Mince

Mince

Research

What is mince?

Mince is commonly confused with mincemeat which is not even meat. Mince can be better known by "ground beef" or just "ground meat" in general. Ground beef is basically beef that has been grounded or finely chopped. The process of grinding can help make bits of the beef that are normally tough to a softer version and make fatty parts leaner to reduce the dryness and improve the flavour.

Where do we get mince from?

Ground beef is made from cattle and must be made from cattle. If it is made from any other animal it is considered illegal. The part of the cattle that is used has to be the skeletal muscles. No organs, eyes, skin, guts or anything but only muscle that used to be attached to the bone. 

How is mince made?

Mince is made starting from selecting the meat. Although muscle has to be used, the cuts selected for the mince may vary from one processor to the next. Some people may combine parts from different cows while other may just use one animal.

In Cargill Ground Beef, this is what happens:
1. Process starts in a temperature controlled cargo plant where all equipment is cleaned each night
2. Large cuts of beef are hand cut and trimmed into steaks, roasts etc.
3. Beef is then hand sorted based on lean: fat ratio, source and breed4. Throughout this process, everything is kept at below 40F or 4C to ensure product safety
5. All products are then tested for bacteria and are only made of ground beef after the lab results come out
6. Trims are visually and electronically inspected again before the first stage of grinding starts
7. In the first stage of grinding, the ground beef is grinded with cuts that have different ratios so that the ideal ratio can be reached
8. Ratio is double checked before it enters the final grinding stage
9. They are finally packaged in different packages based on where it will be sent to and food labels with use by date and a traceability.

10 dishes that uses mince:

Chilli con carne

Spaghetti bolognese

Cottage pie

Biryani

Lasagna

Meatballs

Moussaka

Mince lamb tagine

Beef tacos

Beef lettuce wraps

etc.

Nutrients found in mince:

The nutrients found depend on the lean: fat ratio but if the meat was 90% lean: 10% fat then the nutrients would be high in protein, vitamin B12 and zinc but high in fat as well.

How do you cook mince?

Ground meat can be easily cooked with some onion, vegetables like green peppers, carrots etc. and spices. Ground meat is a very diverse type of food because it can be eaten in many ways: as patties, sauces, chillis, fillings etc. To check whether or not your meat is done, pay attention the colour which should be brown and no red colours and whether or not red juices are coming out when you press on the meat. 

How to store and buy mince?

Mince can be bought from supermarkets, markets etc. There are many varieties of ground meat but in order to choose the best one, you have to make sure the meat has a very bright colour and that there isn't too much white stuff- fat. However, the colour might not be the best indicator sometimes so it would be smart to pay attention to the packaging date instead. Ground meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days or basically how long until the best before date which is usually printed on the label. 

References:

http://www.thekitchn.com/where-does-ground-beef-come-from-meat-basics-217840
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYyqaYfMGHg
https://authoritynutrition.com/foods/beef/
http://momatthemeatcounter.blogspot.hk/2014/07/ten-things-you-didnt-know-about-ground_1.html
https://www.reference.com/food/part-cow-ground-beef-come-d6ab2323cdd155ef

Planning
I have decided to make chilli con carne for my mince dish. The recipe is pretty simple and I will be following the demo shown in class. I have decided to do this because I really like this dish and I thought it would be really complicated to make but it actually is not very hard so I would like to try it.

I will need to bring in 100g of mince, a yellow pepper, 1 cup of cooked rice, half a can of kidney beans and a container. Everything else in the recipe will be provided at school.

Evaluation

Today in Food Technology, I made a chilli con carne with minced meat, yellow pepper, chilli powder, onions, garlic and kidney beans. Then I served it with a portion of rice. 

This involved using different skills; cutting vegetables, cooking meat and cooking rice. 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 onions, garlic and pepper and remembered to put a wet cloth underneath. I remembered to put the handle of my pan in the right way also!

I was organized today because I worked in order of the recipe. My workspace was neat and I washed up in a quick and orderly fashion whilst I waited for my dish to be done. 

The appearance of my dish was a dark red colour which was the chilli con carne. Underneath the sauce, there was rice. I found the taste of my dish spicy which is good because it is supposed to spicy (Chilli con carne) but there was also a mild taste of the tomato sauce which isn't good because the tomato sauce is sour and not spicy. However, my parents said that it was too spicy while my friend said it wasn't spicy enough. To improve, I should put in more meat next time because as I ate my dish, I couldn't really taste the meat specifically. The aroma was that it smelt a bit spicy and there was a smell of tomato sauce as well.

