Month: March 2018

Meringa con Zabaglione Recipe

Posted on by admin

Meringa con Zabaglione

This delicious desert food is an Italian baked Meringue that is served with a warm custard called Zabaglione at the center and then topped with fresh fruit.

Making the Meringa

Materials:

  • electric mixer or stand mixer
  • measuring spoons and cups
  • liquid measuring cup
  • parchment paper
  • regular spoon
  • baking sheets
  • kitchen thermometer

Ingredients for Meringa:

  • 1 cup superfine sugar (Run one cup plus 2 teaspoons of white sugar in the food processor for 30 seconds. This gives you 1 cup of superfine sugar)
  • 1/2 tsp water
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 4 egg whites; the yolks will be used in making the zabaglione

Instructions for Meringa:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

2. Place the egg whites in a stainless-steel bowl and beat with an electric/hand mixer until foamy. When we made this we used a Kitchen Aid and whisk attachment. Then add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form; they should flop over like below.

3. In a small pot over low heat on your Waring burner, combine the sugar and water. Stir carefully to dissolve the sugar completely.

  • Get some cool water in your glass measuring cup and set it to the side of the pot
  • Put the oven glove on your hand and use the kitchen thermometer to check the temperature. Increase the heat and boil the sugar water to 236-240 degrees F – or the soft-ball stage. With the oven glove on your hand, scoop some of the syrup with a spoon and drop into the cool water. This small sample of the cold syrup should form a soft ball when dropped into cold water like pictured below.

  • Fix the thermometer to your saucepan so the thermometer is near the bottom of the pot but not touching.

4. Start the mixer again and pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over the beaten egg whites. Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, they should stand up straight as pictured below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Scoop spoonfuls of the meringue onto the parchment lined baking sheet and shape into cups or tarts using the back of a spoon, then bake for about 40 minutes at 300 degrees. Then shut the oven off and leave the meringue shells in there for another hour until they are dry and airy.

7. When the meringa are 45-50 minutes from finished proceed to making the zabaglione.

8. Remove the meringa tart shells from the oven when they are lightly browned and dry and allow them to cool.

Making the Zabaglione

Materials:

  • Medium saucepan with lid
  • A glass or stainless steel bowl that will sit on top of the saucepan and not fall in
  • Whisk
  • Measuring spoons

Ingredients for the Zabaglione:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup of superfine sugar (Run 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons of white sugar in the food processor for 30 seconds)
  • 2 teaspoons of almond extract

Instructions for the Zabaglione:

1. Put an inch or so of water in a clean, medium saucepan. Cover with a lid and bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and maintain at a simmer.

2. In a glass or stainless-steel bowl that will sit on top of the sauce pan without falling in, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and almond extract.

3. Place the bowl on the saucepan and whisk constantly while the mixture heats. This process takes a lot of time so make sure to not overheat the zabaglione.

  • The signs to look for that tell if the zabaglione is done are if the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, the mixture mounds easily, and when you run a whisk through the mixture a trail is visibly left behind. 
  • Once it is done take the bowl off the heat and into a bowl of cold water, and keep whisking to further thicken the zabaglione.

  • Then place the mixture in a bag that will allow you to squeeze the mixture out onto the meringa.

4. Proceed immediately with the still hot Zabaglione to assembling the tarts.

 

Assembling the Tarts

Materials and ingredients:

  • Berries and fresh fruit
  • Spoon
  • Plate/bowl for serving

Instructions:

1. Put a meringa on a plate or small bowl and pour warm zabaglione over it.

2. Decorate with washed and dried berries

 

View our video discussing how our Meringa con Zabaglione and how it went when we made it!

https://vimeo.com/261054623

1. Type an answer to the following question(s)

 

https://vimeo.com/261054623

1. Type an answer to the following question(s)

  • What chemical changes occurred when you made the meringue/meringa? What did you observe that told you these chemical changes were happening?
    • When making the meringue there were many chemical changes that occurred but they all had to do with the denaturation and coagulation of the proteins in the food. When we separated the egg whites and then whisked them together in the kitchen aid this is when the egg proteins began to denature. This is also in part because of the air that was being put into the mixture. This mixing then caused the proteins to coagulate and the egg whites turned from being a clear substance to a white foamy mixture. This was even further coagulated when the cream of tartar was added. Once the hot syrup was added more denaturation and coagulation happened with the proteins and this was seen when the soft peaks became stiff glossy peaks. Finally cooking the meringue caused for more coagulation and this was seen when the meringue hardened from being in the oven.
  • What was responsible for the thickening of the zabaglione as you stirred it over the hot water bath?
    • The thickening of the zabaglione is due to chemical property of the proteins in the custard. When the denatured proteins are heated they coagulate and causing the thickening to occur. The zabaglione’s proteins were denatured from beating the eggs and then were coagulated from heating and stirring the mixture together over a long period of time. By doing this the proteins came together to create a new structure that became the new thickened and cohesive custard.
  • Overheating (too fast and or too hot) the zabaglione can leave you with “scrambled eggs” – a lumpy grainy mess of clumps in watery liquid. What is happening in this case?
    • The egg that is in the zabaglione is being cooked at a higher temperature and if there is too much heat and not enough stirring the proteins that are present in the mixture will be heated too fast. This causes the hydrophobic molecules to clump together and cause this separation from the rest of the mixture. They will start to clump together creating these “scrambled eggs” in the custard.

