Pickle, Preserve & Ferment

For the pickling assignment I chose to do two different raw food products; green beans and mushrooms. We had some green beans lying around in the fridge and so I chose to pickle them after looking at a couple different websites and recipes, and the pickled mushrooms are an old family recipe.

Pickled Green Beans

2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans

2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar

2 cups water

1/4 cup salt

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 bunch fresh dill weed

3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Sterilize 6 (1/2 pint) jars with rings and lids and keep hot.

Trim green beans to 1/4 inch shorter than your jars.

In a large saucepan, stir together the vinegar, water and salt. Add garlic and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. 

In each jar, place 1 sprig of dill and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Pack green beans into the jars so they are standing on their ends. Ladle the boiling brine into the jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the tops. Discard garlic. Seal jars with lids and rings. Place in a hot water bath so they are covered by 1 inch of water. Simmer but do not boil for 10 minutes to process. Cool to room temperature. Test jars for a good seal by pressing on the center of the lid. It should not move. Refrigerate any jars that do not seal properly. Let pickles ferment for 2 to 3 weeks 

Pickled Mushrooms
2 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 3/4 cups water

3 tbsp salt

1/3 cup chopped onions

2 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

5-10 chopped garlic cloves or more if you really really like garlic

pinch of tarragon

Wash and drain mushrooms. In a large pot, combine vinegar, water and salt. Heat to dissolve salt. Add mushrooms and bring to a boil. 

Once boiling, reduce to simmer, stir occasionally. While simmering, add to each jar (sterilized) 1 tbsp onion, 1/2 tsp peppercorns, as much garlic as you want, and a pinch of tarragon, or green dried things. Simmer 10-12 minutes, or until tender. Careful not to overcook, or they turn into rubber. 

Pack into jars: leave about an inch of space to the top. If you have more mushrooms to boil, don't add the brine until you're done packing all the jars. After you've run out of mushrooms, fill the jars with brine to 1/2" below the top of the jar (while still hot). Make sure all air bubbles are removed. Put the lids on, and tighten. Tighten again after the "pop". 

The Pickled mushrooms were very nice. They had a good garlic flavour and were all to easy to just pop into my mouth like popcorn. However the green beans were awfully salty. Unfortunately there were some nice flavours but they were overcrowded by salt. I believe my issue was trying to follow more than one recipe and thus I may have mixed up my measurements thus over-salting the beans. I would like to make them again in the future with one solid recipe because I enjoyed the crunch and spiced flavour in the beans, I was just not able to get over the overwhelming salt.

Week 6 - Fruit Hunter

• This week I visited St. Lawrence Market because it is a wonderful resource in downtown Toronto just minutes away from campus. During my stroll through the market the cherimoya caught my eye because I like that the skin looked like scales and it was rather large for a fruit. This fruit originates from the Annonna cherimola tree native to Ecuador and Peru and can now be grown in California. The season for this fruit usually runs from winter through summer and into the fall. This fruit is high in sugar and fiber, a good source of vitamin C and calcium and contains niacin and phosphorus. 300 grams of fruit has approximately 170 calories and I paid $5.99 a pound for mine.

When I purchased the fruit, I was unsure of what to expect. After cutting the fruit open I was no more sure. I did a little research and read that the easiest way to eat it is to just cut it open and spoon it out like ice cream. So, I cut it open and poked at it a little bit and it had a similar texture to an avocado. My first taste of the fruit reminded me of cotton candy due to its intense sweetness. The cherimoya reminded me of a mixture of sweet tropical fruits and I would be inclined to use it in a smoothie or dessert, however it is too sweet for my taste to eat on its own. Therefore, I might make a cherimoya sorbet. It is very sweet and has a strong flavour of its own and therefore does not need a lot of excess. Below is a link for a recipe.

http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/cherimoya-lime-sorbet.aspx

Overall, it was a good experience; I enjoyed the flavour and am excited to try some new recipes that incorporate the cherimoya. 

Sources:
1. http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Cherimoya_944.php
2. Popenoe H, King SR, León J, Kalinowski LS, Vietmeyer ND, et al. (1989) Cherimoya. Lost crops of the Incas: Little-known plants of the Andes with promise for worldwide cultivation. pp. 228–239. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.

Sensory Evaluation Assignment

For my sensory evaluation assignment I chose to try octopus. I went to Volos Restaurant and ordered the grilled octopus. I love trying new things and have always loved seafood and so I was rather excited to try octopus. When it first arrived on the table the smell reminded me of being on an island. It was exotic, grilled, and held a hint of umame. Looking at the dish, the colour was a dark purple with some nice distinct grill marks which looked lovely on top of the bright green and red in the salad. The suction cups on the tentacles were slightly off-putting but I decided to taste it nonetheless. I poked at the tentacles and they were a little squishy but I cut off a piece and tried it. The tentacle was very tender and not at all chewy as expected, the octopus itself had a very strong seafood flavour and was accompanied with a savory sauce; a little sweet, a little salty and a little sour. There was also a slightly bitter element from the grilled charcoal flavour. The only item I can relate the octopus to is calamari, however calamari has a lighter flavour and a more rubbery texture. To this, octopus is very unique with its bold sea flavour and tentacles. Overall it was an excellent experience. I love trying new things and look forward to doing so in the future!

Library Assignment

The Recipe I found is a recipe for Risotto Bianco:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/rice-recipes/risotto-bianco-white-risotto

The reason I chose risotto is because risotto was always something I loved to eat but did not know how to make. Just recently I tried making Jamie Oliver's risotto recipe and it was delicious, Although it is a little tedious, I enjoy making it for my friends and they love eating it. The recipe was pretty easy to follow,  however some of the measurements are not legitimate forms of measurement and therefore take a little bit of instinct as well. The wild mushroom risotto recipe, another Jamie Oliver recipe, and is an excellent creamy, savory dish. However it is very rich so I try not to make it too often.

Week 1

Greetings,

My name is Anna Matikainen. I want to be a chef because I am extremely passionate about food and the culinary arts. I started working in the hospitality industry at age 14. Since then I have in such positions as food preparation, hostess, server, bartender, and cook in various locations. My most basic philosophy is that good ingredients will make good dishes, which is why, especially in the summer time, I grow a small vegetable and herb garden and try to use local farm fresh ingredients. From this course I hope to gain the proper knowledge and experience necessary for this industry to help me succeed and build my style as a chef.