Nutrition Program

The cost of my dish is £1.73 which is approximate $17 HKD. The selling price is £4.33 which is around $42 HKD. I think both of these prices are pretty reasonable.

This is the nutrition in my dish. As you can see, I got a green traffic light, meaning that it is a healthy choice and can be eaten frequently. However, if I click "Show 8", I can see that I got an amber traffic light for the amount of salt. This can be turned to a green if I added less salt but, some of my other ingredients naturally have salt in it so this is not easy to reduce.

Rice

Rice

Research

Rice is a main source of food for over half the world's population. Fifty countries produce rice with China and India producing 50% of the total production. Over 300 million acres of Asian land is used for growing rice. Rice production is so important to Asian cultures that the word for rice in particular Asian languages also means food itself.

Where is rice grown?

Rice is grown in a variety of environments and can be grown in places where other crops would fail. The leading producers of rice are China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Philippines, Brazil, Japan and the US. Environments for growing rice is classified based on altitude (upland, lowland) and water source (water from rain, irrigated). 

Irrigated rice:

- About 80 million hectares of irrigated lowland rice provides 75% of the world's rice production

- Irrigated rice is grown in bunded fields or paddies

- Farmers to try to keep 5-10 cm of water on the field

- Irrigated rice is usually grown continuously with two or even three crops a year

Rainfed rice (lowland):

- Grown in river deltas and coastal areas

- Planted in bunded fields, flooded with rainwater

- About 60 million hectares of rainfed lowlands provided 20% of the world's rice production

- Frequently affected by drought or even floods

- Amount of rice grown depends on the intensity of rainfall and how the timing and duration of rainfall

- Farmers rarely use fertilisers and tend to not try to grow improved varieties of rice

Rainfed rice (upland):

- Nearly 100 million people depend on rainfed upland rice as their daily staple food

- Two-thirds of the total upland rice is grown in Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam are important producers

- Upland rice only contributes about 4% of the world's total rice production

- Climates and ecosystems are extremely diverse

Map showing where rice is grown (ignore the weird heads)

Map showing the three primary rice ecosystems around the world

How is rice grown?

1. Prepare the soil- on hilly terrains, the area must be levelled into terraces; paddies have to be levelled too and then the fields have to be ploughed before planting.

2. Rice seeds are soaked

3. Seeds have to be placed into fields- many Asian countries sow seeds by hand while large enterprises in the US sow seeds by airplanes but most farmers use a drill that places the seed in the ground

4. After approximately three months, the plants would have reached full growth and the grains will start to ripen. Then the water is drained from the fields and as the fields dry, the grains ripen further and harvesting starts
5. Rice is then harvested either by hand using sharp knives or sickles or machines by tractors or horse-drawn machines.

6. Rice grains are dried to decrease the moisture either by artificially heated air or with natural sunlight. Dried rice is called rough rice which is now ready for processing
7. Next, hulling is done by hand by rolling or grinding rough rice between stones. In modern day, this is usually done at a mill but before this, rice is first cleaned to sift out any debris.
8. Once the rice is clean, rice is usually hulled by a machine that copies the action of the traditional method using stones
9. From the machine, grains and hulls are moved to an another machine that separates hulled and unhulled grains. Hulled rice grains are known as brown rice.
10. The brown rice goes through two more machines that remove the outer layers from the grain and then again to ensure that all outer layers are removed
11. The brown rice is now a lighter coloured and is cooled and polished by another machine. Broken kernels are then sifted out.

Three basic types of rice:
Short grain:
Short grain rice is small compared to the two other types. It is usually squat and plump when uncooked but when cooked, it is soft and tender and sticks together really well. Sushi rice is a common type of short-grain rice. It is often used for sushi, pudding and moulded salads.

Medium-grain:
Medium-grain is shorter and wider than long-grain. This type of rice is moist, tender, slightly chewy and sticks to each other when cooked. Common types of medium-grain rice include Arborio and Valencia which are used to make risottos and Bomba rice, which is used in paellas.

Long grain:
Long grain rice is long and slim. When cooked, it is fairly dry and firm and tends to remain separate. This type of rice includes American long-grain white and brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice. Usually best for side dishes, pilafs and salads.