Integrative Assignment #2 Biscotti- Olive Oil

Posted on by admin

1. Assumption

When I first heard of and saw biscotti I did not know much of what this food was but I did think it was a super hard and crunchy bread. I had never tried it before making it in kitchen chemistry lab but my initial assumption was that it was a super hard break your teeth type of food and it would not be enjoyable, I thought it was going to be this bland and unappealing food. After making my own biscotti I realized that this food is actually quite tasty and has a lot of flavor in it. I also was under the assumption that biscotti was to be dipped in other drinks such as coffee. I had no clue of what chemical components were behind the making of the food but I did think biscotti came from Europe, even if that was my only cultural assumption of the food. It is not as hard as I thought it would be and through making it and eating biscotti I began to appreciate this snack more because of its precise baking instructions and all the time and patience that comes with making this delicious food.

2. Dish 

The “Southern Italian” olive oil biscotti is an Italian dish that has a central ingredient of olive oil. The olive oil is important because it allows for the specific consistency, texture, and flavor to come through in this Italian almond cookie.

This is an Italian biscotti which is a cookie or biscuit that is twice cooked and is dry and hard in consistency.

  

 

 

 

 

3. Chemical analysis 

Olive oil in foods inhibits the gluten formation, so even though there is flour present in the recipe the olive oil mixed into the recipe creates for less gluten. The olive oil coats the flour therefore making an oil/fat mixture that prevents the gluten from being formed. However, there is still enough gluten for the dough to be cohesive. When little gluten is in a mixture it causes the end product to crumble, just like biscotti does when you bite into it, and it makes it more dense which is a correct description of biscotti.

When a food has a higher water content the end product is more moist, tender, and chewy where as foods with a lower water content are hard, dry, and tough and have a crunch to them. Olive oil has less than 1% of water in it and this explains why biscotti made with olive oil is much more dry and hard then biscottis made with ingredients such as butter. In olive oil there is a lower water content so the end product will be more crisp and dry. Especially since biscotti is twice baked and the olive oil has such a low water content, almost all the product that would make it moist and chewy is gone by the end leaving the dry and hard characteristics of biscotti.

4. Cultural analysis 

Biscotti originated from Italy and the word biscotti originally comes from the medieval Latin word biscoctus. This meaning twice cooked, explains how the long hard cookie like biscuits are baked. They are extremely dry and in the past they were a popular food to be made because they could be stored for long periods of times. These Italian cookies are primarily made with either olive oil or butter; north of Italy using butter and Mediterranean southern Italy using olive oil. There is no fat in biscotti which helps create the dry and hard snack but the climate where olive oil is a primary ingredient in its baking is where olive trees are extremely abundant and became very popular.

Biscotti is most commonly known to come from the Tucsan area of Italy and its origins can trace all the way back to Roman times. Biscotti when it first came about was not a food of luxury or of preference, but it was more of a convenience food for travelers who needed something that would travel well and that they could still eat after being stored for long periods of times. Because of its dryness from being cooked twice it was made to travel and its nourishment stayed. This food became a staple in the diets of people during the Roman Empire. Biscotti went away for a bit after the fall of the Roman Empire but during the Renaissance it came back and that is when dipping the biscotti in wine and coffee became a popular method of enjoying the dry and crunchy snack. Nowadays biscottis are commonly served with drinks where they can be dunked and soaked in and in Italy they are normally eaten as a snack or dessert after meals.

5. Integration

A way through which I am able to connect the cultural and chemical analyses of biscotti is through the baked twice chemical aspect of the biscotti and how biscotti came to popularity twice. Biscotti first came to be a common food during the Roman Empire and it mostly was a travel food, but after the Roman fall it fell out of the public eye until the Renaissance time period where it came back again and this time stayed and became a popular food to dip into beverages. Biscotti itself is twice cooked and this allows for its dry, crunchy, and hard texture and taste which comes from the olive oil in the recipe which has a low water content. The chemical and cultural aspect of both have this twice element to them and this connection I found to be very interesting. Essentially biscotti is cooked twice and biscotti rose to popularity twice.

