stronger and better outcome. The skills of team work comes into play when my group members and I had to fix our obstacle together. Instead of starting all over again, we were able to work through our challenge and make it right. Also, cleaning up was a huge part of the lab, especially when a kitchen was shared between two groups. Knowing that my group was not considered cleared until the whole kitchen was cleaned, allowed me to take the initiative to help out with the other group. Not only did team work provide speed to clean up the mess, but it showed that I can work with my peers to get the job done.
Reflection on Faiyaz’s Blog
I agree with Faiyaz when it comes to modifying the recipe to make it more healthy. The ingredients of herbs itself, is a healthier choice over chocolate chip cookies. Herbs themselve are beneficial to our health, however adding in the unnecessary amount of butter and sugar is overpowering the subject of a “healthy cookie”. The Sage and Apricot Cornmeal Cookie did have a lot of butter in it producing a high percentage of saturated fat. In comparison, my Thyme Mint Citrus Shortbread cookie had a high amount of butter as well. I had the experience to cook in the same kitchen as Faiyaz and to eye the process of his baking. Overall, it looked amazing, and the individual ingredients were unique that the cookie had a variety of taste and flavouring in one bite. In conclusion, baking with herbs is extremely different and out of the blue to my usual baking. The substitution of unhealthy ingredients to healthy ingredients either way is beneficial to one’s health. Overall Faiyaz produced a delicious cookie despite what could have been modified in the ingredients.
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