Six different types of rice:
- Sweet brown rice
- Brown basmati rice
- Himalayan red rice
- Purple Thai rice
- Chinese black rice
- Colusari red rice

Foods that use rice as its base
- Rice wine- sake, cheongju
- Chinese varieties- sticky rice, fried rice, rice pudding etc.
- Risotto
- Paella
- Rice crackers

Parboiled rice vs Precooked rice

• Also called instant rice, minute rice, boil in a bag rice etc.
• Rice that has been soaked with the outer layer, steamed and dried before sale
• Re-cooking parboiled rice is quicker than cooking raw rice because parboiled rice is pre-cooked already
• In parboiling, nutrients are transferred from the bran (pieces of grain husk separated from flour after milling) to the kernel of the rice
• Advantages of parboiled rice: convenience
• Disadvantages of parboiled rice: loss of nutritional value, loss in flavour

Major nutrients in rice and functions in the body

Carbohydrates

• Their main role is to provide energy- is the body's main source of fuel and is needed for physical activity, brain function and operating the organs
• Important for intestinal health and waste elimination
• Carbohydrates is changed into glucose- some of it is used for energy and the rest is stored in your muscles and liver for future use
• Simple carbs: simple sugars found in fruits, vegetables, milk etc.
• Complex carbs: starch found in bread, cereals, starchy vegetables, rice, pasta etc.
• Complex carbs usually contain fibre which can help digestion

Protein:

• Vital to the maintenance, development and repair of the body
• Hair, skin, eyes, muscles are organs are all made from protein
• Children need more protein than adults because they are growing
• Excessive protein will become energy but if there is enough energy, it would become part of fat cells
• Proteins are involved in some hormones and enzymes are proteins that increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body
• Protein forms antibodies that help prevent infection, illness and disease

Fibre:

• Fibre is the indigestible part of plants which is mostly made up of carbohydrates
• Two types: soluble and insoluble; soluble fibre cannot be digested but absorbs water when it passes through the body; insoluble fibre is unchanged and contributes to faeces
• Aids digestion- soluble fibre helps to plump out faeces which slows down the rate of digestion while insoluble fibre speeds up digestion
• A lack of fibre can lead to problems in the stomach like constipation, colitis, colon cancer etc.

3 Vitamins:
Vitamin B:
- Vitamin B1 helps convert glucose into energy and has a role in nerve function
- Vitamin B2 is involved in the production of energy, help vision, and helps you keep your skin healthy
- Vitamin B3 is essential for the conversion of carbs, fat and alcohol into energy, helps you keep your skin healthy and supports the nervous and digestive systems
- Vitamin B5 is needed to digest carbs, proteins, fats and alcohol. It is also needed to produce red blood cells
- Vitamin B6 is similar to B5 and is needed to digest proteins and carbs, produce red blood cells and certain brain chemicals

Vitamin E:
- It is an antioxidant
- Protects body tissue from damage by free radicals which can harm cells, tissues and organs
- Free radicals are believed to play a role in aging

Vitamin K:
- Stored in fat tissue and liver
- Helps blood to clot properly
- Important role in bone health

3 Minerals:

Magnesium:
- Helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function
- Keeps heart beat steady
- Helps bones remain strong
- Regulate blood glucose levels
- Helps to produce energy and protein

Phosphorus:
- Works with calcium to help build bones, it is important to have the right ratios
- Involved in the body's energy production

Potassium:

- Makes sure cells, tissues and organs properly function in the body
- Electrolyte- conducts electricity in the body
- Crucial to heart function
- Important for skeletal and smooth muscle contraction

What food group is rice in?
Rice is part of the "bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and other starchy foods" food group in the Eatwell Plate. It should make up about a third of the food we eat and is an important part of a healthy diet. We should try to eat whole grain varieties as much as possible.

