Matt Giorno                                                                           Food in general   I like food, after getting my tonsils out, I appreciate food even more. I couldn’t eat for more than a week, it was tough. I missed all of the foods that I normally ate. It just comes to show of how much I rely on food; it’s amazing of how much you miss food. But I can finally start eating normally again, It was a tough road but I think it’s almost over. The foods that I appreciate more than ever are meats which I love, when I was going through my tough time I couldn’t eat meat and it was tough because thinking about meat and other foods as well, it was tough but finally I can start eating meat again, and I really appreciate meat more than ever and foods in general and how important food is my well being and just plainly how much that I have missed over my sickness after getting my tonsils out. It was tough but I am almost better and I know in about a week I will be able to eat normally again an I know after getting my tonsils, I appreciate food more than ever.

I have recently discovered a recipe online that I’m determined to try. I was browsing around when I saw a cake that would look incredible if I could successfully make it. The cake has fading pink layers on the inside, moving from dark to light. On the outside, frosted to perfection, were rows of spirals that faded perfectly from the bottom up, corresponding with the inside. This cake seemed to be an amazing surprise. From the outside, it seems to be a pretty, well-frosted cake. However, when you cut a slice for your guests, a matching and professionally looking interior will be such a pleasant surprise. I haven’t had the chance to attempt this challenge, but I’ll be sure to report back with the disastrous details or if I’m lucky, pictures of a success.


-Allie H.

Wyatt Depuy

Mrs. Hoagland

Culinary II Period 3

Blog 4

The dinner table is a place for sharing your day’s adventures, talking about the sports game you played, and just spending time with the family. But what some people seem to look past is the true beauty of the food they consume.  Making dinner much more than throwing things on a plate and into the microwave, each dish needs to be sculpted. Chefs are artists in the kitchen and the pencil is each and every ingredient. To truly enjoy the food, one needs to respect the thought and effort put into every inch of the dish. In this country, we have lost the value to food. Thousands of years ago, a man would kill an animal to feed the village and they would celebrate. Distribute portions so carefully and thank the earth for its gifts. Now we each fast food to save time and stay in the car. This would be like looking at an art museum through the computer screen instead of going and seeing it with your own eyes.  Millions of people devote their lives to perfect each and every little aspect of the menu just to please us. The earth provides us with plentiful food and over thousands of years we have learned to bring out the beauty of such presents, yet now they are lost. Few really respect what has been given to us and more need to do so.  A dish is more than something to quickly scrap up in minutes, it needs care and effort to bring out the elegance it can bring. Food has the power to fulfill our hunger and serve as one of the most important and beautiful pieces of artwork given to us.

A couple of days ago, Gabby and I were very hungry. So… we decided to make Mac and Cheese. We checked the cabinet as a last resort for a box of Annie’s, but there were none. So we racked our brains for the recipe from class. Only this time it came out better then in class. When we followed the recipe in class, we did not wait for the rue to thicken before we put in the cheese. We realized our mistake and corrected it the second time over. Once the rue had thickened, we put in the cheese. We used mozzarella, parmagiano reggiano, swiss, and cream cheese. We also added lots of salt and pepper and a pinch of dried basil leaves to make the mac attack taste amazing. The mozzarella made the sauce really stringy and gooey. The parmagiano reggiano gave it sharpness. And the cream cheese made it super creamy and delicious. The swiss cheese was just there because I couldn’t find any chedder and we definitely needed more cheese.

The whole combination was so good that Gabby couldn’t help herself but eat the extra with a spoon. To top off the delectable mixture, we combined breadcrumbs and butter and crumbled it on top. The mac attack was put in the oven for about 15 minutes, until it was golden brown and super gooey.  We took it out of the oven and scarfed it down.

           

This weekend was a good weekend of food for me. For my dads birthday my family went to the cheesecake factory and we got a bunch of food. Appetizers consisted of chips and guacamole, corn dogs, and mini tacos, and I had a filet mignon as my main meal! The kitchen there is so big and I always wonder how they have such a gigantic menu with such variety and How all the food is such good quality. There's diners out there that have big menus but the quality of the food is nowhere near the cheesecake factory! The steak was delicious served with crispy fries. Finally to top off the meal came a nice Oreo cheesecake for desert with a carmel cappuccino. I couldn't finish It since I was so full from all the appetizers and my steak, but it was a great meal. The following night I went to peach wave and basically every topping they provide, with a mix of cookies and cream and peanut butter frozen yogurt. Those two days were quite a great experience of food for me.

