Thursday, February 28, 2013

2-hour ansewer #3 blog 18

1.)what is most important in creating a healthy mexican dish whiloe maintaining it's authenticity?

2.)changing a few things in the recipies will cause a healthier change in the nutritional input in the body.

3.)things aren't supposed to be taken out of a persons diet (what they naturally eat)but changed to eventually change to a healthier direction, diets don't work when people take out stuff from their meals the body will attempt to supplement this a resistance to change (happens in chemestry too.), altering the food is a method pushed by many diet specialists (ie weight watchers) .
4.)an audio/video called "hunger for food" .
5.)I plan to go deeper into finding the nutritional basis for these foods

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

independent component 2 plan approval

1.)I plan on continuing to cook with mom and grandma to learn more about the cooking of authentic mexican food, I will then input the ingredients on to a nutrition site that will give feed back on the nutrition of the dish from the results I get from this I will analyze the nutrition of the dish from there the nutrition label format will illustrate just how healthy the dish is. After I get what the dish offers I can determine with the research I have whether the food is ok by it's self or if it needs to be mixed with something else, in the cases of the corn products (such as masa, ground cornmeal, etc..) they hold more nutritional value in Mexico because they soak their corn in "lime" water, so the source I use assumes I didn't soak the corn first therefor removes an amount of niacin one of the proteins needed by the body also listed
2.)through cooking with mom and grandma I plan on gaining more experience from them and through practice I will know more about mexican cooking with the nutrition site I will see the nutritional benefits of the dish. The nutritional value results will help me brainstorm how to improve the dish nutritionally.
3.) My EQ is correlated with this because the nutritional rating will cause me to evaluate the nutritional state of the dish. this paired with the cooking with my grandma and mom will pretty much address the two main parts of the EQ.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Independant component update 4

Day 4

Tamales chicharon & chili cheese

Mom decided that today we make Tamales what does that mean? I start really early in the morning with mom so this is how it all went down…

materials:
Pot and steamer lid
Large bowl
measuring cup large (1-4)
measuring spoons
wooden ladle

ingredients: 
corn masa
consomme
baking powder
salt
lard
pork/chicken/ or beef (inthis case chicharon and chili cheese)
vegtable oil
water
salt
corn husks

4:30 A.M. - We get the work space clean and asemble all the materials (not really that much to clean)
5:15 A.M. - Mom and I work together to cut up the chicharon (still slightly frozen to cut easier)
5:30 A.M. - I put the chicharon in a pot of hot water so it becomes easier to work with when making the tamale.
5:45 A.M. - we start to make the masa
6:00 A.M. - we mix the masa ingredients together (2 cups margerine, 2cups conssume,baking powder 1 tsp,salt 1/2 tsp salt ) in large measureing cup.
6:30 A.M. - The paste took a little while to mix but we got there and we put it to the side for now.
6:45 A.M. - we soak the husks untill they're soft (when they're dry corn husks are usually hard to work with)
7:00 A.M. - mom and I ready the chichar on for frying.
7:30 A.M. - Then (when the chihcaron is ready) the meat is fried untill golden brown (with chicharon there's no real need for cooking oil because the fat melts off and becomes manteca)
7:45 A.M. - The meat is mixed in to chili mix to get cook with the chili mix for some time.
8:30 A.M. - when husks are soft and meat is handling safe spread the masa on the top half of the now soft husks and place the meat onto the husks and fold in the meat (filling (NOTE: the tamales should have an extra flap when done applying masa, use this to create a "bottom half" of the tamale by folding "up" towards the opposite end of the tamale so the filling doesn't fall out and the masa melts every where )) .
9:30 A.M. - when the tamales all have filling in them wrap them up in wax paper and place in to the pot carefully so the wax paper doesn't come undone and the Tamale filling doesn't fall out or the masa melts out the "top end" 
10:00 A.M. - start to simmer the tamales for (about) two hours (check the tamales every once in a while) 
12:00 P.M. - I take out and try the tamales (We serve some to sis and dad.).
12:30 P.M. - I now start on the oher version mom had in mind The chili cheese, FIrst I clean the work space.
12:45 P.M. - I pretty much do the same thing but with a few changes mom wanted me to try this time through so I could see another method and I'm not the same exact thing over, like the change in this step, wash the chilies.
1:00 P.M. - I gut the chilles (by gut I mean remove the seed pods and the veins, they contain most of the oils that cause the chilli heat )
1:15 P.M. - we Pepare the masa this time we use a little bit of the leftover hominy from the puzole blend it with some consumme
1:30 P.M. - Mom decides that it would be cool if we also used ht corn that we found recently so we ad that to the blender (and save the husks) .
1:45 P.M. - We pretty much puree the mixture and leave it alone in a bowl (for now,)
2:00 P.M. - We prepare the masa same as before this time mom added some of the manteca from the chicharon and let me see how it changed the consistancy (it was asome! it was like wet sand that wasn't wet and didn't stick to my skin.)
2:30 P.M. - we add the rest of the masa's ingredients, the puree corn mix, and made some changes with the water amount because this one ended up being alittle too thick.
2:45 P.M. - I start to mix the masa again....
3:30 P.M. - after giving the masa a good mixing the husks are readied to be applied with masa.
4:00 P.M. - The masa is applied to the husks this time the fresh corn husks are also applied, unfortunately they all came out ablit small... it's ok we just have two husks for every tamale when using the little green fresh husks this time around the filling is chilies (the ones we preped earlier, and a white mexican cheese we cut into slivers about as long as the chilies).
4:45 P.M. - we had minor difficulties because of the size of the fresh husks but we over came them with some quick thinking on mom's part (some of the chilies were too big for the fresh husks), other than that we preceed to wax paper the tamales and place them into the pot
5:00 P.M. - We place the lid on the pot and let it simmer for another two hours.
7:00 P.M. - We serve these tamales and finally eat properly.
8:00 P.M. - I clean and wash the area , and relax after making so many tamales.

