Cakes

Cakes

There are 4 main methods of cake making...

1. Whisking- relies on air being trapped by whisking, not fat, short shelf life
2. Creaming- half or more than half ratio of fat to flour
3. Melting- a high ratio of sugar ingredients
4. Rubbing in- more fat than flour ratio

Here are some different examples of cakes and what method is used:

In a cake...

Flour- forms the structure of the cake because as it is heated, the protein in the flour sets the framework and shape. If the flour is self-raising, it also acts as a raising agent and if dextrinization (browning of starch foods because of dry heat) happens, the starch converts into sugar and when heated, the sugar caramelises and there is a golden brown surface.

Sugar- Sugar adds flavour, sweetens the cake and when it is heated, caramelization gives colour. When sugar is creamed with fat or butter, it helps hold the air in the mixture.

Fat- Fat adds colour and flavour and can help increase shelf life. As mentioned, it can help hold air bubbles which can create texture and volume

Eggs- Eggs can add colour, flavour and nutritional value, as well as trapping air when it is whisked. It sets when it is heated and helps hold the fat in an emulsion. 

Different problems can happen when baking a cake...

Fault: Peaked cracked top

Cause: Oven is too hot, too much mixture was put into the tin, the mixture was too stiff or too wet and the batter was overmixed

Fault: Cake sinks

Cause: Too much sugar was added and it collapsed, too much raising agent was added, it was undercooked because a wrong temperature or time was used

Fault: Sugary speckled crust

Cause: Too much sugar was sued, the wrong type of sugar was used or it wasn't creamed enough

Fault: Close heavy texture

Cause: Too much liquid in the mixture, not enough raising agent was used, the creamed mixture has curdled and there isn't enough air. If the whisking method was used, it could be because eggs and sugar were not beaten enough or it was overbeaten when adding the flour

Fault: Course open texture

Cause: Too much raising agent was used or because the flour wasn't mixed enough

Fault: Fruit has sunk in

Cause: Too much liquid or sugar or raising agent was used

Icing used to decorate cakes...
Marzipan- This is used to coat and decorate cakes and is used as a base for royal icing or fondant. It can also be used for modelling because it is easy to handle, colour by kneading and is flexible. Marzipan is also used to stop moisture from the cake seeping into the icing.

Royal Icing- Royal icing is the traditional type of icing and can be used for flat icing, peaked icing or piping.

Fondant Icing- Fondant is good because it can easily be found in supermarkets but it is also quick and easy to make. It can be coloured either by using food dyes or by just buying it in many colours. The pros are that it is soft, flexible and can be used to cover all kinds of cakes. Most importantly, it can be used to make all kinds of decorations.

Modelling Paste- Very similar to fondant but is more resourceful and versatile for making models and decorations. This is because it contains a substance called gum tragacanth which is a strengthening agent so it holds its shape better.

Making Icing....
Butter icing- 
1:2 ratio of butter and icing sugar (e.g. 50g butter to 100g icing sugar)
1. Soften butter in a bowl and pour icing sugar on top
2. Mix ingredients together using a wooden spoon carefully
3. Once mixed, beat until smooth
4. If it is too stiff, add a little water until the right consistency is reached

Butter icing can be piped with a piping bag, a nozzle or be spread around the cake

Fondant icing-
Fondant usually does not need to be made but can be bought in supermarkets in either plain white or different colours. You could also mix two different colours together to make a third colour or to make a marble effect if it is not completely mixed. Fondant can be rolled our flat, shaped over the cake, cut out using shape cutters or be modelled into designs, figures and shapes. To stick fondant, you could use water as an adhesive

Tools Used to Make Cakes

Electric whisk

Baking tins

Piping bag and nozzles

Balloon whisk

Rolling pin

Silicone spatula

Cutters and modelling tools

Palette knife

Parchment paper

Final Cake Design:

Final Assessment

Final Assessment

Planning

I am planning to make a starter and a main course. For the starter, I am planning to make a salad. Here are some links to recipes for salads that I think would be good:

• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/asian-style-slaw-soy-chilli-dressing/4409e5f4-1a68-49d7-88b7-fd407427c41b?r=recipes/asiansalads&c=f996486c-ce33-47b2-808b-0e474de9b345/Asian%20salads
• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/barbecued-pork-salad/d07d768b-4036-4532-b2fc-e67e3ecd569e?r=recipes/asiansalads&c=f996486c-ce33-47b2-808b-0e474de9b345/Asian%20salads
• http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/lettuce-avocado-mango-salad/eb92f6f3-3125-4bd1-ae24-d19eb7689e38

After some thinking, I think I will be making the lettuce, avocado and mango salad (in bold) but I will be adding chicken breast to this to make sure there is protein as well and not using avocado because I found out that it contains a lot of fat. I knew this because I put the recipe into The Nutrition Program and it gave me an amber traffic light because it was high in fat and I saw that the avocado was mainly responsible for this so I have decided that I will not be using avocado. I also thought about making a soup but I don't really think I should make a soup because for my main course, I am planning a stir-fry and I don't think a soup would go well with a stir-fry. 