Works Cited:

  • The Nibble: Biscotti History, www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cookies/cookies2/the-origin-of-biscotti.asp.
  • Colabroy, Keri. Biscotti (Italian Almond Cookies) (Sp 18). muhlenbergcollege.instructure.com/courses/6764/assignments/31756.

Figuring out Food Part 2

Posted on by admin

Continuing my research on my favorite snack Cream Cheese and Chives crackers I looked up the full report of the food including the ingredients and nutritional information. Below is some of the information I found out about the protein and fat of this food!

1. What is protein?

Protein is primarily found in animal products and is a macronutrient that is essential to creating muscle mass. Macronutrients give the body energy and provide calorie intake. Protein is made up of amino acids which are the main building blocks for protein; which help create muscle mass.

2. How much protein is this food item contributing to the % DV? What does that mean? 

The daily value for protein is about 50 grams, the amount of protein in the crackers was 3.00 grams therefore making the the contribution to the daily value percentage 6% based on a 2,000 calorie diet. This means that on a 2,000 calorie based diet 6% of your daily intake of protein is being contributed from this food. The daily value shows how much of a nutrient is included in a single serving of a food.

3. What ingredients in your food item are contributing the protein? 

Cream Cheese, Buttermilk, Nonfat Dry Milk, Sodium Caseinate, Spices (Chives and Parsley)

4. How many calories in your food item are due to protein? How can you tell?

Each gram of protein contains 4 calories and since there are 3 grams in the food there are 12 calories from protein. 

 

1. What is Fat?

Fats are composed of esters of three fatty acids and the alcohol glycerol, fats are also known as triglycerides and they are solids.

2. How much fat is this food item contributing to the % DV? What does that mean?

There is 15% of the daily value of fat included in this food. This can be found directly on the food label on the right side and does not have to calculated like I had to do for protein. This means that the daily value of fat that is contributed from the crackers is 15%.

3. What ingredients in your food item are contributing the fat?

Vegetable Oils, Cream Cheese, Peanut Oil, Buttermilk, Spices (Chives and Parsley), Soy Lecithin

4. What types of Fats does your food item contain? What are these different types of fat and why should we care?

Fatty acids, total saturated

Fatty acids, total monounsaturated

Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated

Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids can all be used to make triglycerides, and saturated fatty acids specifically refer to no double bonds. Together they all refer to the composition of fatty acid chains that make up the triglycerides or fat in the product. Also different triglycerides from different sources contain different types of fatty acids therefore giving the products different physical properties; ex. liquid or solid.

5. How many calories in your food item are due to fat? How can you tell?  

There are 90 calories that are due to fat in the crackers and I can tell this because on the original nutrition label it is listed on the top right section of the label.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Spring Break Food Journal

Posted on by admin

Spring Break Food Journal

Over Spring break I had a lot of good food but there were two specific meals I had that left an impact on me and made me think of their connections to Eatalians and Kitchen Chemistry

 

When I went to The Cheesecake Factory I ordered the Miso salmon which is described as Fresh Miso Marinated Salmon Served with Snow Peas, White Rice and a Delicious Miso Sauce. This food promoted a reaction for me because it is my favorite thing off the menu from this restaurant and every time I get it I am never disappointed. I found the balance between the sauce and the salmon and rice to be perfect and I found the combination to be a great match. I did not make any particular connections between the culture and chemistry of this food but when we got bread with our meal I did think about how the bread rises and the chemistry that goes behind making the bread. One thing I was able to connect to Eatalians was how there was sauce around the meal to accompany the taste and I even asked for extra sauce because of how good it was, but in Italy they do not like to mask the taste of things with sauces. Also when our waitress offered us dessert she asked if we wanted any coffee or cappuccinos and I remembered how in Italy having a cappuccino past breakfast time was a big no.

During the week my Dad got lasagna from a stand at the farmer’s market and my family ate it for dinner that same night. It was a meat lasagna and even though I have had this many times before I thought about this Italian dish and how it related to Eatalians and Kitchen Chemistry. I thought of how the pasta in the lasagna is very thin and therefore does not have a lot of gluten formation happening in the dough therefore causing it to not rise. Also this food was made by an Italian family who has had this stand at the market place for a long time and actually owns their own family run Italian food store where you can get groceries, specially made foods, cheeses, meats, olive oil, and etc since 1946, and in comparison to other lasagnas I have had their’s is always the best. I don’t know the specific ingredient they use but it always tastes so different and amazing than most lasagnas. I connected this to the marketplaces with Eataly and how with the slow food movement one thing they want you to do is buy food and bring it home to eat it with your family and that is exactly what my family did with the lasagna.