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Reflection Paper

Culinary industry in second quarter of 2020

           It is cliché to mention how the global pandemic affected culinary field. Our industry has never been hurt this badly for quite a while. This paper analyzes the statistics from the second quarter of 2020 and argues that bars and restaurants that cannot provide take out or food delivery service are the major victims of COVID-19.

           A significant number of restaurants are closed temporary or permanently due to the devastating impact brought by the Coronavirus. Majority of them are pubs and bars where beverage services are essential. According to the statistics from Restaurants Canada, nearly ten-thousands dinners and pubs were closed for good in April 2020. Take Brass Taps Pizza Pub as an example. “The restaurant didn’t qualify for a curb-lane patio and takeout orders weren’t enough to keep things afloat” (Adams & Manzocco, 2020). Moreover, looking at the closed restaurants in a macro perspective, most of them offered beverage service before things went down south, even the Downtown Pickle Barrel did not survive. Hence, by analyzing the closed restaurants in the second quarter of 2020, bars and pubs that were not able to provide patio or take out services were the victims.

           Nevertheless, restaurants that are still running strong are those who joined Uber eats. Comparing the 2020 second quarter Uber Eats revenue to its data in second quarter 2019, “active user increased three hundred percent, gross booking increased more than a hundred percent and revenue increased ninty percent” (Curry, 2021). The statistics demonstrate the shifts and changes that were made in culinary field, where people are forced to order food delivery service online due to the reality of Covid-19.

Therefore, to survive the global pandemic, providing efficient take out or delivery services are necessary. With the removal of lockdowns, our industry will be able to rebuild and recover from the significant impact brought by the pandemic.

Reference

Curry, D. (2021). Uber Eats Revenue and Usage Statistics 2021. Business of Apps. Retrieved from https://businessofapps.com/

Adam, K., & Manzocco, N. (2020). 99 Toronto restaurants and bars we lost in 2020. Now. Retrieved from https://nowtoronto.com

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Pork feet

oof. Pork feet? Ewwww!

No! They are delicious, depends on how you cook them. And that’s exactly the reason why I chose this cut, to demonstrate how to cook it right in Chinese method.

Pig originates from the Eurasian wild boar. Domestic pigs are from Asian and Europe. People start to consume pork 7000 years ago with the method of freshly cooking and preserving (Britannica, 2021). The general characteristic of pork is tenderness. And that is the texture of cooked pork feet since they are mostly skin. Pork feet or pork trotter is located below the leg. They are loaded with collagen, so they are rather tender than fatty. There are benefits of eating pork trotter! Collagen is good for skin, it helps prevent wrinkles and improves skin elasticity. I bought 2 pounds of pork feet for $7.99. It is a cheap cut, yet there are ways to best preserve the nutrition. I am doing red braised pork feet. It is a Chinese cooking method that works on many pig cuts. The idea is to cook the trotter without caramalization. Since collagen can be damaged by high heat, so searing or deep frying should be avoided.

Recipe: Red Braised Pork Feet

2 Lb pork feet

Half cup of soy sauce

10 g dark soy sauce

20 g rock sugar

15 g ginger

15 g garlic

1 scallion

5 g dry chillies

2 g green pepper corns

3 g cinnamon

2 staranies

7 g fennel seeds

2 bay leaves

Salt

Cooking process (I actually made it for dinner):

First, put the pork feet into a pot that is filled with cold water along with 3 slices of ginger and a dash of wine. Bring up to a boil and skim the cums regularly. After 5 minutes of boiling, dump the water and fill the pot with cold water, and bring up to a boil again. This process is to remove the undesired tastes and smells from the meat.

Next step, put all the herbs and spices into the pot and skim the foams is needed.

Add both soy sauce and dark soy sauce in the pot. Turn down the heat and allows it to simmer for at least an hour and half. To red braise is to use soy sauce as the major flavour profile and dark soy sauce to create the desired dark red colour.

After an hour and half, remove the herbs and spices and the trotters from the pot, turn up the heat to thicken the braising liquid (this step is to prevent the herbs and spices become too overpowring as the liquid cooks down).

After the liquid is thickened, spoon over the trotters and serve.

Note: notice how the recipe requires rock sugar yet regular white sugar. Rock sugar makes the braising liquid shinnier and does not sweeten the liquid too much.

Since I actually made the trotters today, therefore no reference for the pictures. Thank you!

Reference:

Britannica, The editor of Encyclopaedia. (2021). Pork. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/pork

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Pickled Dakon Radish

For the preservation assignment, I chose to pickle some dakon radish. Pickling radish is common in Asian cooking. Koreans make green dakon Kimchee with baby shrimps, chilli powders, vinegar, salt etc. Yet my version is influenced by the traditional Chinese method.

