More Ingredients

Chicory Root Extract.....here's another one, I am wondering about. I see it in both the granola bars I eat. In fact I have a granola bar right now and thats the first ingredient. I know absolutely nothing about it.
Chicory root extract is a dietary supplement or food additive produced by mixing dried, ground, chicory root with water, and removing the insoluble fraction by filtration and centrifugation. Other methods may be used to remove pigments and sugars. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicory)
Food additive doesn't sound good to me, but I need to do more research. Anyone want to join me in the hunt to find out more???.........to be continued

Ingredients

Since we are done cooking in my class and the semester is almost over, I decided to turn to the examining of ingredients in some processed and manufactored foods. I have a lot of knowledge about things like high fructose corn syrup and fully and partially hydrogenated oils/fats (trans fats), but there are reoccuring ingredients in some of the 'natural' or 'organic' things I buy. Such as, what is high maltose corn syrup?? Is it really any different from high fructose corn syrup, because if so, I don't want to eat it anymore.
Here are some links I found more information from:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5412157_high-high-fructose-corn-syrup.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_maltose_corn_syrup_unhealthy_for_human_consumption
http://alifelesssweet.blogspot.com/2008/07/high-maltose-corn-syrup.html
And, if you want copies of the recipes I made with my students this semester and talked about on the blog, go to my wiki, Cooking is Fun:
http://cooking-is-fun.wikispaces.com/

Cakes!!!

This week and on into next week is Cakes!! I have never taught a unit over cakes before but I have had experience teaching different methods involved in making a certain type of cake. There are all types of cakes that fall into 3 categories: shortened (lots of fat; i.e. pound cake, texas sheet cake), unshortened cakes (little or no fat; i.e. foam cakes, angel food cake) and chiffon/genoise cakes (combination of eggs, and some fat; i.e. jelly roll cake). I have made jelly roll cakes before in a class. They are fun and the kids love them, so that is how we are starting out this unit. Tomorrow I demo a pumpkin cake roll with a cream cheese frosting filling and then students make their own. After that lab, we move on to different kinds of cakes that fall into the 3 categories. So, the question again is, what are your favorite kinds of cakes?

I am personally not too much of a cake fan, I love sweets, but can pass on cake. If I had to pick, I really enjoy a great wedding cake that is moist and fluffy and has an excellent frosting on it (if you can tell, I am not quite sure what type of cake or frosting this would be, but I am determined one day to figure that all out)!

Soups and Sandwiches

So, this weeks lab was soups and sandwiches. We made 2 hot sandwiches that were fun and unique. We made 2 soups, Broccoli Cheddar and Homemade Chicken Noodle! They were great and the students enjoyed them too. I am a big soup fan! I especially love going to soup, sandwich, and salad type eateries. As it is called here, St. Louis Bread Co., (Panera), is one of my favorites. I like paninis and soups like baked potato, new england clam chowder, etc. What are your favorites?

Meat

So, this week's topic is meat. Before I taught it, I understood some of it but not everything. I really grossed some students out talking about the details behind slaughtering, the different cuts of meat, how it ends up on your table, cooking it to the right temperture,etc. But then I really got a lesson this weekend. My boyfriend killed a deer, a 10-point buck to be exact, and I had said that if anyone killed a deer this past weekend that I wanted to see everything about what to do once it's dead. Sorry, I am not a morbid person, it was just curiousity. So, he woke me up at 6:45am and said 'You ready.' I bundled up and got out there with all the frost covering the fields and trees. He showed me how you have to pull all the organs out and let them bleed out, then for the skinning, and last the cutting up of all the meat. And, if you are grossed out right now, this is life. This is the reality of how meat, poultry, fish and seafood end up prepared for you to buy, cook and eat from the grocery store!! (I apologize if you are sensitive to animals or if you are not a meat eater)

4 kinds of milk...

From Twitter....
Hint: Cow's milk is one of them! :)

Cheese!!

Ok first some websites I love for recipes and information:
http://www.cookscountrytv.com/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/
http://www.wheatfoods.org/Recipe-Recipe/Index.htm
http://www.dairymakessense.com/educator/
Now, for cheese....Again, I had a guest speaker today in my foods class that was from a local grocery store that brought the students an array of cheeses for them to sample. It was great! I love cheese! Ever heard of gouda, gruyere, gorgonzola, brie, havarti, feta, asiago, ....and so many more. What are your favorite cheeses? After the presentation today, I was left with lots of left-overs, so here's the plan for tonights meal. Spaghetti with meat sauce and some asiago and parmeasan sprinkled on top, fresh mozzarella garlic cheese bread toasted!