mari9977

[mari9977]

Diets and Dietary Restrictions

For our latest class assignment, we were tasked with following a diet and allergen restriction for one week. Having on and off tried the G.I. or Glycemic Index Diet and thought I give it another shot. This diet detailed in the book The G.I. Diet by Rick Gallop focuses on eating food items which are low on the Glycemic Index ( a measure of the speed at which you digest food and convert it to glucose, your body’s energy source) these foods take more energy to digest and make you feel full longer. The book comes with a handy chart of different ratings of food, red-light foods are ones you should stop eating entirely they are high on the G.I. index with less healthy fats they include foods like bacon, cheese, and bagels, yellow-light foods are to be avoided till you reach your desired weight and then enjoyed in moderation they are foods like whole-wheat pitas, lean ground beef, and low-fat yogurt, green-light foods are the ones you should always eat and include most vegetables (no potatoes, corn, turnips, artichokes or beets) most fruits, pasta in moderation, fish, lean meats and whole-grain high fiber bread. To add to the challenge and in solidarity with my brother who doesn’t eat nuts I chose nuts as the allergen to avoid despite most of them green-lighting foods in moderation. Here was my weekly menu:

As you can see my daily morning meal was a hearty bowl of Oatmeal. Usually, I eat rice cakes with peanut butter and jelly or vector cereal but these were a no-no due to the diet and allergen I chose. For lunch and dinner, I had more of a variety of foods featuring a green-light protein and vegetables. A star meal came from the book with a couple adjustments which was Chicken Jambalaya. I omitted the celery cause I dislike the taste switched in a red bell pepper added extra black beans and messed around with the spices.

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 lb boneless skinless chicken, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 tsp each dried thyme leaves and oregano

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 cups chicken stock (low fat, low sodium)

1 can (796ml) stewed tomatoes

1 can (540ml) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (540ml) black beans, drained and rinsed

¾ cup brown rice

1 bay leaf

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook garlic and onion for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add chicken and spices; cook stirring for 5 minutes.

Add chicken broth, peppers, tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, rice, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard it. Stir in parsley before serving.

All in all, it was an interesting experience. As mentioned I’ve been on the diet before but not without nuts which limited my snacking options considerably. I should have maybe tried to vary my breakfast a bit more as I was getting tired of oatmeal near the end but I also came to appreciate it. I’m especially glad that my family co-operated with my choices and let me cook meals that were appropriate for the diet. If I started putting on weight again this would definitely continue to be my diet of choice for weight loss. It is decently restrictive but if you concentrate on unprocessed healthy foods it can be an easy diet to follow. As for following the diet as a chef, it was easy to cook for and was mostly about choosing the right ingredients and occasionally checking the guide when you wanted to add something. You could definitely run a restaurant based on this diet focusing on Low G.I. foods which I think would appeal to a lot of people.

[mari9977]

Eggplant Experience

Eggplants (also known as aubergine or brinjal) are warm-weather vegetables that are harvested in mid- to late summer. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) grows wild in its homeland of South Asia as a perennial plant, though these warm-season vegetables are treated by most gardeners as annuals. Given their tropical and subtropical heritage, eggplants do require relatively high temperatures, similar to tomatoes and peppers (which, like eggplants, are in the Nightshade family). They grow fastest when temperatures are between 70 and 85°F (21 and 30°C)—and very slowly during cooler weather. Like tomatoes and peppers, eggplants develop and hang from the branches of a plant that grows several feet in height. Because they need warm soil, eggplants are usually purchased as 6- to 8-week-old transplants (or, started indoors about two months in advance) to get a head start. Raised beds enriched with composted manure are an ideal growing place for eggplants because the soil warms more quickly.  Eggplant is a member of the Solanaceae family specie. Eggplant would fit perfectly into Mediterranean cuisine.

Recipe: Baked Eggplant Parmesan

INGREDIENTS

Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

2 large eggs

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for topping

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 large eggplants (2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

6 cups (48 ounces) tomato sauce 

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.

Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on the bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on the other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.

Spread 2 cups sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with 2 cups sauce, then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Before:

After:

This dish was cheesy, salty, spicy, and a little bit acid because of the tomato sauce, with the crispy-crunchy of the eggplant inside. This dish was very similar to lasagna, but instead of pasta, I used eggplant. 

[mari9977]

Exploring new flavors...

I tried a new food today that I never had eaten before. I can give you a tip... Is Mexican Food.

Guess what?

QUESADILLAS!

Before I ate, it seemed like a crepe. When I touched I felt smoothness with a light crunchy cover, and the smelling was like melted cheese and butter. At the first bite I felt the salt and the cheese melting in my mouth with a light touch of butter with steak pieces. Throughout my meal, I could feel a mix of jalapeno`s pepper, mozzarela cheese, purple onions, cillantro and the sweetness of the corns. Tastes like a brazilian crepe. This food is unique because the dough is a mix of smooth and a light crunchy cover with a feeling that melts in your mouth with a moisture of umami flavour with cheese making this unique.