Sorry to whomever s reading this I do not know how to add a title to my post., anyways you ever get one of those late night cravings for food that seem to be more intense than any other craving you’ve ever had? Because I do every night and that usually leaves me with a bowl….or two of mac and cheese in me. I eat mac and cheese everyday of my life, it’s what I know best and the sad thing is that it really is what I know best. Trust me; I make a mean bowl of mac. Anyways as you all know we had break just the other weak and I thought it would be a good Idea to have some friends over. They are Phill and Devin who thoroughly enjoy food as much as I do. Upon the arrival of 1 O’clock the cravings sprung upon us and we had some sort of an epiphany, that being to make Ramen. So we gathered our materials and went to work. When the moment came to add the flavoring, a life changing thought struck me. “Why not strain the water and add milk and butter just like mac and cheese” I thought to myself. And so I did, then six Ramen Packets, a stick of butter and X amount of milk later, we had ourselves a masterpiece. Ramen is a great invention itself, but this new twist created a sensation my taste buds could not resist. The only down side to this whole operation is that it was all gone in a matter of minutes. Christian M

This past week I have been spending a lot of my time with one of my best friends since his grandfather was in really critical condition and his parents were in Florida. A common bond that we have is through cooking. On Monday we made Tuna rolls (sushi) and a salad with mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and balsamic vinegar. Wednesday night we made this Shrimp thing that is one of his families traditions, that starts with a roux, then you add about two cups of heavy cream, and a lot of cooking sherry to taste. After that cooks down add in the shrimp, give it about 30 seconds and you're done! Then last night (Friday) was pizza night for all our friends. Nick helped me make the dough: one packet of yeast, a tablespoon on honey, and 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (proof it before adding dry ingredients) then add 3 tbsp olive oil, and about 4-5 cups of all-purpose flour just until it barely sticks to your finger. Let the dough rise for about two hours, beat it down, and start rolling. For toppings, we did a broccoli and bacon for Blake, a pulled pork for Katie, and smoked capricola for Nick. They all had a roasted garlic tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. We all had a great night cooking and eating together! ~Georgia

The new topic for this unit was cheese. We spent one period of class time tasting many different types of cheeses and figuring out which ones we liked, and which ones we did not like. A lot of the cheeses were unusual and had odd textures, smells and were not any of my favorites. However, there were a few that were really good and I liked a lot. After our day of cheese, we made cheese puffs. They had this puffy golden pastry part to it and this delicious creamy filling in the middle. It took about two classes to make and in the end they turned out amazing! I would say that our cheese unit was a success! -JB.

Grace Hubbard Culinary II Over break I went to Burlington. I love Burlington mostly for the culture and shopping but also for the food!! OMG theres so much yumptious food in burlington, it has a legit ben and jerrys shop which is so cool because you can watch them making the waffle cones which has a dash of cinnamon which is soooooo delicious. I got cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cone, it was creamy and delicious but I felt bad that I was getting a boring flavour when they have so many unique flavors! It was almost a waste but it was still delicious!! Also, my favourite restaurant Three Tomatoes is up there. You have the choice to eat out on church street which is the open air market up there which usually has musicians playing guitar or some other exotic instruments. I like eating out there but it was raining so we went in the restaurant which is in the basement of a building. It reminded me of new York, how restaraunts can really be anywhere. I got a margherita pizza with fresh basil chifonaded on top and sweet tomatoe sauce. Before the food even got there they brought out bread, which was soso and fresh homemade olive oil which was soooooo good, it had some garlic pieces in it too to give it flavouring. The pizza was also really really good. The next night we ate at RiRas which is a very irish restaurant, sometimes their waitresses are studying abroad from Ireland so they have legit irish accents which is so cool. Im really not a fan of irish food but I got a pot pie which was actually pretty good, but im still hoping there wasn’t like lamb in it or something.

