Week 12: Fish and Seafood

This week in lab we learned all about various types of seafood. Fish and seafood are different from meat because they have very little connective tissue. Fish cooks very quickly and is naturally tender. The biggest problem with cooking fish is overcooking. Fish cooks best with moist-heat methods to keep it from drying out. Once fish is cooked it is very delicate and needs to be handled with care. There are many ways of categorizing fish - by body structure, fat content, and its' environment (freshwater or saltwater). Finfish have fins and internal skeletons, while shellfish have external shells and no internal bone structure. The fat content of fish ranges from .5 to 16%. Examples of lean fish include flounder, cod, bass, and pike. Examples of fatty fish include salmon, trout, and bluefish. Shellfish can be divided into mollusks and crustaceans. Mollusks are soft sea animals and include, among many others, oysters, conch, and squid. Crustaceans have segmented shells and jointed legs - like lobster and shrimp. We made a lot of interesting things this week, like poached salmon, fried catfish, mussels, shrimp summer rolls, tilapia, and even some flounder—in the microwave! Next week we'll talk about meat and meat alternatives.

Week 11: Poultry

This week we learned about various forms of protein. We always just thought of chicken and turkey but Chef Kristi told us about some other forms such as duck, goose, and even pigeon!! All muscle tissue has similar composition and structure - about 75% water, 20% protein, and up to 5% fat. The muscle tissue is held together by connective tissue, which plays a big part in how tender your protein is. The amount of connective tissue depends on the age and amount of exercise the animal has had. More connective tissue = less tender. Poultry is extremely perishable and should be used as soon as possible after purchasing, and never more than four days later. (Unless you freeze it!!) Be sure to always wash your hands and equipment after handling raw poultry! Poultry should cook until well-done and its minimum internal temperature should read 165 degrees F. For small birds you can also test for doneness by the looseness of its joints, if it is firm to the touch, and if its juices run clear. We made a lot of interesting things this week, like Buffalo wings, turkey empanadas, chicken cordon bleu, and even chicken noodle soup—which was great on a cold day! Hopefully, you can impress your families and friends this Thanksgiving with all of your new cooking knowledge! Have a relaxing and thankful break!

Week 10: Baking

The lab was transformed into a bakery this week filled with scents of delicious treats. We learned all the ins and outs of baking. We talked about how baking is an exact science. You can’t eyeball measurements or use more or less of things like you can in cooking, because you will ruin your recipe. We also talked a bit about yeast and how it likes to eat sugar. We tried many different recipes, including some gluten free ones, which is becoming more and more important as more and more people are diagnosed with gluten intolerances. Some recipes that were made today were a flourless chocolate cake, some cream puffs, zucchini bread, gluten free muffins raspberry muffins, a few breads, and lastly angel and devil’s food cakes! We’re flying through the topics and are moving to cooking with poultry next week. See you then!

Week 9: Functional Properties of Eggs

This week we learned about the functional properties of eggs. They can be used as emulsifiers, thickeners, binders, as well as for color or structure. Chef Kristi taught us that we can measure the freshness of an egg without breaking it by either putting it in water to see if it will sink or float or by shaking it and listening for sloshing around. She also talked about egg substitute powders for vegans, or egg beaters, which are just colored egg whites. In addition to all of our recipes this week, we also worked with Chef Kristi and Meghan to learn more about making omelets! Yum! The Tuesday section of lab was lucky to have lab in the morning with all of these breakfast foods. We had a nice balance of sweet and savory in this week's lab. We had some delicious French toast, a mushroom quiche, some eggs benedict, pasta carbonara, a lemon pudding cake, and some Asian inspired egg drop soup! See you next week when we try out some baking techniques!

Week 8: Milk and Milk Products

During this week's lab we discussed milk products and alternatives. We got to taste many different types of milk, besides just regular cow’s milk which we are used to. We tried soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, and even chocolate soy milk! Yum! More and more alternatives have been put out in recent years due to a rise in lactose intolerance. These "milks" are enriched with calcium and other nutrients that are found in cow's milk. Several discussions and recipes showed us how different kinds of milk affect the outcome of your product. We had lots of yummy treats to sample this week like Key lime pie, fondue, and manicotti. We also made some cheddar cheese crackers, and some pumpkin tofu cheesecake! See you in next week’s lab where will make some EGGcellent egg recipes!

Week 7: Characteristics of Fats and Oils

This week we made a move from colorful and fibrous fruits and vegetables to fats and oils. Chef Kristi taught us all about a variety of oils and what it means for an oil to hit its smoking point. We also got to taste some peanut butter alternatives. Who knew almond, cashew, and sunflower butter could be so delicious! We also tasted differences between whipped butter, margarine, and smart balance spread. Fats and oils are a little more complicated than most people realize. You can have solid fats with straight chain fatty acids or liquid fats that have higher amounts of kinked chain fatty acids. When we refer to the state (solid, liquid, or in between) of fats, it is what they are like at room temperature. Straight chain fats are your saturated or trans fats and kinked chain fats are mono and polyunsaturated fats. Fats have a smoke point, at which they begin to break down and the glycerol section of the triglyceride turns into acrolein, which is very irritating to the eyes and nose. Frying isn't very simple either. There are several things you need to consider when frying, including the temperature of the fat/oil (can't be above the smoke point, but can't be too cold or it will encourage fat absorption), the kind of food you're frying, the temperature of the food (if it's too cold it will reduce the temperature of the oil), and how much food needs to be fried. We saw this when we tasted our delicious vegetable tempura. Thanks Unit 1!!

Week 6: Fruits and Vegetables

From the monochrome of the Starches Lab we move into living color this week and explore several different aspects of vegetables and fruits! We had a quite a variety of dishes this week, using potatoes, carrots, apples, pears, and bananas, among some others. Chef Kristi showed us some clever ways to keep herbs fresh in our refrigerator or freezer so that they can last a long time. She also showed us some interesting produce that we had never seen before. What’s a rutabaga anyway? We enjoyed some healthy fruits and veggies this week, next week we will be back to learn all about characteristics of fats and oils! Your comments look great! Keep them coming! And remember- you only have until before next week's lab! Thanks, Susan