For my main course, I will be making a stir-fry with udon noodles. Here are some links to recipes I might use:

• http://www.thetastybiteblog.com/2014/10/03/stir-fry-beef-udon-noodles-yakiudon/
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/chicken-and-vegetable-stir-fry-with-udon-noodles

Three paragraphs:

Dish 1:

My first dish is going to be a salad with lettuce, mango, egg, dried cranberries and chicken breast as the ingredients. I will be using olive oil and lemon juice for my dressing. I have decided to do a salad for my starter because it is simple and easy to make so it makes sure I will have enough time to make my main course. It is also scientifically proven that eating foods rich in fibre and water like vegetables can help aid digestion and can even reduce calorie intake. I have chosen these particular ingredients because they each have nutrients from each different aspect in the Eatwell Plate. I personally prefer this dish because I generally like easy-to-make dishes like salads and things that I have experience with. Although I have made salads before, I haven't tried using mango or egg before so I think this will be a challenge. I have changed some of the ingredients from the recipe online so that it will include ingredients I actually like and so it will fit the Eatwell Plate. I will be showing my cutting vegetables and fruit skills I have developed this year. This dish does not take very long because it is relatively simple but to make sure I know how long I will need, I am planning to practice at home prior to the assessment. The cost of this dish might be expensive because mangoes are pretty pricey in Hong Kong but other ingredients like lettuce and egg are a medium price. This salad is pretty healthy because salads have high levels of vitamin C and vitamin E because of the raw vegetables. Green leafy vegetables like lettuce have lots of vitamins and fibre and are also low in calories. As I have fruit as well, the nutrients of fruit include that it is naturally low in fat, sodium and calories, has no cholesterol and is high in potassium, vitamin C and folate.

Dish 2:
My second dish I am going to make is a stir-fry using udon noodles, cabbage, baby corn, carrot, chilli and pork. I have decided to do a stir-fry for my main course because I have experience with making stir-fry at school. Additionally, I really like stir-fry- I always eat it when we eat out, it fits my culture as stir-fry is traditionally Chinese where ingredients are fried in a small amount of oil in a wok. I have chosen these ingredients because they are mostly vegetables (cabbage, baby corn, carrot, chills (chillies can be considered a fruit because it has seeds), I have included a meat (pork) and a carbohydrate (udon noodles). However, I do not have a milk, yogurt or cheese in this so I will need to think about this and then update my ingredients list. The skills I will be showing include cutting vegetables, cooking meat, knowing how to check whether or not a meat is cooked and frying. This dish will take longer to make than the salad, and I am estimating it will take half an hour to forty minutes but I am not 100% sure the exact time it needs so I will be practicing this dish at home as well. The cost of this dish will be average priced because the ingredients are easy to find and are not very expensive. I think this dish will be more unhealthy than the salad because to cook the stir-fry, I need to use oil and oil is not very healthy although I will be using a lot of vegetables.

Why do they fit in together?
These dishes fit in together because:
- Salads are very fresh and stir-fry is more oily and unhealthy- opposites
- Both are not very heavy dishes
- Need a source of dairy!! Might use yoghurt for the dressing in my salad
- Both are pretty healthy because they have a lot of vegetables- going to double check by using the Nutrition Program and then changing my recipe accordingly

Ingredients List:
Fruit and Vegetables- Green Grocers:
- Lettuce- half a small lettuce
- Cabbage- a quarter to half a small cabbage
- Baby corn- around five-seven baby corn
- Carrot- a quarter to half a carrot
- Chilli- one small chilli
- Mango- half a mango, peeled
- Lemon- half a lemon for the dressing
- Garlic- one clove

Meat and Fish- Butcher/Fishmonger:
- Chicken breast (cooked)- one pack
- Pork- one pack, less fat

Eggs and Dairy- Chilled:
- Egg- one, boiled

Cupboard ingredients:
- Olive oil
- Soya sauce
- Salt
- Dried cranberries
- Udon noodles

Equipment List:
Starter:

• Knife
• Green chopping board
• Red chopping board
• Measuring jug
• Spoon

Main course:

• Knife
• Green chopping board
• Red chopping board
• Measuring spoons
• Frying pan
• Colander
• Pot
• Chopsticks
• Small glass bowl

Timeplan:

Time	Method	Special Points
10:30	Arrive at food tech room	Be on time
10:31 - 10:32	Health and safety procedures	Tie hair Wash hands Wear an apron Prepare wet cloth to put under the chopping board
10:32 - 10:50	Prepare my equipment Prepare my vegetables, fruits and meat by chopping it up accordingly Put vegetables and fruit in a separate bowl from the meat	Put wet cloth under chopping board Remember to change to a red chopping board when chopping meat
10:50 – 11:00	Make dressing- lemon juice and olive oil Combine ingredients in a small bowl to make my salad Add in soya sauce, sugar and flour to the meat for flavouring Boil water in pot until there are bubbles so it is boiling, always check to make sure it isn’t spilling	Work quickly to allow enough time for my stir-fry Put pot handle facing the table top
11:01 - 11:05	Cook udon noodles in the boiled water. Use chopsticks to break the noodles apart, check if the noodles are done by pressing on it softly to see if it is soft	Be very quick because the noodles are done very quickly
11:06 – 11:10	Drain noodles in a colander and run it over cold water, set aside in a bowl	Put the pot and other equipment into the sink
11:11 – 11:15	Wash up salad equipment, leave on the side to dry
11:16 – 11:25	Heat oil in a pan, add pork and cook Add carrots first, and then add in baby corn, cabbage and lastly, chilli	Cook pork till it has turned a bit brown and the vegetables until it is nearly cooked
11:26 – 11:34	Add the udon noodles and the seasoning- soya sauce Separate a portion out to present	Keep on moving the ingredients around so it doesn’t stick to the pan
11:35 – 11:40	Work on the presentation of the dishes, put it on a nice dish etc.	Remember to take a picture!
11:41 – 11:55	Wash up the remaining dirty ingredients Dry all equipment with a cloth and put away. Wipe down the tabletop

Evaluation

For my final assessment, I made a salad containing mixed vegetables like rocket, spinach and lettuce, chicken breast, apple, strawberries and dried cranberries. I also made a simple dressing using lemon juice and olive oil to accompany it. In addition, I made a stir-fry with udon noodles, containing cabbage, carrot, baby corn and pork. I flavoured it using soya sauce and also added a teeny bit of sugar while cooking the pork to give it extra flavour.

The appearance of my salad was colourful because there was the green of the vegetables, the whitish yellow of the apple, the pale colour of the meat, the whitish red of the strawberries and the dark red colour of the dried cranberries. The texture was crunchy and refreshing and it smelt strongly of lemon juice because of the dressing. It tasted a bit sour because of the dressing and the rest of the salad just tasted very green and healthy (if that makes any sense). Some feedback I got from the teacher was that I should not have added in the chicken because it didn't go well with the salad and that it was an interesting selection of ingredients because they complied of sweet and savoury ingredients. She also complimented the dressing, saying that it fit in with the vegetables. Some feedback I got from my parents was that it was perfect for an appetizer; it was sour and sweet; the strawberries tasted fresh; and that it was very healthy and scrumptious. Overall, I think the dish as a whole was pretty good but to improve, I will not put the chicken in and put an egg (dairy) in instead and probably work on the presentation a bit more because I don't think it looked as good as I wanted it to be.

The appearance of my dish wasn't very colourful but looked yellow and orange because of the yellowish colour of the noodles, the yellow of the corn, the orange of the carrot, and the yellowy green of the cabbage. The texture was soft because of the noodles but still a bit crunchy because of the vegetables. My dish smelt good because of the flavouring (a bit hard to describe). It tasted appetizing and flavourful and it wasn't too salty either. Some feedback I got from the teacher was that it wasn't too salty and that the saltiness was at a right level. She also commented that it was too much to be a portion. Some feedback I got from my parents was that it was better than the time I cooked at home prior to the assessment because it wasn't as salty; the vegetables were cooked well and the noodles weren't too soft. In general, I feel like I did a good job with the flavouring and the cooking because I did not overcook or undercook anything. To improve, I think I should have added in a variety of different coloured ingredients to make it look more eyecatching.

My salad involved using cutting vegetables and cutting fruit skills as well as simple skills like measuring out amounts I need. My udon used skills like cutting vegetable and meat, knowing how much flavour is needed, frying, boiling noodles, and time management. 