My favorite place to eat is New Wok; they have the best tasting Chinese food. Anything you order there is just purely amazing. When I go there I like to get the general chow chicken, it’s the best tasting chicken I have had, and I’ve ordered from new main moon, dynasty, and many more. The chicken is indescribable it has a spicy flavor with the nice crunchy sweet taste, and its not over the top, (being drenched in sauce). There food is like my soul food and whenever I get the chance to eat there I will order it and pick it up. I’ve tried multiple items from the menu and I can honestly say anything you order there is off the carts flavor wise. The spicy mango chicken is a mix of intense flavors that is just irresistible it has the taste of the sweet mangos and the salty chicken makes the flavor just amazing. I wish I could eat there everyday, its just the most incredible food I’ve ever tasted. There wonton soup is even better, they hand make the wonton and they use these green herbs, and they make the soup soft and crunchy at the same time, and the broth is perfect, not too salty and not too bland, the soup as a whole is just amazing. I could go on all day about how good this place is, but I think if you haven’t tried it, you should just go there and try it out yourself, I can assure you that it will be the best Chinese food you will ever have.

                                                    Mike K.

I always like trying different foods especially when I go away and the food is unique to the location. One summer I went to visit family in England and I knew that the food would be different from here but the only British thing I had ever eaten was fish and chips. While in England I tried many different foods and of course some fish and chips. When I went to visit some family in Blackpool dinner for that night was going to be toad in the hole. I didn’t know what to expect when I was told I would be eating toad in the hole and to be honest it didn’t sound appealing. I was puzzled by the name and wondered if it really meant that I would be eating toad. I was pleased to find out that it was not really toad and that it was just some bangers (British sausage) in a Yorkshire pudding. I also had cottage pie which is sort of like a pot pie but better. A lot of people don’t know this but there actually is a difference between cottage pie and shepherd’s pie. The difference is that shepherd’s pie is made with lamb while cottage pie is made with beef. I wasn’t brave enough to try the shepherd’s pie but the cottage pie was not a disappointment it was still very good. The desserts are also unique to the place. One that I had while in England was trifle. It is a sponge like jelly roll with fruit and custard. This is the favorite British dessert by everyone else in my family but I prefer the Cadbury chocolate.  I can’t wait to travel somewhere else and experience different foods.

-Matt B

Just the other day, for the first time, I partook in a taste-testing event. I’m not usually one to try an abundance of different foods, but because it was an assignment, and a grade was on the line, I had no alternative. When I first walked in the classroom I could visually see that something was different. In addition to the visual uniqueness, the room had a distinct odor coming from where Ms. Hoagland and Mr. Miller were standing. When a student alarmed me of what we were doing, I was somewhat anxious and somewhat worried. I knew that since it was only cheese, there couldn’t be any catastrophically concerning foods, but when I glanced over at the cheeses on the table, it only increased my worrying. The looks of some of the cheeses weren’t the most appealing. Some looked moldy, but in contrast some looked like universal cheese. Every time Mr. Miller or Ms. Hoagland would pass out a plate, I would hope that the appearances were pleasing. For the most part they all were, however a few caught my eye as peculiar. When the ones served in front of me were odd looking, I knew I had to embrace the fact that I was going to have to try it. So with everyone cheese, I did. Even if it meant breaking a small specimen off, I still tried ever one. Some nearly made me gag, while others were surprisingly good. Out of the 17 presented,my favorite ended up being smoked mozzarella, which I had never had before. My group and I ended up using it in our Mac-n-Cheese and it came out really well. I’m glad I tried every one because it allowed me to find a new food that I enjoyed. Matthew M.

Class 3 Ms. Hoagland Last class we made cheese puffs. Well at least that’s what I called them. My group’s food turned out amazing, like it always does, but we did not exactly follow the directions correctly. My group usually does not follow the directions, but we always end up making the most amazing flavored food. When we made the cheese puffs, we followed the directions up to the part where we were supposed to make the cheese sauce. Our cream puffs were in the oven getting baked, while we got our ingredients for our cheese sauce. What makes our food so good is we usually mix steps. For example, instead of adding the dry ingredients in one bowl and the liquid in another, we add them together and blend them. It saves steps and gives the food delicious flavor. It might not give the ending result, look-wise, but it tastes awesome. This step adds not only flavor but, depending on the food, texture, consistency and taste. If you perform different steps, then your food will turn out differently. If you decide to separate your dry and liquid ingredients, then it will taste and look different than if you mix them together. I am not sure why, but I believe it is because the certain ingredients mix with each other and combine their flavors, then u will turn out with something that has a few less flavors than if you mix everything together because then all the flavors will combine and create multiple flavors into one. -cam m.