Cooking Methods of Rice
Boiling:
1. Boil water- for every cup of rice use 1 3/4 cups of water and mix in 1 teaspoon of salt into the water
2. Add the rice into the water
3. Use a wooden spoon to separate any clumps and do not over stir because it can cause the rice to become sticky
4. Let it simmer for about 18 minutes and turn down the heat. Then remove it from the heat and let the rice steam in the pot for another 5 minutes
5. Gently separate the grains before serving

Absorption:
1. Wash rice thoroughly
2. Boil water in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid
3. Once the water is boiling, add rice and salt and boil for 5 minutes with the lid partially covered
4. Cover completely with the lid, turn down the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes
5. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand for a further 10 minutes without removing the lid
6. Remove the lid and serve


Microwave:
1. Rinse the rice under cold water until the water is clear
2. Drain the water and place the rice in a microwave-safe bowl
3. Add water to cover the rice by 2cm- a way to measure this is by placing your index finger at the top and if the water reaches your finger's first joint then it is enough
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to trap the steam and cook on a high setting or 800 watts for 5 minutes then cook on a medium setting or 500 watts for another 7 minutes
5. Set aside for 3 minutes then separate the grains and serve

Steaming:
1. Place rice in a saucepan then add the water using the method above
2. Cover with a lid or foil and bring it to a boil over high heat
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed
4. Remove it from the heat and set it aside for 5 minutes without lifting the lid
5. Stir the rice to separate the grains

Differences between cooking rice and pasta
- Rice takes longer to cook- usually 20+ minutes while pasta takes 8-12 minutes
- When cooking rice, water is absorbed while when cooking pasta, you have to drain the excess water afterwards
- You use boiling water when cooking pasta but just normal cold water when cooking rice

References:
- http://ricepedia.org/rice-as-a-crop/where-is-rice-grown
- http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-short-medium-and-long-grain-rice-227756
- http://www.readersdigest.com.au/recipes/types-of-rice.asp
- http://ricepedia.org/rice-as-food/other-rice-products
- http://elizabethyarnell.com/effortlesseating/2012/08/parboiled-rice/
- http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/role-carbohydrates-6560.html
- http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/nutrition/nutrition-tips/why-you-need-fibre/news-story/b4dbf1478a89fe896e776c14ed4c2e96
- https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002406.htm
- http://www.healthline.com/health/how-your-body-uses-phosphorus#Phosphates2
- http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/potassium
- http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-enjoy-whole-grains/grain-month-calendar/wild-rice-september-grain-month-0
- http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/cooking/cook-rice
- http://www.foodtolove.com.au/recipes/cooking-rice-absorption-method-17896
- http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/steamed-rice/3c49b9d8-34c0-41fa-bd2a-cadb2ba90ad8
- http://www.taste.com.au/quick-easy/articles/microwave-rice/xLKoNjzB

Planning

After the demo in the lesson, I have decided to make a mushroom risotto because:
a) I like eating risottos and especially mushrooms
b) I want to make my own and learn how to make it
c) It is pretty simple although the paella was simple too

For the recipe, all I need to bring in is mushrooms and parmesan cheese to add after cooking the rice.

Evaluation

Today in Food Technology, I made a mushroom risotto with parmesan cheese mixed into it.

This involved using different skills; cooking rice; knowing when your rice is done; what to do if your rice is not soft enough; cutting skills when you cut your ingredients.

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 mushrooms and remembered to put a wet cloth underneath. Most importantly, I remembered to put the handle of my pan in the right way this time. 

I was organized today because I worked in order of the recipe. My workspace was neat and I even had time to wait for my rice to be cooked after doing my washing up. 

The appearance of my dish wasn't very colourful because it was basically white rice with a yellowish shade and an occasional mushroom. I found the taste of my dish good because it was very cheese-y and the rice was cooked to a texture where it was soft- not too hard or soft. The aroma was that it smelt nicely of cheese but there wasn't exactly a smell that stood out to describe.

Nutrition Program

This is the cost of my risotto, it costs £1.46 which is approximately $14 HKD. The suggested selling price was £3.65 which is around $35 HKD. I think the cost is a bit too low because cheese is not as cheap as it says. I think it is because this tool is from England and cheese there is pretty cheap but in Hong Kong it is not.

These are the nutritions in my risotto. You can see that it is high in protein which is good for the body but it is also high in fat which is not good for the body. This is why I got an amber traffic light- meaning that it can be eaten most of the time but is not a healthy choice. I think this is was high in fat because the high amount of cheese I added in. If I did not put in any cheese, the traffic light would have turned green. Even if I put in a less amount of cheese, I think the traffic light would have stayed amber.

Pasta

Pasta

Research
Pasta is one of the world's most accessible foods and a great source of carbohydrates. The word "pasta" translates to "paste" in Italian. This is a reference to the dough made from a combination of flour and water or eggs.  Most people think of pasta as Italian food and although it is traditionally Italian, the history of pasta is pretty complicated.