I think that I worked in a safe and hygienic manner because I washed my hands before making my food. I wore an apron, tied up my hair, removed my watch to prevent dirt and germs getting into my food. In addition, I used the correct chopping board when cutting up my vegetables and then had to change to a red chopping board when I was chopping up my meat. I also remembered to put a wet cloth underneath. Moreover, I was organised because I worked in order of the recipe and the time plan for both dishes. However, I was a bit behind my time plan at the start because it took a longer time to boil the water as expected but I caught up in the end because the frying took less time than I thought. In the end, I had plenty of time to wash up and I did not feel rushed or panicked.

My strengths during this cooking process were that I was well organized and managed my time well. In addition, I think I did well when chopping up my ingredients because they were mostly in the same size and shape. The process of chopping the meat also went smoothly which is an improvement from when I was cooking at home because, at home, it took me a long time to manage this as the meat was very slippery so it was hard. This is not exactly a weakness but one of the challenges I faced was that my water took a very long time to boil and this was very worrying because this step took me something like 2 minutes at home. Therefore, I thought there was a problem with the stove or something but in the end, the water did boil but it took a longer time. One of my weaknesses was when I was washing up, I forgot a few plates and cutlery and only remembered after I finished washing up the other equipment. As a result, I spent a pretty long time washing up but this didn't actually affect anything much because I still finished on time. If I had to do this assessment again, I would make some changes to my presentation of the food as mentioned above and to be quite honest, I think the whole assessment went smoothly and there were no big mistakes so I would just do what I did this time.

(not centered very well)

Nutrition Program

This is the cost and the nutrition in my salad:

My salad has a green traffic light meaning that it is a healthy choice but when I click "Show 8", it shows an amber traffic light for total sugars- mainly because of the dried cranberries.

 This is the cost and the nutrition in my udon stir-fry:

My stir-fry also has a green traffic light meaning that it is a healthy choice. However, when I click "Show 8", it shows an amber traffic light for salt, I think this is because of the soya sauce but when I actually cooked it, it wasn't actually very salty because I added only a little.

Based on the Eatwell plate, I think my salad is nearly perfectly balanced because I have added ingredients from each food group except for the dairy one because I don't have any milk, cheese or egg. Other than that, the salad was balanced because over a third of my salad was fruit and vegetables and I also tried to add in a protein (meat).

My stir-fry udon again does not have anything from the dairy food group, therefore, it is not as balanced as it could be. Over a third of the dish was a starchy food (udon noodles) and vegetables (cabbage, baby corn, carrot). I also included a small portion of pork so that I would have a protein. 

To make both of my dishes healthier and more balanced, I need to eat in a dairy, for example, egg in my udon and some cheese in my salad. To make my salad healthier, I should not add in the dried cranberries to lessen the total amount of sugar and add in less of the meat to lessen the total amount of salt. My stir-fry udon also contained too much salt but to be honest, I already added very little soya sauce and it didn't taste very salty either so maybe next time, I need to add in even less soya sauce and maybe add in a healthier sauce to flavour it instead. 

Practicing at Home

Prior to the assessment, I practiced making my stir-fry at home and taught my mum as well. 

 

               

Salads

Salads

Research

Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell guide shows the balance and variety of different foods that make a healthy, balanced diet over one day. It is made up of five different food groups and can be used by most people no matter their ethnic background, religion or other dietary restrictions. However, pregnant women and very young children cannot follow this because they have to consider other requirements.

This is what the Eatwell guide looks like:

It shows different types of foods and drinks we should eat and what proportions we should eat them to have a healthy and balanced diet. 

• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day
• Base meals on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates; choosing wholegrain versions where possible
• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soya drinks); choosing lower fat and lower sugar options 
• Eat some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish every week, one of which should be oily) 
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and eat in small amounts 
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of fluid a day

If consuming foods and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar, have these less often and in small amounts. A new addition to the Eatwell guide is the colour coded food labels section. These food labels refer to the reference intake which tells you how much of each nutrient should be included in your daily diet. As well as a percentage which refers to how much of the product is contributing to the reference intake of each nutrient. Colour coded labels makes it easier for you to choose those which are low in sugar, salt and fat as greens means that it is healthy, amber meaning you should have a moderate amount of and red meaning that you should eat this as seldom as possible. For a healthier choice, try to pick products with more greens and ambers and fewer reds.

What are salads?

A salad is a cold dish that contains a variety of raw and cooked vegetables that is seasoned with a dressing, vinegar or oil and sometimes is accompanied by meat, fish and other ingredients. The sauce used to flavor a salad is called dressing and well-known types included ranch, Thousand Island, caesar, French, Italian, vinaigrette etc. Vinaigrette can come in many varieties including balsamic, red wine, etc. 