Mac and cheese or rather lack of it there of is what this post is about. This week our culinary class culminated in the famous cheese unit. This unit is highlighted by the production of homemade mac and cheese using exotic foreign cheese previously sampled in the unit. Understandably, I was excited. This dish was perhaps the very thing I had been waiting for the entire year. Sitting through the dull health and safety unit was all starting to look like it was worth it. The day was quickly arriving and anticipation was growing in the class. We all wanted it the be Wednesday for that was mac and cheese day. All looked bright than the language department threw a wrench into the entire plan. Tango day normally haled as one of the best times in Spanish class a Newton student can have suddenly became the very thing that would destroy the best laid plans of mice and men. It was scheduled for the very day and time mac and cheese was set to cook off. Attendance was mandatory; the dream of culinary class mac and cheese for me at least popped like a balloon. Sure I learned to tango but what is that compared to the cheese tango that could have been. Jon V.

Can we talk about breakfast, please? I don’t mean 6:00am still asleep, got to make my coffee fast kind of breakfast. I mean Sunday afternoon, just woke up at 1:30, lets get some food in my stomach for my lazy day ahead. I want the kind of breakfast where you have time to let your coffee steep before pouring, where English muffins can be toasted to perfection, and bacon becomes crispier by baking it as opposed to frying. I would eat this way everyday if I could, but unfortunately I just don’t have the time and energy.
My ideal breakfast? I don’t know, maybe waking up to the sound of waves crashing up against rocks. A glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, steaming coffee, a big stack of buttery blueberry pancakes, crunchy bacon, and a mound of hash browns to top it all off. All waiting right beside me. In reality, extra-cheesy scrambled eggs with tarragon is one of the easiest, and most delicious breakfast items I make on a regular basis. Sorry to be random, but I wish that my household had chocolate milk as a staple. I really, really love chocolate milk with any type of breakfast, any type of meal, and any type of food really. Instead of having instant access, I have to wait to get my fix from school. It does the job I guess, but man oh man I wish it was in my fridge right now…
Hayley N

After my team’s victory in the school wide volleyball tournament, we enjoyed our prized gift card at Sal & PePe’s restaurant. As an appetizer, I enjoyed myself to a splash in the sea with the fresh calamari. Doused in red sauce, the crispy seafood flashed a spark in my mouth right as the spices of the peppers came into play. Once I dug my teeth into a crispy layer, an entire new world was brought to my taste buds. The white, tender meat sunk into my teeth and exhaled a juicy moistness with tons of flavor. I thought to myself, “Not too bad for the first dish!” Not long after, the waitress finds me lapping up the last of the rich sauce with the spongy bread, and switches the empty plate with the entrée. I peered down to see a glistening white pizzette lying in front of my eyes. It must have been beautifully sculpted by the hands of a true chef to create a masterpiece like such. I tear a slice from the pie and take a bite only to find my eyes popping in excitement. It danced with such color on the plate but the real party was in each delectable bite. The tomatoes clashed with the white mozzarella and the fresh basil rested on top of the spongy bed. Finishing this plate as well was not difficult for me as I rest on the back of my chair with full satisfaction. To say the least, this outing was foodtastic! These are experiences that let us know that food can be overlooked at points in our life, but if you take a moment to realize it, the kitchen is an art museum when put to use and it is wonderful to enjoy the artwork. This restaurant is one I would recommend after this fantastic encounter and a time to remember.
Wyatt Depuy

Our class made two sets of bread. We started by making the dough for bread that we were going to eat that day. We did not let the dough rise for a few days in between which caused the the bread to turn out very dense and unappetizing. However, we had set dough aside to let it stay in the fridge for a few days and rise. When that came out of the oven it was much better than the first time. The bread was not as dense, it was softer on the inside and overall, to me, tasted better. I ate more of the second bread we made and ending up throwing out the first set of bread. After putting a little raspberry jelly and ALOT of butter on the soft inside of the bread, it tasted amazing!