Pasta is most likely to be the descendant of noodles from Asia. A common belief is that Marco Polo brought pasta from China to Italy during the 13th century. In his book, "The Travels of Marco Polo", there is a passage that mentions a plant that produced flour. The Chinese used this plant to create barley flour which Marco Polo then mentioned that it was used to make dishes similar to pasta, including one called "lagana" which we believe is the modern day lasagna.

Marco Polo

There are tons of varieties pasta, some of the common types of pasta include:
- Angel hair (fine and delicate strands)
- Spaghetti
- Macaroni
- Farfalle (looks like a bow tie)
- Fettuccine
- Fusilli (pasta with twists and spirals)
- Linguine
- Penne
- Rigatoni (tube-like)
- Shells
- Lasagne
- Ravioli
etc.

The Encyclopedia of Pasta

Pasta without sauce is unspeakable, some simple pasta sauces include:
 - Bolognese
- Tomato
- Primavera
- Cheese
- Pesto
- Cream
- Alfredo
- Marinara
- Carbonara
etc.

There are tons of pasta sauces available!

My 6 favourite dishes include...
- Spaghetti bolognese
- Beef lasagna
- Spaghetti with clams and garlic
- Pesto pasta with chicken
- Macaroni and cheese
- Penne and broccoli

Planning

After watching the demonstrations of making tomato and white sauce. I decided to go with the tomato sauce mainly because I like tomato sauce better. Out of the three pasta choices: penne, macaroni and fusilli, I will be using penne and will add corn and mushroom to my dish.

Evaluation

Today in Food Technology, I made a tomato sauce with corn penne dish. I did not add mushrooms in the end because after some research, I found out that people usually do not add mushrooms with tomato sauce but add it with cream sauce instead.

This involved using different skills; cooking pasta; knowing when your pasta is done; cutting skills when you cut your ingredients; making a sauce (when to put in ingredients, knowing when it is done etc.).

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 remembered to put a wet cloth underneath. However, I forgot to put the handle of my pan the right way when cooking and had to be reminded. 

I was organized today and definitely improved from last time because I worked in order of the recipe without making any mistakes. I had better time management skills as I finished early and had time to sit down and do a bit of reflection. Although no mistakes were made, the teacher said that I should have added more salt to the pasta itself when it was cooking so that it would be more flavourful. 

The appearance of my dish was vibrant because there was a nice shade of the same colours- red, yellow and orange. The taste of my dish was okay but it definitely needed more salt as there wasn't much flavour but there was a nice taste of pepper in it. My pasta itself was cooked nicely as it wasn't undercooked or overcooked because the texture of it was soft enough but was too soft. The aroma was that it smelt nicely of tomato sauce but except for that, there wasn't any special smell that stood out the most.

Nutrition Program

In this lesson, we used this website called Nutrition Program where we entered in our ingredients for our vegetable soup and it gave us information about the nutrition, costs etc.

This is the cost of my soup

0.82 pounds is only roughly 8 HKD which is very cheap for pasta

'

My pasta was pretty healthy but there was too much salt in it so I got an amber traffic light. Everything else was a green traffic light meaning that it is a healthy choice and this pasta can be eaten for a few times each week.

Pastry

Pastries

Research

Before we could make our actual pastry, we had to research on the different types of pastries there are. We researched on shortcrust, sweet enriched shortcrust, puff pastry, flaky pastry, choux, hot water/pie crust pastry, suet pastry and filo pastry. My research sheet is linked here.

Planning: Shortcrust Pastry
We will be making the simplest pastry called the shortcrust pastry. 

For the filling I have these ideas:

- Mincemeat

- Raspberries and strawberries

- Chocolate

- Chocolate and strawberries

- Fruit jam

I think I will be doing a mincemeat filling for half of my pastries and chocolate and strawberries for the other half of my pastries. This is because I think mincemeat fits with the festivity. I think I will be using half a dark chocolate bar and half a milk chocolate bar for my second set of pastries so that it won't be too sweet.

For the mincemeat pastry, I just need to put in a tablespoon of the sauce before I bake which is pretty simple.

