rahuld13th

[rahuld13th]

6 months, since my last "vadapav" I was going nuts. Not to go full on cliche mode but, I believe food is more than just flavor, texture, presentation,etc. Take one bite and it should take you back, to the exact moment the memory was created. If you are able to create that experience for anyone, it would beat any amount of Michelin stars on a given day. #quarantinecooking #vadapav #canada #cheflife #food (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MEgANg9jB/?igshid=1o8d2lkqdowp8

[rahuld13th]

Unchi hai building... 🎶🎵🎶 #architecture #toronto #photography #streetphotography #building #blogto (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B-riELFgfxs/?igshid=j2bnj9xi4x84

[rahuld13th]

Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian!! ( Food theory 2)

Hello and welcome to my 3rd blog for food theory two. This is yet another hands-on blog in which I had to follow a special type of diet for a week and then share my experience on this platform.

The rules are simple, I follow one special diet for which I chose the lacto-ovo- vegetarian diet and avoid my allergen which is mustard.

Starting with the table given below, it is the diet I followed for one week. Most of the eggs and dairy as you can see was consumed on alternate days only for the breakfast, other than that this has mostly been a vegan diet.

 Monday

1 Banana, 1 Avocado, two pc brown toast, coffee with sugar (Breakfast)

Wheat roti, potato sabji (Lunch)

Banana, Orange (snacks)

Noodles with Brussels sprouts, garlic, celery (Dinner)

Tuesday

1 Banana, 3egg Omlette, Tea with milk and sugar, 2 brown toast

Pasta with garlic, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, celery

Protein bar, Orange

White rice, banana, beans

Wednesday

1 Avocado, 2 brown toast, Orange

Fetuccine with broccoli and garlic

- (No snacks)

White rice with celery, garlic and green beans

Thursday

3 egg scrambled eggs, 2 brown toast, black coffee

Noodles with carrots and cabbage, garlic

Passion fruit

Vegetable pie

Friday

1 avocado, 2 brown toast, chai

Quinoa missal with Focaccia bread

Kiwi, biscuits

Dal and rice

Saturday

2 fried eggs, brown toast, black coffee

Vegetarian pizza

- (Late lunch so no dinner)

-

Sunday

Upma (semolina)

Stir fry vegetables with rice and salad greens

- (Late lunch so no dinner)

-

Now there were a few Indian dishes which would have mustard seeds in it, but to make adjustments for my allergies I went with an alternative instead. Below is the recipe for one such dish which tastes equally good made without mustard.

Recipe: Potato Bhaji

Ingredients                                                     Quantity

Potatoes (Yukon gold)                                     2 whole

Green Chilies                                                   2 small

Canola Oil                                                        1tbsp

Cumin Seeds                                                   5gms

Turmeric Powder                                              5gms

Salt                                                                  To taste

Coriander                                                        2 sprigs

 Method:

1)      Put cold water on high heat in a pot and add potatoes for boiling.

2)      Once boiled, peel and cut into ½ inch cubes.

3)      In a pan, add the oil and heat it.

4)      Add the cumin seeds and wait until they crackle.

5)      Add chopped green chillies to the oil, followed by the turmeric.

6)      Finally, add the potato cubes and season with salt.

7)      Add chopped coriander at the end and serve hot.

This has been a really positive experience for me , even though I still crave chicken wings on the weekend. This diet has helped me a lot especially because I have a very active schedule which includes daily 5k runs. Yes, this vegetarian diet has given me enough carbs and proteins and fats to sustain myself throughout my busy day.

I would definitely recommend this diet, the key here is discipline. When I chose to do this , I had to create for myself dishes on a regular basis which would conform to my diet but at the same time make it delicious so I can keep following it on a daily basis. As a chef it has pushed me to create new dishes and look for different plants and plant based ingredients. Yes, I will definitely be continuing this diet for as long as I can, It might just become a new lifestyle for me.

[rahuld13th]

Vegan VS Animal-based

A vegan diet is one which does not include any animal-based and dairy-based products, instead alternatives are used.

There are many benefits of switching to a vegan diet.