I learned about my palate that I could feel the sensations in some particular places on my tongue. I enjoyed exploring the taste of this food. I would eat it again, because it was delicious and I saw that is possible change the meat option for many different ingredients to ad in the Quesadilla recipe that I was dreaming in trying it on in a different time. It was delicious. In my opinion, the cheese with the meat inside made the flavor more appealing. This experience helped me to pay more attention on what kind of ingredients I am eating more detailed, and made me be more critical in what I am putting in my recipe, if the flavor matches perfectly, and also makes me think what kind of taste I am looking for before I start cooking. 

[mari9977]

Soup for today!

Hello! 

Today I’m gonna make my favorite soup: Caramelized Soup! 

I confess... I’m not the person who loves soup, but this one... Especially this one, I just love! 

I chose this soup because me and my father loves this soup, and it makes me remember him and all the good moments eating this soup with him. This is our family’s recipe.

Now lets to the ingredients?!

INGREDIENTS

4 large onions 60 g butter 250 ml of cream 30 g of sugar Salt 20g Pepper 10g Gruyère cheese 300g Loaf of bread or Baguette (optional) Herbs of your choice 1 bunch

METHOD OF PREPARATION

1. Chop the onions finely.

2. Place the butter in a melting pan and add the onions. Let it cook over medium heat, then add the sugar.

3. When the onions are already golden brown, add the cream, turn the heat down and leave the kitchen for 15 minutes.

4. Grate the cheese on the thick drain.

5. Cut the bread strips into 4 squares or slice the baguette in 1 cm more or less, place a little cheese on top and bake in the oven to lightly toast.

6. Beat the cream of onions in a blender while still hot, place in bowls and serve with the pieces of toast with cheese and decorate with thyme leaves or the herb of your choice.

7. This recipe takes sugar, but it is a salty dish, so adjust the salt and black pepper as you prefer.

8. Chop the parsley and put it on top after it is done.

This soup was thick, salty with a light touch of sugar at the end. When we eat with bread we feel crunchy matching with the soup perfectly.

My fiance has tried it, and he loved! 

The challenge of this soup is knowing exactly how to match the sugar with salt. I would put a little less caramelized onion... Nevertheless, at the end, was a success! 

I took from this experience that is so good eating a good soup in the winter time, I do not eat this soup since I was living in Brazil, and eating this soup in Winter time, made all the difference. 

I learn that sugar and salt can be an awesome combination!

I could ad this soup in a menu as an “entrée” (appetizer) someday in my future culinary endeavors.

All the pictures were taken by me while I was cooking the soup and after it was done.

[mari9977]

Diary of a Future Chef on Board

Hi,

My name is Mariana De Lucca, I’m 22 years old and I’m majoring Culinary Management at George Brown College. 

Why I want to be a Chef? Everything started 4 years ago. I appreciate eating good food since ever, and cooking for me was just a hobby. My parents and my boyfriend always said to me that I knew how to match the perfect ingredients and I should considerate try a Culinary School. Then, I drop off my current major in that time, which was Global Business, and I start to study in a Chef School in Brazil for 1 year, falling in love for French Food. While I’m cooking, I feel a lightness, freedom and happiness. That’s why I chose to be a Chef. It makes me happy.

This was my first Foie Gras of my life in my Culinary School in Brazil.

I’m not working in the industry at the moment, because I’m trying to focus on my course right now. Also, I feel that I have to improve my skills before working in the industry.

My personal philosophy cooking is: Be calm while you are cooking, trust in yourself and be patient. A good food is always well prepared with patience. And of course, love, is the essential ingredient.

What I hope to gain from my blogging experience? Inspiration for cooking, followers food lovers, and new friends.

Also, I highly recommend a blog called “Taste”, because its rich the variety of recipes and inspiring tips for cooking with curiosities about the background of the food. In addition, I already tried a recipe from there called Gratin Dauphinois, it was delicious. In my opinion, they can improve the blog with videos showing the preparation of the recipes.

Bocuse (n.d.) says a quote that is my dilemma:  “Life is too short for cuisine minceur and for diets. Dietetic meals are like an opera without the orchestra.” (para. 3).   

References

Cloud, N. (2017). [Digital Image]. Retrieved from https://flowersforsocrates.com/2017/02/11/on-this-day-february-11-2017/

Teclemariam, T. (n.d.). Gratin Dauphinois [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.tastecooking.com/recipes/gratin-dauphinois-recipe/

(n.a.). (n.d). Paul Bocuse [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.greatthoughtstreasury.com/author/paul-bocuse