For the chocolate and strawberries pastry, I will need to bake blind which is basically putting in a handful of rice lined with a piece of greaseproof paper inside the pastry to make sure the pastry doesn't rise as the rice will weigh it down. After 15 minutes of baking, take the greaseproof paper off and continue baking for around 5 minutes until it turns golden brown. Then I will scoop in some melted chocolate for the filling and top it off with some chopped strawberries.

The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients: 

- 2:1 ratio of flour to butter: 100g of flour

- 50g butter

- Pinch of salt

- Cold water

1. Rub butter and flour into each other with cold fingertips to resemble breadcrumbs, use a round-edged knife to cut the butter into small cubes so that it will be easier to rub in

2. Add a pinch of salt

3. Create a hole in the centre of your mixture and pour 2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water

4. Continue to work the dough with cold fingertips until it all sticks together

5. Sprinkle some flour onto your work surface and your rolling pin. Roll the dough thinly and cut out the pastry with a cookie cutter. Place them into a baking tin lined with pastry cases

6. With the remaining dough, create some covers for the mincemeat pastries using a star shaped cookie cutter

7. (For chocolate and strawberries pastry only) Bake blind by lining the pastry with a piece of greaseproof paper and putting a handful of baking beans or rice into it

8. Bake for 15 minutes (For chocolate and strawberries pastry only) Remove the paper and the beans

9. Bake for a further 5 minutes until golden brown

10. (For chocolate and strawberries pastry only) Fill in pastry with melted chocolate (half a bar of dark chocolate, half a bar of milk chocolate) and top off with chopped strawberries

Festive mincemeat pastry from the internet

Evaluation

Today in Food Technology I made a shortcrust pastry with mincemeat filling and strawberry and chocolate filling. 

This involved using "working the dough" skills when combining the different ingredients with my hands, blind baking skills and cutting fruit. I also learnt how to melt chocolate without using a microwave. Even though using the melting over hot water method takes far longer than using a microwave, I think that the texture of the chocolate is a bit different compared to melting in a microwave.

I think that I worked in a safe and hygienic manner because I washed my hands before making my pastries and also while I was making my food because my hands were dirty with other food. I wore an apron, tied up my hair, removed all my jewellery to prevent dirt and germs getting into my food. In addition, I used the correct chopping board and placed a wet tea towel underneath to prevent it from slipping when cutting up my strawberries.

I wasn't as organized as I could be because I accidentally put in water without creating a hole in the middle. Moreover, I think I really need to manage my time better as I nearly ran out of time because I spent a lot of time getting my dough together. Also, the chocolate melting took way longer than expected; the chocolate wouldn't melt properly until I added a bit of water to it. 

The appearance of my dish wasn't as nice as it was before (I squished it in my container). The main colours were the red of strawberries and the brown of chocolate and mincemeat. I liked the taste of my pastry, especially the chocolate filled one because it was sweet and very flavorful. The strawberries were also very sweet and the smell of strawberries was very aromatic. I was happy with the flavours as it wasn't too sweet as I worried it might be. The texture of the dish was crumbly and flaky which is the correct texture for a pastry. The aroma of these pastries was basically whatever the smell the filling was- mincemeat or chocolate. The smell was quite tempting, especially the chocolate!

(Bad picture)

Vegetables

Vegetables

A-Z List of Vegetables

Here is a list of vegetables from 'a' all the way to 'z'. Firstly, I wrote down all the vegetables I knew. I had to leave some letters blank like 'x', 'v', 'q' and 'n'. Next, I searched up more vegetables to fill in the remaining gaps. In the end, I couldn't find any vegetable for the letter 'q' and therefore left it blank. 

Here is the link to my document:

https://docs.google.com/a/online.island.edu.hk/document/d/1yqKimb0siKoaV8gDvEFr5JR0a3lvy5INuN9Udyk_jy0/edit?usp=sharing

Quiz!

In this quiz, we had to name the vegetables shown. I didn't do that badly but I missed a few of the vegetables since I wasn't sure what the name for them was. In the end, I got 13/18;

After this, I tried it again and got 14/18!!

Matching Vegetables

Similar to the quiz, we had to match the name of the vegetable to the picture. I wasn't quite sure about the differences between a runner and broad bean so I had to search that up but otherwise, this task was pretty easy for me!

