Thanksgiving Dinner

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My Thanksgiving dinner with my family seemed pretty typical in my eyes but after talking in class about how differently people prepare, serve and even what they eat on Thanksgiving really made me realize my family is quite unique. My immediate family is about 40 people alone so whenever we have a holiday or special event there is sure to be a lot of people, and with a lot of people requires a lot of food. Being my family is Italian we had the antipasto, including all meats and cheeses with crackers and bread, stuffed mushrooms, a hot antipasto, different kinds of dips and spreads and other picking foods. However, even though we are Italian we do not have pasta on Thanksgiving.

But we do make a standard Thanksgiving meal including mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, corn, gravy, cranberries, and of couse the turkey. My family made three turkeys this year because of how many people and because we all love turkey. One was a regular turkey in the oven and we made two deep fried turkeys. The deep fried turkey is my favorite. I realized on Thanksgiving that my family is not very consistent on gender roles. The women basically cooked all the food, which is typical. However, when it came to the deep fried turkey, my dad and uncle stepped in the kitchen and took charge. They prepared a dry rub for the turkey themselves, definitely not how my mother and aunts would do it. They threw together random spices in a bowl and hoped for the best and then rubbed the turkey very roughly with their bare hands. To my surprise, the dry rub came out amazing. Also, since deep frying a turkey is so dangerous the men took charge of that too. When the turkeys were finished, my uncle knew it was his responsibility to carve them. And even though for majority of the day the men sat on the couch and watched football, I realized when it was time to clean up everyone helped a little, not just the women.

Variety

Posted on November 28, 2015 by Shannon Bailey

Something I’ve noticed in recent weeks is that the most important thing to me when it comes to food is the level of variety. When I was at home, I had options that I wouldn’t have had at Wagner. Likewise, when I came back to campus, I wasn’t able to have all of the foods that I would have had at home. Fortunately we have the advantage of being near an expanse of different options when it comes to cuisine. New York City provides plenty of opportunity to switch things up and discover new favorites. What I’m dreading is when I go back to my summer camp. I work at a creative and performing arts camp in Connecticut and I learned very quickly that I don’t like the monotony in the food that they serve. I just signed my contract for another session next summer, and I am already dreading the food schedule that I will be forced to participate in. Every year I have the same dietary pattern when I am there. For the first few weeks, I go into everything with an open mind. I try the main dish that they serve; I eat salad at least once a day, and have cereal during our meetings, which take place after the campers have gone to bed. Not long after that is when I start to break. I put more faith into the salad bar as time goes on. I eat salad and fruit for days in a row. But as the last few weeks approach, I give up. I eat out more often and decide to spend money rather than face another leaf of lettuce. Just thinking about it makes me a little nauseous. I know the need for variety isn’t something exclusive to my own experiences, but I think I may feel it a bit stronger than the average person. I haven’t heard any other complaints about this problem from the people I work with, just that they don’t like the food as much as they wished they would. I have one coworker who only eats a few things and I don’t understand how she can do it. In or out of camp she only eats meals which are very familiar to her and that she is able to make herself. I feel that we have completely opposite problems.

I worry about how I will handle another session of camp. Will I find that it wasn’t as bad as I had remembered it? Will I shudder and cringe as soon as I walk into their dining hall? Maybe I will live exclusively off of take out. Either way, it has taught me that in order to truly enjoy meals, I need to find a good balance.

Shannon

Eating at Home vs. Eating in College

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

A few days ago I was talking to my mom on the phone and asked her if she could make me grilled cheese and baked ziti when I got home. It is funny because I use to complain that all my mom ever made was pasta and grilled cheese. Now it is all I want.

I’ve noticed how differently I have eaten when I got to college. At home I ate a lot of frozen meals and apples. Now at college the dining hall has so much more variety. And I guess it was because of my pure laziness, but at home I never really cooked the meals that the dining hall offers. Now granted the meals at the dining hall are a little dodgy,they still have a few good dishes.

Another thing I have noticed is how conditioned my body became to meals. I never had breakfast when I was in high school. Now I have trouble at first eating in the morning. I would often feel lack of appetite or nausea before and after breakfast here. For lunch nothing changed. But after is where things I had the most struggles. After a day at high school I would come and immediately get a snack. It was something I did subconsciously. So even though my schedule is different, when I come back from class to my dorm room I always look for a snack. And when I ran out of food a few days ago I called my mom begging her to order me some snacks on Amazon. The same thing happens after dinner too. I ate dinner really late at night (at around 8-9) at home. So now that I eat at around 6 I always feel like I have to eat something at night.