Firstly, it’s comparatively better for the environment. According to one study 14.5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions are caused by livestock globally. And cattle represents 65% of the livestock emissions, this also includes cattle raised for dairy. Thus going plant based and dairy free is the more sustainable option, if not the solution to global warming. (FAO, 2020)

Second, is of course the ethical issue. Whether the animal was factory raised, farm raised or free range or grass fed it is in the end killed. While it has been a norm for human beings since the hunter gatherer era to eat meat, being in the 21st century gives us other options to explore, going vegan being one of them.

 Third, because it’s healthier for your heart compared to a animal based diet. According to a Harvard study, plant based diet lowers the risk of heart diseases. (Harvard health, 2020)

 As far as my culinary profession is concerned, I will definitely have more varieties of plant based food and even dedicated menus for such specific diets. It is a no-brainer really; vegan food has already established itself as an essential requirement in menus. There are already vegan-only restaurants all over the world and it is definitely the way to go especially when anyone is considering being sustainable.

 Now let me show you a very simple yet tasty, vegan appetizer recipe.

 VEGAN ROLLS

Ingredients

Quantity

Cabbage                                  1 (Outer big leaf)

Rice                                          50gms

Garlic                                       2 cloves

Celery                                      20gms

Onion                                       20gms

Thyme                                     2 sprigs

Salt and Black pepper             To taste

Olive Oil                                   15ml

  Method:

1)     Boil water in a pot and add rice to it and boil until fully cooked, strain and keep aside.

2)     In a separate pot boil water and add the cabbage leaf to it and blanch it (should become translucent), strain water and keep aside.

3)     In a pan , heat olive oil add finely chopped garlic, finely chopped celery and onion.

4)     Saute on medium heat and add the thyme leaves, the cooked rice and toss well.

5)     Season with salt and black pepper.

6)     Now, spread the cabbage leaf and put a dollop of rice in the center.

7)     Tuck the sides in first and gently but tightly roll the cabbage away from you.

8)     Once rolled, keep it seam side down and cut carefully with a knife.

9)     Present on a plate and serve. (Hot or Cold)

 The above recipe was a very simple recipe which can be made with basic ingredients found in every household. The objective was to show how easy it can be to prepare vegan food without having to take too many efforts. Although, I would definitely love to challenge myself with different fillings for the rolls and also deal with different cooking methods like a baking the roulade .

References

 1)    Food and Agriculture Organization, n.d, Major cuts of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock within reach, http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/197608/icode

2)     Harvard Men's Health Watch, January 29, 2020, The Right Plant-based Diet For You

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-right-plant-based-diet-for-you

[rahuld13th]

Me and Nutrition (Blog 1)

My name is Rahul Pagare, a student of George Brown College and part of the H116 Culinary management program. Nutrition and food go hand in hand, thus for someone like me who is a food professional it is essential to have an understanding of both of the things. We consume food for energy to survive, and we get this energy in the form of various nutrients we get from various different food products.

The one topic that particularly interests me in nutrition is diets. Diets have been changing since a very long time, and it is very interesting to see people blindly follow the latest trends in the dieting world. I find it interesting and amusing at the same time to see the amount of time and money involved both in research done to find a “balanced diet” and then by the consumers to follow it. This intrigues me as whatever the latest trends are they have to be brought down in restaurants as well to cater to the guests’ needs. Chefs and restaurants that do not keep up with the latest trends tend to disappear; such is the impact the scientific field of nutrition has on the culinary industry. And this is just the current scenario, as an example consider a traditional Italian pizza maker, earlier he just had to dump some cheese and sauce on bread and he was done. Fast forward to 2020, now he has to have a gluten free bread for the rising gluten allergy, he has to have whole wheat bread options for the low-carb people, he has to buy organic tomatoes to make the sauce (Because organic is hip!). This is how much health and nutrition has affected kitchens all over the world. However let’s not get into if it is positive or negative, even though it has pushed chefs in a positive direction to find healthier and sustainable alternatives. And even in the future it will continue to impact the food habits of people all over the world and thus also the cooking habits. When it comes to finding more information about nutrition and health I always go through the official government websites. For example the USDA official website, this even has a PDF containing dietary guidelines for its citizens.  This website is a credible source as it is backed by government and professional dieticians. A non-credible source would be any website which is run by persons unqualified to be a Registered Nutritionist. A good example would the “Food babe”, if the name isn’t enough to send red flags to you then you must consider even though Vani Hari wants to help common people through her blog, she is not a qualified dietician, thus making her website an unreliable source of information. References: 1) USDA, n.d, Dietary Guidelines for Americans. https://www.fns.usda.gov/cnpp/dietary-guidelines-americans 2) Hari Vani, n.d, Join Me! Investigate Your Food. https://foodbabe.com/about-me/

[rahuld13th]

Tumblr,

As you’re probably aware, the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, has now been found in countries all over the globe. This is an understandably disconcerting moment for many, but there are steps we can all take to help mitigate the effect on our communities.