Here is the link to my work:

https://drive.google.com/a/online.island.edu.hk/file/d/0B7vbIj8T3tVmWDZXN2d4ZUhLS3M/view?usp=sharing

Vegetable Classification

Fruit Vegetables: Vegetables that are technically fruits based on the definition but they are classified as vegetables instead
Example: Tomato, pumpkin, eggplant

Pulses: The edible seed of a plant which has pods as their flowers
Example:  Peas, beans, lentils etc.

Flower Vegetables: They are the flower part of the plant
Example: Broccoli, cauliflower etc.

Leafy Vegetables: They are the leaf part of the plant
Example: Spinach, cabbage, iceberg lettuce etc.

Stem Vegetables: They are the stem part of the plant
Example: Asparagus, celery etc.

Fungi: Groups of organisms that feed on organic matter, in food, it usually just means mushrooms.
Example: Mushroom

Tubers: Vegetables that grow under the ground and have high amounts of starch
Example: Potato, yam

Bulbs: Grows just below the ground and consists of layers
Example: Onion, garlic, leek, shallots

Roots: Vegetables that grow under the ground but doesn't contain as much starch as tubers, instead, it contains other nutrients
Example: Carrot, beetroot, parsnip, radish

Shoots: Something like a stem
Example: Bamboo shoots

Storing Vegetables

You should store vegetables in a cool, dark place to prevent sprouting, mould growth, and rot. Before storing, you should remove any rubber bands or basically excess things that you won't eat. Be reminded to trim any leafy ends that may grow into flowers too.

You can put vegetables in the refrigerator but don't just put it in the refrigerator. You have to use a plastic or paper bag to store the veggies or even wrap the vegetables in the newspaper. However, some say that newspaper ink will contaminate the vegetables so it is not such a good idea in a way.

Eat-Well Plate
The Eatwell plate is a plate that shows the different types of food we eat and the proportions we need to eat them in. It teaches us hot to eat in a healthy and balanced way.

"Fruit and Vegetables" is the green part of the plate and is one of the larger sections.
This means...
- It takes up a third of the food we eat
- We should eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day; a portion is roughly what fits into your hand
- All fruit and vegetables (even fresh, canned, dried, frozen or juiced fruit and vegetables) count, except potatoes as they contain more starch than vitamins and fibre
- They contain vitamins and fibre and helps keep the gut healthy and protects us against diseases

Knife Skills

We learnt about the different cuts of vegetables:

- Chiffonade: this cut is for leafy green vegetables like cabbage and spinach, they are cut into long thin strips. You have to stack or fold these vegetables to do this cut

- Julienne: this cut is stick-shaped and very thin- just like a matchstick. You cut from a squared-off item (if it is circular like a carrot, cut it in half), then cut it in half again and again until you end up with something that looks like matchsticks

- Brunoise: This is the smallest type of dice you can have. This method is very simple because all you need to do is to take your julienne cuts, bunch them up together then cut them into tiny equally shaped dices. This type of cut is great for soups.

- Small dice: This type is similar to the brunoise but it is just a bit bigger.

- Batonnet: The batonnet is just a larger more rectangular cut compared to the small dice. It is used when serving a larger portion of a dish like a vegetable side

- Medium dice: This cut is again very simple. It is derived from the batonnet but the only added step is slicing the batonnet to produce cubes

- Paysanne: The paysanne cut is a slimmer, flat, square item. You can do this by cutting a vegetable to your desired stick size then slice thinly to produce a thin square.

- Wedges: This cut is for lemons and you cut it so that there are no seeds by cutting around the middle

- Tomato Wedges/Quarters: Cut off the bottom of the tomato and then cut the tomato into quarters or smaller if you want to

Planning: Vegetable Stir-Fry

For my vegetable stir-fry, I will be using 5 different vegetables- broccoli, mushroom, corn, carrot and chilli. I will not be using any meat for this stir-fry.

After some thought, I will not be using broccoli because I realized that broccoli takes a long time to cook to make it soft and tasty. I will not be using mushrooms as well. Instead, I will be using cabbage, lettuce, baby corn, carrot and chilli.

The recipe is really simple-
1. Go through the safety and hygiene procedures (wash hands, wear an apron etc.)
2. Cut up all your vegetables after washing them with the correct knife skills
3. Heat up your pan with two spoons of oil and make sure it goes all around the pan
4. Put in your vegetables one by one depending on how long it takes for the particular vegetable to cook (carrots and corn first, leafy vegetables after)
5. Put in your noodles after the vegetables are nearly cooked
6. Add in one spoon of soya sauce
7. Keep on moving the food around so that it won't stick to the pan
8. Serve!