In the end however, I am somewhat getting use to the new eating schedule. I stopped snacking just slightly and can now stomach breakfast. This may not seem significant but to me, the girl who was scared that I would never adjust to college life, I think of it as a small feat.

Port Richmond Mentoring

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Allison Krauza

For the past four Mondays, I have spent my mornings visiting my mentee at Port Richmond High School. I’ll admit, the first time I went I was nervous about meeting with him. What would I say? What would we talk about? We were still very unfamiliar with each other. The only time that we met prior was when we visited Port Richmond High School to introduce the program as a class. For the first meeting with my mentee, I went with Laruen, Shannon, and Kim. I’m sure that this helped make the visitation more relaxed for the mentees, and even for us as well. We decided to sit down for the period as a group and ask each other questions to get to know one another. We were able to learn so much about each other in a less awkward setting. We listened as the mentees spoke about themselves and speculated about what their futures may hold. Each mentee told us a little about themselves, their family, their favorite foods, what they like to cook (they all had a difficult time answering those two), and some other random fun facts that helped us break the ice.

I also discovered a lot about my mentee’s current cooking class. Every Monday, the students receive a new recipe for what they will be tackling that week. In class, they review the recipe in depth and make sure they are familiar with all of the ingredients that are necessary to make the dish. Knowing the ingredients and measurement amounts is very important to a successful dish. For example, one of the recipes my mentee was given called for two eggs, but it did not specify what size. I never realized that the size of the egg matters. My mentee explained that a larger or smaller egg than what was called for by a recipe will disrupt the consistency of the dish. This is now something that I’ll look for and keep in mind whenever I cook or bake.

On Tuesdays, the students begin to gather and prep the ingredients that will be used in the recipe. Actual cooking is reserved for Wednesdays and Thursdays. Every Friday, the students plate and eat the meal that they prepared. This process repeats each week with a new recipe. Although the dishes are typically chosen at random, the class prepared something special during the Mets World Series week. Mini knishes were the fare of choice, since this finger food reflected a menu item served in a baseball stadium.

While I was hesitant at first, I have come to enjoy spending my Monday mornings at Port Richmond High School. My mentee is a lot of fun, and I look forward to hearing about his cooking experiences. It has been a pleasure getting to know him as I try to help him focus on his plans for the future.

A New Mentee

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Kathleen Leavey

This week, I was assigned a new mentee that was more suited to receive mentoring advice from me. I watched my mentee prepare a dish in preparation for their Thanksgiving feast next week. The dish he was making involved first, melting about a half a stick of butter, then adding sliced almonds and green beans, and lastly, seasoning to taste. My mentee seemed really engaged and excited about his cooking. He explained to me that he is interested in the sciences; however, he loves this culinary class because he is able to take the recipes he learns in class, and make them at home. When he makes the recipes at home, he puts his own personal spin on them, such as adding new spices or ingredients to diversify the dish.

My mentee hasn’t told me what other dishes they are planning to make for their Thanksgiving feast but I would imagine he will also be preparing mashed potatoes, stuffing, and of course turkey. I am definitely not neophobic, so I tried his dish. I was delightfully surprised and enjoyed the crunch and extra flavor the almonds added to a sometimes bland vegetable. As Thanksgiving is approaching next week, I may even steal the recipe I learned and possibly add sliced almonds to my family’s green bean dish so they can try it as well.

The Terrifying Transition to Gluten Free

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Lauren Fay

I recently discovered that I have Celiac disease. Celiac disease is just a fancy way of saying that gluten and I don’t mix well. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When someone with celiac disease eats gluten their body makes an immune reaction that attacks the small intestine. This is why it is so important for those with Celiac disease to stop eating gluten as soon as possible.

I was diagnosed last week and was told to start looking for gluten free options. For someone that has been eating gluten free for many years, this is not difficult. For someone who is new to gluten free, it can be very difficult. Due to discussions in my psychology course at Wagner College, I have become wary of labelling and wonder if foods that advertise they are gluten free really are gluten free.

I have discovered that the supermarket near my house, ShopRite, has an entire gluten free isle. Although I will not know if they are completely gluten free, acquiring these foods is a step in the right direction. I have also discovered there are many restaurants on Staten Island that offer gluten free foods. Villa Monte’s gluten free pizza is known by many as the best on the island. Goodfellas offers gluten free pasta options (although I’m still wary about eating there because of their mice problem not too long ago).

Although this transition will probably be difficult in the beginning, I know I will get used to it as most do. This also gives me a whole new field of cooking and baking to pursue! I’m sure I will discover many gluten free dishes to prepare and force them upon my family even though they don’t need to eat gluten free!