COVID-19 is spreading, but misinformation and disinformation are spreading even faster. The most responsible thing you can do is protect yourself from both the disease and false information. Being prepared with facts and data instead of assumptions and fabrications will help inform how you can best prepare for COVID-19.

Here are some resources you can trust:

WHO provides daily updates surrounding COVID-19’s spread, infection rate, and general influence on our society. Their latest update given on March 3, 2020, details that there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. They also provide a very handy FAQ section, where you can learn more about how to protect yourself and your community. 

Every day Worldometer updates its website with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each country that has been affected. Worldometer has been rated one of the best free reference websites by the American Library Association, and for good reason: it lists every single one of its regular sources here, and lists the source of every COVID-19 update at the bottom of the COVID-19 page. 

Your local health department will often have the most up-to-date information specific to your immediate area, including how to proceed if you believe you may be showing symptoms of the virus. If you live in the United States, you can find the contact information for your health department by visiting the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

There’s another thing about this news that a lot of places are not talking about: the toll on one’s mental health, especially if you are someone who struggles with anxiety. If you find your concerns about being prepared are crossing a line that affects your mental health, please consider reaching out to a loved one who can guide you to help, a mental health professional, or an organization set up to help those in need.

Here are a couple of organizations you can trust:

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support. Just text 741741 from anywhere in the United States. The Crisis Text Line will connect you with a trained Crisis Counselor. 

National Alliance on Mental Health (@namiorg) offers free support and resources for those who are struggling. NAMI can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 am - 6 pm EST at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email at info@nami.org.

Take care of yourselves, Tumblr. Wash your hands well, practice keeping a safe distance from others, only wear a mask if you believe you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms and could infect others (or are immunocompromised yourself), and remember to fact check everything that you see. Head on over to @world-wide-what for a refresher on what fake news looks like and how it spreads. Pass those tips onto others when you see them accidentally spreading false information. 

<3 

[rahuld13th]

Seule. #bag #station #canada #igers #niagarafalls #railway #windows #architecture #brickwall (at Niagara Falls, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9IxitPgTBz/?igshid=qgbhmiaccae2

[rahuld13th]

One of the best parts of the two days, the deserted streets of Niagara. A different feeling altogether when all you can hear is your own footsteps. And not a single human in sight. #niagarafalls #niagarafallscanada #street #streetphotography #church #nofilter #quiet #soltitude #canada #ontario (at Niagara Falls, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8vzUGCAu96/?igshid=18zpxum6cnzw

[rahuld13th]

Because we all love it. :) #rainbow #vibgyor #niagarafalls #nature #photooftheday #canada #colors (at Canadian Horseshoe falls) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8sbunWAc_l/?igshid=ib45a5mw65j1

[rahuld13th]

Portal underneath the fall. You can hear this picture. #niagarafalls #niagaratourism #canada #sunday #waterfall #nature #sounds (at Niagara Falls, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8pKEawgotj/?igshid=wkbozw55sy9e

[rahuld13th]

Farmers Market.

On a bitterly cold winter evening in Toronto, I am at the Dufferin Grove Park. I walk inside a garage and there stands Mr. Rodrigo. Standing behind a couple of tables selling his produce, that’s his Thursday routine. Small place, Cold weather nothing stops him from doing his thing.

Incase you were not sure yet, Rodrigo is a farmer. Better yet he is an organic farmer who comes to sell his goods at Dufferin Farmers Market every week. And this week he has been kind enough to answer all my questions.