prep. time 1: 45 mins
cook time 1: 3 hrs 45 mins
sreve time 1: 30 mins
prep. time 2: 15 mins
cook time 2: 7 hrs 15 mins
serve time 2: 1 hr
total time:  16 hrs 15 mins
Current ICH : 32 hrs 30 mins










Tuesday, January 29, 2013

independant component update 3

Day 3

Puzole soup
 (Mexican pork and hominy stew)
Materials:
1-6 quarts pot
1- laddel
Cutting board
Knife
Colander large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
1 - 1 cup measuring cup
1 - 4 cup measuring cup

Ingredients
Soup
·                           Pork shoulder or roast -- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
·                           Canned or fresh hominy, rinsed -- 2 to 3 cups
·                           Garlic -- 3 to 5 cloves
·                           Ground cumin -- 2 teaspoons
·                           Salt -- 2 teaspoons
·                           Water or stock -- 6 cups
Garnishes
·                           Cabbage or iceberg lettuce, shredded
·                           Onion, finely diced
·                           Radishes, thinly sliced
·                           Limes, cut into wedges
·                           Avocado, diced
·                           Cilantro, chopped
·                           Oregano, dried
·                           Chile piquín, ground
Method
3:00 P.M. - so we start by cleaning the cluttered sink and work space.
3:15 P.M. – I bring out all the materials (and materials list)
3:30 P.M. – I clean the materials.
3:45 P.M. – I pull out the vegetables, and wash them.
4:00 P.M. – I then find that mom has already put the meat in the pot (to thaw) so I can just add the water and start the heat (but I don’t for the moment).
4:15 P.M. – I separate and measure the ingredients.
4:30 P.M. – I mix the spices garlic and salt with the water.
4:45 P.M. – now because the recipe asks I add the water to the meat and hominy and boil for three hours.
7:30 P.M. I decide to chop up the vegetables according to the recipe.
7:45-ish P.M. – I check to see if the hominy is cooked (should look like a flower or like popcorn…)
8:15 P.M. I present the food and so this is how it came out.
9:00 P.M. I clean, sanitize and put away after everyone has eaten.
Prep time: 1 1/2hrs.
cooking time: 4 1/2 hrs
serve time: 1hr
total time :7 hrs
current ICH: 16hrs 15 minutes



 