Vegetable stir-fry from the internet

Reflection: Vegetable Stir-Fry

Today in Food Technology I made a vegetable stir-fry with cabbage, lettuce, baby corn, carrot and chilli. 

This involved using knife skills when cutting the vegetables like the chiffonade, the julienne and the small dice.

I think that I worked in a safe and hygienic manner because I washed my hands before making my stir fry and also while I was making my food because my hands were dirty with other food. I wore an apron, tied up my hair, removed all my jewellery to prevent dirt and germs getting into my food. In addition, I used the correct chopping board and placed a wet tea towel underneath to prevent it from slipping.

I was organized as well because I worked in order of the recipe and I didn't have to go back to finish cutting my vegetables. 

The appearance of my dish was colourful because of the multicoloured vegetables. It included greens, reds, oranges, yellows and also dark brown because of the noodle. I liked the taste of my dish because it was spicy and very flavorful. I could taste the strong chillis and the freshness of the cabbage and lettuce. It wasn't too salty as well because I added a good amount of soya sauce so that there is flavour and it doesn't overpower the other flavours. The texture of the dish was a bit crunchy because of the fried vegetables and soft. The aroma of my stir-fry was spicy because I put in quite a lot of chillis. 

Planning: Vegetable Soup

For this soup, I will be following the recipe given and will be using carrots, leeks, celery and potatoes as the recipe said.

The recipe is as follows:

1. Go through the safety and hygiene procedures (wash hands, wear an apron etc.)

2. Peel and cut up all your vegetables after washing them with the correct knife skills
3. Dissolve one stock cube in 500ml of hot water
4. Put all the vegetables into the saucepan except for the potatoes. Add one teaspoon of flour and one teaspoon of olive oil, boil for 5 minutes and mix in between
4. After 5 minutes, add in the water and potatoes to your soup
5. Mix for 5 times then let it boil for 25-30 minutes
6. To check whether or not your soup is ready, poke through your vegetables with a fork, if the fork goes through easily then your soup is ready
7. (Optional) Blend your soup with a hand mixer until there is still a bit of vegetable left but most of it is smooth
8. (Optional) Add some cream on top of the soup if you would like to

                                            

Vegetable soup with carrots, leeks and celery from the internet

Reflection: Vegetable Soup

Today in Food Technology I made a vegetable soup with carrots, leeks, celery and potatoes.

This involved using knife skills when cutting the vegetables like dicing, cubing and slicing. I also had to use my "checking if it is done" skills; poking a fork through the vegetables and if it goes through easily then it is done.

I think that I worked in a safe and hygienic manner because I washed my hands before making my soup and also while I was making my food because my hands were dirty with other food. I wore an apron, tied up my hair, removed all my jewellery to prevent dirt and germs getting into my food. In addition, I used the correct chopping board and placed a wet tea towel underneath to prevent it from slipping.

I was organized as well because I worked in order of the recipe and I didn't have to go back to finish cutting my vegetables or dissolve the stock cube in the water. I also worked neatly because my workspace wasn't messy as I put my dirty equipment in the sink filled with hot water, ready for washing up.

The appearance of my dish was a dark orange colour like pumpkin soup. My dish was scrumptious because I could taste the different vegetables I added in especially the strong taste of celery. I think I made the right decision of blending it because it made the texture very creamy and smooth. The aroma of this was the strong smell of the vegetables, especially the celery. 

Nutrition Program: Vegetable Soup

In this lesson, we used this website called Nutrition Program where we entered in our ingredients for our vegetable soup and it gave us information about the nutrition, the costs etc.

This is the nutrition in my soup:

I called my soup a potato soup because it consisted of more potatoes than any other ingredient. I got green traffic lights for the fat, saturated fat and total sugars section- this shows that I could eat this soup every single day and still be healthy. However, I got an amber traffic light for the salt section so this means I will need to lessen the amount of salt in my recipe so that it will be a completely healthy choice.

This is my vegetable soup's recipe sheet:

This is my vegetable soup's cost:

The cost of my vegetable soup is approximately 0.56 pounds or 5.43 HKD. I think this is really cheap compared to how much soup really costs in fancy restaurants. I don't think I will ever order soup separately unless it is in a set meal...