-Jen B.

This past Sunday, my family and I went on our weekend-ly search for a restaurant with great food and some bonding time. After a few suggestions, we decide on Kolam. In case you guys don’t know, Kolam is this little Indian restaurant on 25 that doesn’t look like much on the outside, but even before you step out the car, the aromatic spices fill your nose and make your mouth water. As we sit down, we all think about how we have lived in this town for almost eleven years now and only decided to venture in a couple months ago. It’s amazing how much we’ve been missing out!

As per always, my brother gets the spiciest thing on the menu, my father gets some kind of lamb, and my mom vehemently sticks to her usual chicken. I settle on palak paneer, a traditional vegetarian dish made with pureed curried spinach and paneer, Indian farmer’s cheese. When the dishes come, everyone digs in, putting spoonfuls of each dish on their plate.

After we are all stuffed with dinner, I decide that dessert is necessary. While there is not a whole lot to choose from, it is not what we come in contact with everyday. Making a decision was hard but we all decide that rose ice cream will do. I wasn’t planning on it being anything special, but man was I wrong. The coldness was enough to put our flaming taste buds to rest. The sweetness of the rose cut right through the spicy dinner and maybe even complimented it, leaving you begging for more!

Gabby K.

Amongst the last few units, one particular instance stood out well over the others. The unit involved was when we made pastries or bars. Chosen by our group, Matt Baldino, Logan Puleri and I planned to take on the task of producing peanut cookie dough brownies. We knew well going into the procedure that it was a time consuming process, but I didn’t fully understand just how difficult and tedious of a task it was until we began. While I worked on the peanut butter cookie dough layer, Matt worked on a chocolate layer, and Logan worked on creating the brownies. After the previous day of strenuous mise en place, as a group, we were prepared to work as soon as we arrived. In order to complete the task, we worked extremely hardly the entire period. The full fifty or so minutes was just enough time to finish what we needed done. Once all the creating was complete, we still weren’t ready to enjoy our product. It took time in the freezer and time to bake before they were ready for enjoyment. The amount of time needed for preparation was much too long for us to stay and wait. We were forced to return a few periods later. When the brownies were ready, we pulled them out of the freezer and began attempting to cut the rock solid masterpiece. Using nearly all my strength, I struggled to separate the large dessert into individual pieces. Mr. Neumeyer saw my struggles and easily cut the brownies. The whole experience simply taught me two things. One, how cooking something good takes a lot of hard work and effort, and two how through experience, practice, and training, you become comfortable with any dilemma cooking or baking may present to you. Neumeyer’s assistance proved that true.
- Matthew M

Ever since I was little, I can remember my grandfather cooking. He is the stereotypical portrayal of an Italian, his father coming from Italy as a boy. It’s safe to say that our loud family gatherings have centered around food. Growing up, he would have an abundance of food prepared, far more than necessary for the small group of people it was intended for. You are expected to eat as must as possible, and it was never enough for him. Multiple variations of each dish is made, various pastas, meats, and vegetables (always with plenty of sauce and butter). Over the years, he has become increasingly unstable and is now confined to a wheelchair. However, this has not stopped him. On his visits to the doctor’s each week, he watches the Food Network and copies down recipes for later use. A couple weeks ago, my whole family took a Saturday to be together for dinner. While some of us spent the day New York City, he spent it preparing what can only be referred to as a feast (he can be somewhat unrealistic about the amount of food to make). We returned home to three types of homemade pizza on thick bread, fresh sausage and peppers, and an elaborate antipasti platter along with the traditional dishes: pasta. He has always been able to maneuver around the small kitchen and cook from a wheelchair, a difficulty anyone who has made any meal in his or her life would need to appreciate. Since he learned I am taking a culinary class in school and occasionally make dinner for my mom, he has been creating a stockpile of recipes to make together. Personally, I think this shows the ability cooking has to bring people together as well as become a passion that is impossible to let go.
-Allie H.