Independant component update 2


Day 2 
Cocido day
To day mom let me make Cocido It’s like albondigas but alittle different I use afew difrent ingredients and prep the meat differently being that as it is I pretty much do the same thing I start at 3:--pm and end at 7:--pm again so to get the ball rolling I have to start with the basics I check off that I have these and clean each and every one which is about an hour process.
Materials:
1-6 quart pot
1-Laddel
Cutting board
Knife
Colander
Large mixing bowl
Medium size bowl
1-1 cup measuring cup
1-4 cup measuring cup
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
3 pounds beef shank, cut
½ white onion, cut in wedges
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 large ears of corn, husked and cut across the cob into 1 ½ inch pieces
2 medium red skin potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 stalk celery, cut into 1 inch
1/3 head green cabbage, sliced
2 zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Salt added to taste
3:00 P.M. - start – I started off by cleaning the preparation area (like yesterday kitchen counter, sink, cutting board, and stove)
3:15 P.M. – then I prepare by bringing out the materials (materials list as well)
3:30 P.M. – then I prepare by bringing out the ingredients (and the ingredients list)
3:45 P.M. – I prepared the vegetables by washing them and scrubbing the potatoes.
4:00 P.M. – I measured out the spices and separated them (for now)
4:15 P.M. – I cut up the vegetables according to the recipe and placed them in a large bowl.
4:30 P.M. – I filled up the pot with the water and added the meat and brought it to a rolling boil.
4:45 P.M. - When it started to boil I took the stuff that appeared on top of the water off, lowered the temperature, then added the onion and the garlic. And let it simmer for two hours.
6:45 P.M. – the recipe asked for the vegetables and the zucchini to be separate then the vegetables to be added and wait for yet another twenty- minuets
7:05 P.M. I add the zucchini and baby sit the pot until the zucchini was cooked 
7:15 P.M. Then before I took the pot off the fire I added the cilantro.
7:30 P.M. the cocido is ready to serve.
8:00 P.M. The work area is cleaned and all the materials are disinfected again and the serving area is cleared
Prep time:1hr
cooking time:3hrs
serveing time:1hr


total time:5hrs
current ICH:9hrs 15min

Independant component update

Day1:

Albondigas soup

 Today I was making albondigas soup, I started at 3:--pm and ended at 7:--pm
Materials:




1-6 quart pot
1-Laddel
Cutting board
Knife
Colander
Large mixing bowl
Medium size bowl
1-1 cup measuring cup
1-4 cup measuring cup

Ingredients:

1 pound of beef (half ground beef and half ground pork loin)
1/4 onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons of ground bread
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt added according to taste.
1/2 diced stock of celery
1 diced carrot
2 large potatoes
2 ears of corn
2 Mexican squash
3 tablespoons of fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups of water
3 slices of onion
1 pinch of cumin
salt and pepper added to taste.

Condiments:
Fresh cilantro
Chopped onion
2 Lemons



3:00 P.M. – Start time- Prepare working space.  I cleaned and disinfected the work area I was to use. The kitchen counters space, sink, stove, and cutting board.
3:15 P.M. – I prepare by binging out the materials (Materials list included)
3:30 P.M. – I brought out ingredients (Ingredients list included)
3:45 P.M. - I washed the vegetables and scrubbed the potatoes.
4:00 P.M. – I measured out ingredients.
4:15 P.M. - using cutting board and the knife I cut the vegetables into the sizes the recipe required and placed them in the large bowl.
4:30 P.M. – I fill the 6 quart pot with three quarts of water, added salt to the water to start a rolling boil.
4:45 P.M. – I begin preparing the meat by placing it in a medium size bowl, and adding the seasonings to the meat. I mixed in the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, eggs, cumin, and oregano.
5:00 P.M. – After mixing the meat, I begin to shape the meat in to spherical shapes, roughly the size of a ping pong ball.
5:15 P.M. – I got the medium bowl and placed the meatballs carefully in the pot and waited for it to grow to a rolling boil again.
5:30 P.M. –once the water reached the rolling boil again, I took the large bowl of vegetables and carefully placed them in to the boiling water.
6:00 P.M. – after boiling for approximately half an hour the soup was finished and let it sit for fifteen minuets. 
6:15 P.M. – Now it was ready to serve and I let it cool and put it up for display this is what it looked like.
7:15 P.M. – Clean up and disinfect preparation area and serving table.

I let the soup cool for about 15 min. before serving.  The condiments I used were the fresh cilantro, chopped onion, and wedged lemon.

Prep time:1hr.
Cooking time:2hr
Serving time:1hr 15min
Total time :4hr 15
Current ICH(Independent component hours):4hr 15min

Thursday, January 24, 2013

seinor project update

1.) I am cooking food with my mother and grandma who teach me how to cook from their ways which were taught to them by their grandparents.

2.)I have read a blurb from an interveiw off the internet from a book called taco planet that said that the big companies really just assemble their products and prepare most their ingredients by either microwave or mixing with hot water.

3.) I have so far prepared a pot of Aboindigas soup (the pictures shows a bowl I sereved and meatballs that went into the dish ).




combining the meatball mix












adding the meatballs


final product