Pickled radish include:

200 g radish

7 g bird eye chilli

150 g white vinegar

100 g white sugar

30 g salt

Enough water to cover the radish

1 sealing jar

Method:

First, Julienne the radish and make sure they are equal in size. Thinly slice two bird eye chillies and keep the seeds if you want it to be spicy. Then, measure the quantity of necessary pickling and set aside. Add the radish in a jar along with the chillies. Sprinkle salt and sugar, and pour the white vinegar. And lastly, put enough water in the jar till the radish are covered. And most importantly, seal the jar.

Fermentation:

The radish will suck up the pickling liquid, yet it will become soggy if the pickling process takes too long. Usually, the radish is perfect after 7 days of fermenting under room temperature. The chillies are part of the pickles. It not only gives flavour to the radish, but also can be used in stir-fries. Take a look at the final result.

Evaluation:

My version is different than the traditional Chinese method, where the black bean paste is added. I wanted my radish to be refreshing and appetizing instead of salty. The texture of the radish is crispy but not mushy, the flavour is mostly acidic, spicy and have a sweet aftertaste, which I believe is great to serve with a meat dish to refresh the taste bud. In this case, I served the radish with Gyudon (Japanese beef and rice bowl). The meaty taste from the Gyudon can be greasy, and the pickled radish can brighten the palate. Next time, I would increase the amount of sugar to balance out the acidity.

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In culinary essential this week, we learned how to make salad. During the lecture of food theory, Chef Noort suggested that raspberry works really well with white balsamic vinegar, and I decided to try it by making a kale salad with raspberry white balsamic dressing. Here are the ingredients.

10 g pumpkin seeds

20 g canola oil from toasting the pumpkin seeds

20 g kale

5 g radicchio

5 g shallot

10 g goat cheese

30 g raspberry & white balsamic mixture

10 g Dijon mustard

7 g lemon juice

Pinch of salt

After whisking the above ingredients for the dressing together, it looks like this:

Here is a picture of the final product:

Discussion:

This salad was surprisingly savoury to eat. People who dislike salads usually hate the soily taste from the greens. Especially in this recipe where radicchio and kale are both bitter. However, the raspberry might just be the cure. The sweetness of the raspberry covered the bitter aftertaste of the greens. The bitterness was balanced so well that it created a harmony. Also, I found the fruity taste was not overpowering at all since dijon mustard was added in the dressing. Next time when making salad with this dressing, I might change the choice of cheese from goat to feta to match the sweet and tangy taste. When I first heard this dressing in class, I doubted the combination of fruit and vinegar. Yet after making this salad, I have learned to be open-minded when combining flavours. Do not judge before experiencing and tasting! I believe that In cooking, balancing flavours is the most crucial skill that a chef should master. And this salad dressing is a wake-up call for me to try different combination of flavours, and to learn how to taste, as well as how to use ingredients to balance them.

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Plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #7

Reference

Lynch, H., Johnston, C., & Wharton, C. (2018) Plant-based diets: considerations for environmental impact, protein quality, and exercise performance. Nutrients 10(12). doi: 10.3390/nu10121841

Sabeté, J., & Soret, S. (2014). sustainability of plant-based diets: back to the future. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 100, 476s-482s.

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Plant Based versus Animal Based Diets blog entry #1

Plant-based diet is a diet that rely primarily on plants. It consists vegetables, nuts, whole grains, oil and little animal product.

There are benefits of following plant-based diet that animal-based diet cannot provide. First, it helps lower blood pressure. Since fruits and vegetables contain vast amount of potassium and small amount of fat and sodium, following a plant-based diet can lower cholesterol level, which can helps maintain blood pressure. Secondly, it also helps prevent type 2 diabetes. Because plant-based diet consist small amount of fat, it helps people to lose weight. Less fatty tissues makes cells less resistant to insulin (Sabaté & Sorey, 2014, p.479). And lastly, plant-based diet can lower the chance of having a stroke. After following the diet for a while, not only the blood pressure and cholesterol level are lower, the minerals in fruits and vegetables that a person consume help minimize the chance of stroke as well. Other than health benefits, it also address the importance of animal welfare. Though plant-based diet still consist small amount of meat, yet it reduces the demand of consuming animal product. Majority of the vegetarians go vegan because they understand the truth of animal farming (Lynch, Johnston & Wharton, 2018). Plant-based diet raises the awareness of the brutality of killing animals.

In the future of my culinary profession, there is a chance of incorporating plant-based diet since it has become a trend. More people are asking for vegetarian menu or ordering healthier option for a recipe. It is not just a business opportunity, yet it also promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #3

After slicing it for the first time, use water to wash the surface of the tofu and push them to one side. Wash the knife as well to prevent tofu from sticking to the blade. Then slice them finely.