Lets begin with his background, Rodrigo started this farming business 23 years ago when he became part of a government granted “community gardening projects”, to start farming in an organic manner. That’s how Plan B Organic Farms came to existence in Hamilton. It initially started on a small scale, but now Rodrigo also collects produce from various local farmers in his community to keep up with the demand. By demand I refer to the 300-odd families who have subscribed to the weekly organic produce boxes.

Mr. Rodrigo’s philosophy is very simple when asked why he chose to farm organically, other than the fact that GMO’s are poisoning us. He replied “It’s to build a community and to keep the society together”, and he also mentioned how people do not know where their food comes from. So what he does “helps the society from falling apart”.

 He sells about a dozen different fresh vegetables and fruits, along with some fungi and many different jars of fermented products like Sauerkraut and pickles. While the pricing of these products is double the supermarket rates, these products are of superior and safer quality too. A bulb of garlic for example, will cost you one dollar while, the market rate is 5 bulbs in a dollar. If one has to subscribe for a box it starts at 25 dollars which seems like a reasonable amount for a week’s supply of fresh organic vegetables and fruits.

I feel these products are completely worth the price in terms of sustainability. They support the three pillars of social (by building a strong community and providing healthier food), economic (by providing a steady means of income to small scale local farmers rather than big companies) and environment (by choosing to go organic, thus keeping harmful chemicals and fertilizers out of the soil).

This was a good experience where I had the honor of meeting a farmer who produces the food that sometimes even we as kitchen professionals take for granted. We have to realize it is the hard work of people like Mr. Rodrigo who choose to go organic because they care about their community, thus it should be up to us chefs now to showcase all this wonderful produce and give it the spotlight it deserves.

[rahuld13th]

Kimchi, pickles, sauerkraut, sapiens. Aren't we all just going through fermentation? #fermentation #nomaferments #food #foodphotography #chef #vegetables #pickling #preservation (at Dufferin Grove Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hiSr4AhZe/?igshid=18uurun6sicxi

[rahuld13th]

Are you game for trying “game”?

Hello! This blog is about meat, so I had to choose an animal and a specific cut and present. After weeks of rummaging through my brain, I decided to try Ostrich. I chose Ostrich for this blog, the reason being it’s a rather unique meat. I chose to purchase and cook the thigh of an ostrich. Of course, I did not buy the entire thigh; rather I bought a 225gm piece of this beautiful meat from St. Lawrence Market. I chose this cut because I wanted to have a quick cook rather than a long and slow method.

Ostrich is a big flightless bird found openly only in the African continent. It is known for its running abilities and can clock speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. (1) They heavily rely on their two legs to walk and run as required, thus their leg muscles are quite worked out. And if you have a look at the picture below you can see the meat is dark red and completely lean without a trace of fat. A whole thigh, of course would be enormous and costly. This particular piece cost me 22CAD for 225gms, which is enough for two portions, in fact four portions are possible if it is going to be a part of a tasting menu. While as a part of tasting menu its easy because of the smaller portion being served and generally higher price charged, for the a la carte menu it can be easily priced for 30-35CAD per portion, which gives a margin of double the purchased rate.

A lean thigh can be technically used for various different purposes and cooked in different ways. You could pound it and make schnitzels, you can wrap it in bacon and cook it in the oven that way it will stay moist. Or you can simply choose to sear or grill it and serve with some beautiful accompaniments like I did.

Here is my recipe.

Ingredients

Quantity

Ostrich thigh                  225gm

Olive Oil                        60ml

Thyme                           5gm

Black pepper               To taste

Salt                              To taste

Dandelions                  1 bunch

Garlic                           6 cloves

Dashi Stock                 300ml

AP Flour                      30gm

Butter                          30gm

 *You can use canned or instant stock found in Asian stores.

  Method:

1)      Cut the thigh into two halves and marinade with Olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic cloves.

2)      Let it marinate at least for one hour.

3)      For the Dashi Veloute, make a roux with equal amounts of butter and flour.

4)      Then slowly add the stock to the roux, mix with the help of a whisk so that there are no lumps.

5)      Keep stirring until a thick consistency is achieved. The Sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

6)      Season the sauce with Salt.

7)      Pick and clean the dandelion leaves.

8)      Chop garlic, sauté it in olive oil without browning.

9)      Add the greens to it and cook for a minute.

10)   Season with salt and pepper.