Salads can be served at any point during a meal:

- Appetizer salads, smaller portion

- Side salads, to accompany the main course

- Main course salads, usually contains meat as well

- Dessert salads, sweet versions with fruit, gelatin, whipped cream etc.

Where do salads come from?

Caesar Salad:

It is thought that caesar salad was invented in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico to honour restaurateur Caesar Cardini on the Fourth of July weekend. It is said that because Cardini was running low on food, he put together a salad of what was left in the kitchen. His original recipe included romaine, garlic, croutons, boiled eggs, olive oil, parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce 

Cobb Salad

Cobb salad was invented in 1937 by restaurant manager- Bob Cobbs at The Brown Derby restaurant in LA. He found a way to use leftovers through making salads. It was completely an accident, he went to the icebox and found an avocado which he chopped with lettuce, celery, tomatoes and strips of bacon. Later on, he put a breast of chicken, chives, hard-boiled egg, watercress and a wedge of of cheese for dressing.

Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a cold salad made with shredded cabbage, mayonnaise and more. This term is a late 19th century that originates in USA but the name is from Dutch- "kool sla". The word "kool" means cabbage and "sla" means salad, meaning cabbage salad. However, in English it became "coleslaw" and eventually "cold slaw" although the original Dutch salad was most likely served hot.

10 examples of salads:

Panzanella

Cobb

Fruit 

Caesar

Nicoise

Waldorf

Coleslaw

Garden

Larb

Gado-gado

10 examples of dressing:

Caesar

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ranch

Hummus

Thousand Island

French

Rice Vinegar

Balsamic vinaigrette

Red wine vinaigrette

Raspberry vinaigrette

What are the nutrients in salads?

To generalise, salads have high levels of vitamin C, folic acid, alpha and beta-carotene, lycopene and vitamin E thanks to the raw vegetables. The more raw vegetables it has, the more nutrients you will get. 

Green leafy vegetables have a lot of vitamins and fiber. It is also low in calories: a Caesar salad only contains 140 calories, a small Greek salad has 110 calories and a small tuna salad has 130 calories but these figures do not include the dressing. A salad could become less nutritious if you add a fatty dressing.

Planning

We will be making a salad in a jar instead of a normal salad. This will also include a dressing. This is how a typical salad in a jar is made:

1. Add in the dressing

2. Put in the crisp ingredients that would be okay if it got soggy like tomatoes, carrots, cucumber etc.

3. Put in the ingredients that would be fine if they got wet but would not be the best like corn, mushrooms, broccoli etc.
4. Add in more delicate ingredients like hard boiled eggs, cheese etc.
5. Add in rice, pasta or just any exotic ingredients
6. Finally, add in the ingredients which you would definitely not want to get wet like nuts

Here is a nice way to choose a good salad from Buzzfeed:

After the class demonstration, I am planning to make a salad with the following ingredients:

- Apple

- Lettuce

- Spinach

- Dried fruit, probably dried cranberries

- Meat: maybe ham or chicken breast

Evaluation

Today in Food Technology, I made a salad containing mixed vegetables like rocket, spinach and lettuce, chicken breast, apple, parmesan cheese and dried cranberries. I also made a simple dressing using lemon juice and olive oil to accompany it.

This involved using different skills; cutting vegetables and cutting fruit. I think that I worked in a safe and hygienic manner because I washed my hands before making my food. I wore an apron, tied up my hair, removed my watch to prevent dirt and germs getting into my food. In addition, I used the correct chopping board when cutting up my vegetables and then had to change to a red chopping board when I was chopping up my meat. I also remembered to put a wet cloth underneath.

I was organised today because I worked in order of the recipe, starting off with cutting my vegetables, fruit and meat; making my dressing; putting everything together in my jar. My workspace was neat and tidy and I used my time wisely.

The appearance of my salad was colourful because there was the green of the vegetables, the whitish yellow of the apple, the pale colour of the meat, the yellow colour of the cheese and the dark red colour of the dried cranberries. My parents tried my salad and said that my salad tasted very fresh and that the dressing wasn't overpowering but was just a bit sour which is good because all the other ingredients could be tasted. They found it appetising overall and since they ate my salad right before eating dinner, they commented that it is a good starter because it "stimulated their appetite". The texture was crunchy and the aroma was that it smelt strongly of lemon juice and apples. To improve, my parents suggested that I should make a bigger portion because it wasn't enough. I personally feel that I should have put more vegetables compared to the other ingredients so that it will be extra healthy.