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Plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #6

All the ingredients are easy to find in an Asian supermarket. This recipe looks simple but contain depths of flavour. White pepper, chicken stock and tofu, those three ingredients compliment each other well. The carrots created a slight sweat after taste to the soup. Since this recipe does not contain any herb, hence the soup is not fragrant, yet the smell of tofu and chicken stock work well together to create a meaty aroma that draws people’s attention. The soup looks like a whirlpool of tofu, people definitely will be amazed by the knife skill (this is the first time for me to make this recipe, my cuts were not close to perfect and needs tons of practice for sure). The colour of the vegetables makes the soup looks appetizing. Since the tofu was sliced thinly, and the soup is thick, it feels like everything melts in your mouth instantly. At the same time, the vegetables are still crunchy, so the contract of textures made this dish tastes interesting. The challenge was the cuts, especially the tofu. After practicing with 4 tofus, my cuts were still not uniformed compared to professional chefs. I would make this recipe again for not only the taste, but also to practice the knife skills.

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Plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #5

Strain the tofu and add it into the pan and simmer. Use the back of the ladle to gently spin the soup to separate tofu slices.

Season the soup, then plate. Use the back of the ladle to “spin” the soup again to better showcase the sliced tofu.

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Plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #4

Soak the sliced tofu in water, and gently separate each slice.

Thinly slice wood ear mushrooms, carrots and bok choi. The size should be relatively similar to the sliced tofu.

Ladle enough chicken stock for one serving into a pan, bring it to 90 degrees Celsius, add starch water to thicken the liquid. Then add the sliced vegetables.

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Plant based diet versus animal based diet blog entry #2

Wensi Toufu (shredded tofu)

The reason I chose this recipe is because the knife skill that it requires. All the ingredients in this soup were sliced finely without any tools but a cleaver. The type of tofu in this recipe is the softest on the market. Lactone tofu contains more protein and water in its body, and is extremely soft and easy to break. Chefs need to process it with caution to preserve its body without breaking. This recipe represents the highest level of knife skill that Chinese cuisine practice, and was included in the Chinese state banquet.

Story of this recipe:

About 260 years ago, the emperor of China travelled to the South to showcase his absolute divine power. During his travel, he stopped at a temple to rest and came across a chef monk named Wensi (文思) during dinner time. The emperor asked the monk to prepare a dish for him, and Wensi panicked. Chinese monk do not consume any meat, and have a simple diet. It is impossible to create a satisfying meal for the emperor by using the ingredients that the temple had. Therefore, the monk decided to impress the emperor visually, not otherwise. The emperor was amazed by Wensi’s knife skill, and named this dish Wensi Tofu. The version I made was innovated by modern chefs to not only make it visually impressive, but also tastes good (The dish that Wensi made for the emperor does not contain chicken stock but simply plain water).

This recipe needs the following ingredients:

Halfed chicken bones

200 g Soft tofu (lactone tofu)

15 g Wood ear mushrooms

15 g Carrots

15 g Shanghai bok Choi

10 g Ginger

1 pinch of White pepper

Salt

1 liter of Water

First, put the chicken bones in a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, and skim the scum regularly. After 7 minutes of scum skimming, remove the bones into a stock pot with cold water, bring to a boil again, and turn down the heat to simmer. Add ginger, cover with a lid, and allows it to cook for 3 hours.

Remove tofu from its package, trim it into a perfect square, and cut it in half. Hold the knife against your knuckle and thinly slice the tofu.

After slicing. Use water to wash the surface of the tofu and push them into one side. Wash the knife as well to prevent tofu from sticking to the blade.

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Hello & Welcome

My name is Xiaoyu Yang, I also go by Alex. About 5 years ago, after I started studying in Canada, I discovered Italian cuisine. Since then, I fell in love with cooking. At first, I thought cooking is just going to be one of my hobbies, yet when I was studying in Wilfrid Laurier University, I realized that academic learning is not for me, and I want to cook in a professional kitchen. During my time in Laurier, I spent more time on cooking than studying. Two months before I graduate from university, I applied to George Brown’s culinary program. After my graduation, I started to be trained by experienced professional chefs. In the near future, I want to open my own restaurant and let my passion become more significant to my life. My personal philosophy of cooking is everyone deserves to enjoy tasty food. My philosophy is inspired by Paul Prudhomme, a famous chef who is specialized in Creole and Cajun cuisines once said “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food”. From the vegetable stock that I made in Culinary foundation class to more sophisticated recipes that I will learn in the future, this blog is going to show my progress during my learning in George Brown. I am interested in Jamie Oliver’s blog ( Jamie Oliver.com/features/category/editors-blog/). Though he is specialized in Italian cuisine, yet his content contains his experience in America, England, and in many other countries and cuisines. What he can do better however, is to include more details for each recipes. For example, a picture of him rolling the ham and the fillet for beef Wellington. And I will remember to include pictures of crucial process from every recipes, and techniques that I will learn from culinary classes.