11)   Sear the meat on a medium flame for 2 minutes each side. (for medium rare)

12)   Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

13)   Plate all three elements as shown below.

Reference:

1) Rafferty John, Encyclopedia Britannica, retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/animal/ostrich

[rahuld13th]

Game. Dandelion. Dashi. #toronto #foodporn #foodie #platingfood #ostrich #michelin (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rwqszAmK4zTTxDD6jVR128Ky2ROuePD8M2840/?igshid=9oc5yb5b0skx

[rahuld13th]

Game. Dandelion. Dashi. #toronto #foodporn #foodie #platingfood #meat #sauce #ostrich (at Toronto, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rv7Z5A_R0JUwhQdYpGQTHoinfy5syWlEfH1M0/?igshid=1ov7nrf817ioi

[rahuld13th]

Des Tomates Fermentee..

Attempt 1 

So recently I had a blog to make as an assignment. It had to be about a preserved food, i.e a pickle or a ferment. Naturally my mind leaned towards lacto-fermented foods.

This is what happens when one is a food fanatic and gets his hands on Chef Rene Redzepi and David Zilbers, “Noma: a guide to Fermentation”.

No this is not a promo for the said book (as if it needs any) , rather this a catalogue of my struggles to prepare a two-ingredient component.

I chose to ferment tomatoes. Why tomatoes? well because they are cheaper compared to plums and I know i can afford to have a disaster or two.

So i followed the recipe with 500 gms of beefsteak tomatoes and 10 gm of salt, the process is to toss quarters of tomatoes in the salt and then pour into an airtight jar.

After this, begins the waiting game which is the actual process of “fermenting”. Much like baking all you can do is, you’ve done everything as per the recipe and hope for the product not to fuck up. All this is supposed to be done in room temperature, with no direct sunlight.

DAY 1 was fine , absolutely normal. Just water oozing out of the tomatoes.

DAY 2: Things escalated rather quickly as white mold started forming a thin layer. 

At this point i knew my project was doomed. On day 3 ( I was past clicking pictures at this point) the mold had only increased and started to look like cotton candy. That was my cue, had to dump it in the bin. 

Note: Michael Pollan in his book “Cooked” says that one can just scrape off the mold and still continue with the product, however i was not willing to risk my or my brave roommates life for this (he did offer to taste it). 

Thus, my fermentation assignment was about boring pickled eggs and hopefully when I go for the second attempt the tomatoes will hold, not mold.

Sources:

1) Redzepi. R & Zilber. D, Noma: A guide to fermentation

2)Pollan M, Cooked

[rahuld13th]

Pickling des oeufs...

Pickling is the oldest method of preserving food, this dates back to the times when there were no refrigerators or canned /frozen foods. Preserving foods was of utmost importance for people, especially in the cold regions where people needed to survive through the winter months.

I chose to pickle eggs. Eggs are versatile ingredients but people rarely use pickled eggs at home. Thus I decided to make some pickled eggs, to share some ideas of preserving them.

For making pickled eggs I prepared a simple pickling liquid and used products which are generally available in my kitchen.

Ingredients

Quantity

Water 750ml

Apple cider vinegar 250ml

Salt 15gms

Sugar 10gms

Garlic   3 cloves

Ginger 5gms

Green chilli 1pc

Kaffir Lime leaves 4pc

Eggs 2pcs

Fennel 3 inch stalk

 Method:

1) Hard boil the eggs, peel and let them cool.

2) In a saucepan add all the ingredients barring ginger, garlic and green chilli.

3) Bring it to a boil, turn off the flame and let it cook.

4) Take an airtight jar, and place the boiled eggs, fennel stalk, garlic cloves, ginger and green chilli.

5) Once the mixture is cooled, pour it over the eggs in the jar.

6) Shut the jar tightly and store it in the refrigerator.

 Final Product:

After about 5 days of pickling in an airtight jar, the product was ready to consume. And it was totally worth the wait. The egg had a golden shine to it and when I bit into it I got a flavour explosion of the tartness of the apple cider with light notes of garlic and fennel in the background. It can be used as part of a salad, or eaten with sticky rice.

On my next attempt i will try to experiment with the spices I use and maybe pickle some unusual ingredient.