Food For Special Event

     Special Event is where people where gathered to participate or to watch something. Special Events includes Foods and Drinks Services.

      Back of the house are the ones who assigned for the food preparations in the kitchen. Chefs, cooks, and dishwashers are found at the back of the house. They make the menu according to the guests' special requests. Their menu is also depending on which event they are into and are responsible on all the foods that will be served including their presentation.

      Meanwhile, the front of the house people were assigned to communicate with the guests. These people has their responsibility to watch the lobby, bar, and dining room. They are the waiters, waitresses and hosts. Since they are the people who interacts with the guests, it is their responsibility to represent their company.

Charcuterie

CHARCUTERIE

     Charcuterie is a cold meats that can be serve by slice. Those meats were preserved first before refrigerating it. This is a part of a Garde Manger's station. There are lots of methods of preserving meats.

Methods of Preserving Meats are: 

 - Curing
      Examples: Prosciutto, Culatello

 - Marinating
      Examples: Tandoori, Kabab

 - Smoking
     Examples:  Pastrami, Smoked Salmon

FORCEMEAT

     Forcemeat is a ground lean meat which emulsified with fat. This mixture is either be done working on  doing the grinding and/or puréeing. This forcemeat is usually used in charcuterie such as patés, terrines, and gelatines.

There are different types of Forcemeat:

    STRAIGHT
        - Straight is a process of a grinding equal part of a pork
         and its fat with one more ingredient that can be a pork
         as well or a different meat.

     COUNTRY-STYLE
        - Country-Style is a combination of pork and its fat with a
          pork liver.

     GRATIN
        - Gratin has browned protein.

     MOUSSELINE
        - Mousseline has lean cuts of meats and the texture of the
           results comes from the additive of eggs and cream.

PATÈ

     The Patè is a mixture of ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. The flavour of it can enhance and develop more when it is chilled few days after.

TERRINE

     Terrine is similar to Patè. The difference is the Terrine is a mixture of fish, meat or vegetable. Both of it are served in slices.

RILLETTES

     Rillettes is also a preparation of meats. It is a chopped or a cubed salted pork that cooked slowly until the fat is tender enough to form a paste. 

GELATIN

     Gelatin is a colourless and unflavoured foodstuff. It an be used to make desserts such as cake, ice creams, yougurts and more. There are two different kinds of gelatin; the powdered gelatin, and the sheet gelatin or also knows as the leaf gelatin.

I did an experiment of two types of gelatin; powdered gelatin and gelatin sheet.

a. 1 teaspoon of powdered gelatin and 1/2 cup of water.

b. 1/2 cup of water with the gelatin sheet.

(a.Left; b.Right)

After an Hour : The results

(a.Left; b.Right)

       I am quite nervous about the results because I don't know if it's going to work or not. Both of the results was shown above. "A" and "B" were actually watery but "a" is way more watery than "b". I did put too much water on both of it. The "a" is just like a liquid or more likely just a water. The second one which is "b" is way better than the other because the gelatin sheet worked well.

     One alternative to gelatin is the Agar. Is is much likely a gelatin but it is thicker when it's done.

Favorite Soup

When I was a child, my Dad always cook different kinds of soups. All of them are my favorite since my Dad is the best cook for me. One of my favorite is the mushroom soup which made me think that I can cook it as my dad's. I tried to copy his way of cooking but I didn't get the taste that he always make.

The ingredients of this soup are:

- Butter

- Onion

- Garlic

- Flour

- Evaporated Milk

- Chicken Stock

- Mushrooms

First, I melted the butter and sauteed the onion, garlic and the mushroom. Sauteing the mushroom until it sweats will enhance the flavor on it. At first, I am hesitating on what should I do next. Should I put the flour first, the milk, or the chicken stock. What I did is to put the flour and the stock to get the level of the thickness of the soup. After a minute, I put the milk on, and bring them to boil. And also, salt and pepper for a better taste. And there you have it.

When I tried my soup, I am surprised that what I did is better than what I expected to be. The flavor of the mushroom is just perfect with the creamy soup. I am surely share this recipe with my friends who loves creamy soups as well.

Dumpling Taste

Dumplings

My next blog is to choose one of Pasta, Noodle, or Dumpling to make. I would rather chose to have dumplings than the two other. Although pasta and noodle is good, the dumplings is more appetite to me.

I made pork and shrimp dumplings for this blog. I didn't make the wrapper for this but it contains wheat flour, water, coconut oil, and salt. Upon on my research, just mix them all together and let it sit for an hour before making it as the wrapper. Using the pasta maker, the dough can be size and shape it as what you wanted to. This pastry is just as easy as making the pasta as well.

Pork and shrimp mix:

          - Pork

          - Shrimp

          - Eggs

          - Garlic

          - Green Onion

          - Cornstarch

          - Salt and Pepper to taste

If the pork and shrimps are set, it's ready to fold it into the wrapper. I choose the dumpling to deep-fry it so that the wrapper would be crispy as I wanted it to be. This dumpling can also be steamed, or put in into a soup.

To make it a soup:
          - Cold water
          - Chicken broth/powder
          - Watercress
          - Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring water and chicken broth/powder in a boil.Add the dumplings and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the watercress. Don't forget to add the seasoning as well.


Ready to serve!

Pickled Green Papaya

My next blog is to choose one item which we can do it in pickling, preserving, and/or fermenting. I chose to do the Green Papaya for pickling. Pickling is which the food is preserved in vinegar. This is one kind of a dish that can enhance the taste buds.

I made the step-by-step procedure on how to make this papaya.

Papaya:

I peeled the papaya and I took off the seeds and grated it.

I put the papaya in cheese cloth and squeeze it until the liquid comes off to take out the bitterness of it.

Carrots:

I peeled the carrots and Julienne it.

Bell Pepper:

Took off the seeds and cut it into Julienne.

Ginger:

Cut it into Julienne.

Garlic:

Peeled and thinly sliced.

Shallots:

Peeled and divided into 8 slices.

White and Brown Sugar:

Peppercorn:

Vinegar:

Into a pot, combine vinegar, salt, white sugar, peppercorn, ginger, garlic and brown sugar. Bring to boil.

Add the bell peppers, carrots, and shallots. Remove from heat.

Pour the mixture into the papaya and toss it.

Let it sit for 2 hours.

Ready to put it into a jar!

This will be ready to serve after 12 hours. It can be served with a fried meat or a fried fish.

When I tried to eat this dish, I knew that this pickled papaya is also good to eat with chicken and pork barbecue.  The taste was just wonderful because of the flavors of the ginger and the peppercorns along with the vegetables (green papaya, ginger, carrots, red pepper). It not too sour nor sweet because it has the perfect combination of the sugar and vinegar.

Fruit Hunter

St. Lawrence Market is the place where I chose to buy a fruit for my next blog. This Market is one of the famous markets in Toronto. It is not only about the freshness of meats, fruits, and vegetables but it is also because of the cheap prices. This is the reason why I chose this market to go to for my research. As I walked around this market, I saw some different kinds of fruits and vegetables that is new in my eyes.

One fruit that catches my eyes is the "pomegranate". I've been always hearing this kind of fruit since then but I am not really familiar with it. This fruit is also seasonal which blooms on September to February in Northern Hemisphere. While in Southern Hemisphere, it is from March to May. It can be used making a juice, smoothie, and alcohol beverages. It is also used in cooking and baking. I choose this fruit not only because it is not familiar for me but it is interesting to try.

Pomegranate

I cut them into half using the knife but I did not know that I should just tear out the skin and not to cut them. The effect of cutting it is because there is a big possibility of cutting the seeds to.

 I also took the seeds off of the skin and just rinse it.

At first, I thought it would be just one kind of a sweet fruit. When I ate it, the sweetness and sourness of the seeds are blending. It is also a juicy seed which it make me want to try to make a smoothie some other time. Upon eating this, I thought of making these seeds as a dessert. A dessert that can be serve to special occasions which I know the kids would love it.

Melted White Chocolate

Add the pomegranate on the melted white chocolate.

Mix the white chocolate and pomegranate evenly and put it in the fridge for an hour.

And here you have it.. Pomegranate White Chocolate.

From this experience that I had, I learned that I can always turn a fruit into something else. I just need to have more imagination on how I can make it.

New Taste Experience

If I would try to taste one thing, that is sweet potato. It is normal to everyone to eat this but I haven't tried it so far. It pushes me to try this because some restaurants have this "fried sweet potato" and some of my friends told me that it is delicious. Back home (Philippines), they used to make this sweet potato as a dessert or snack. Today, I am making a Caramelized Sweet Potato which I know that this will make me start loving this kind of vegetable.

Sweet Potato

First, I peeled the sweet potato and sliced them. Upon peeling and slicing them, I felt that this sweet potato is so hard.

I fried them using vegetable oil and while frying them, I put some brown sugar on it until it caramelizes.

Before eating the Caramelized Sweet Potato that I made, I don't have any idea how it taste like and if it really taste good or bad. It could be sweet if it cooked well. It could be bitter if it cooked too much because of the sugar. I don't even know if it is soft or hard. I feel excited on tasting this kind of food because at the first time, I will eat sweet potato. I also feel excited because this first time would be great because I cooked it myself.

Now that I tried this caramelized sweet potato, I would probably eat this more often. It is surprising because I didn't expect that I would like it so much. And yes, I just don't like it but I love it. The combination of the brown sugar and the sweet potato is so much perfect. It is sweet enough for a dessert and/or snack. And I would probably recommend this to my friends for them to know how appetizing it is. If I rate this from 1(lowest) to 10(highest), I would most likely say that this is 10.