Port Richmond Meetings

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Lauren Fay

My friends and I typically go to Port Richmond on Monday afternoons. This allows us to both observe the class and take our mentees aside to talk to them. My mentee has told me much about his life and his love for cooking. He told me that his favorite dish to prepare, serve, and eat is all the same: lasagna. In addition to learning a lot about my mentee, I also learn a lot from the class and I think its important to pay attention during them.

On Mondays the typical culinary class consists of the students being given the recipe they will be preparing for the week and discussing it. In addition to this, each time they do this they learn a little it more about how to accurately read a recipe. Two weeks ago, they reviewed a recipe and the recipe called for 2 eggs. This seems simple right? Two eggs, that’s easy. However, they don’t say what size eggs. There are many sizes, so which did the recipe need? The students were taught that if a recipe does not specify then it means to use large eggs. This is something I never really thought about. As someone who loves baking and cooking, I always just used whatever eggs I had in the house. I never thought that the size of the eggs could impact the taste and consistency of the dish, but as the students and I learned that day, they could.

Here is one of the many recipe given to the students at Port Richmond

The last thing I wanted discuss is something I believe all mentors should take a glance at while they are visiting Port Richmond next time. It is a poster outside the culinary classroom. On the poster is many different jobs and careers in the culinary field. It lists the title, the job description, and the salary. Both students, mentors, and teachers can learn a lot about the different careers the students can pursue from this poster. This can help when advising your mentee or just give an insight into the many culinary career options!

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Shannon Bailey

One of the most interesting things I’ve seen lately was the documentary, “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”. It is about the life and work of a sushi chef in Japan. Jiro Ono is the owner and head chef of Sukiyabashi Jiro, one of the highest rated restaurants in the world.

Jiro Ono in front of his restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro.

The Michelin Guide awarded the restaurant 3 starts. What makes Jiro’s restaurant so unique is that it a very small place, but it sticks to the discipline that it needs to in order to provide the best product to their customers.The dedication to detail and to upholding their standards is inspirational. These sushi chefs spend years of their life and many early mornings working hard to please their teacher, Jiro. Before they create some of the best sushi in the world, they must learn from the man who does it best. The first few months of their apprenticeship is spent cleaning the kitchen and doing everything possible to stay in Jiro’s good graces.

Daisuke Nakazawa

At four months, you may be allowed to handle fish, or take care of preparation in the kitchen. After about five years, the apprentice moves up to working behind the sushi bar, assisting the other chefs, assuming they have proven their ability. For Daisuke Nakazawa, this process seemed as if it was taking forever. He was set with the task of mastering the preparation of tamagoyaki or, “grilled egg” which is a type of Japanese omelette made by rolling several layers of cooked egg. Occasionally they include shrimp puree or grated yam. Nancy Leson of the The Seattle Times reports that, “under the stern eye of Jiro Ono: months of failure, 200 rejections and, finally, approval.”

Below is a small clip from the documentary that I couldn’t figure out how to embed on to this post.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFP5xD2l3ro

In the documentary we also see Jiro’s oldest son, Yoshikazu, travel to the fish market. This is a process that takes place every day in order to make sure that the ingredients are fresh. When watching this documentary you learn all about the Japanese fish market, as well as the way in which they find the best fish. As they go though the market, they talk to each of their vendors. These are individuals which Jiro has deemed masters in their field. The most impressive thing to me was that the process of buying tuna is set up as an auction. Although I couldn’t understand what they were saying some of the time, it was interesting to hear the men who were in charge call out numbers and write down names as if they were trying to auction off an antique lamp.With the best fish their vendors could find, Jiro makes the night’s menu based off of what was available that morning.

I recommend this documentary because it is interesting to see how one of the best restaurants operates. It is available on Netflix and the running time is 1hr 23min. Do you have what it takes to work for Jiro Ono? I sure don’t.

Shannon Bailey

“Best Gyro In New York City” ?

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Kathleen Leavey

This weekend while touring Astoria, Queens, my group and were immersed by many different cultures and cuisines. Since most of the population of Astoria is predominantly Greek, we felt it was imperative to visit a Greek Restaurant. We have never been to Astoria, so we were unsure of where to stop; however since there was such an abundance of restaurants, we stopped at the closest one. One that claimed they had the “Best Gyro In New York.”

I have always been a fan of Green food so I was very excited to try it. When we walked into the BZ Grill, it was a very small place, but smelled delicious. The first thing we noticed were large pieces of meat on a stick in which the chef was shaving meat off of. When we sat down my friends and I all ordered different types of gyros: chicken, kebab, and pork. We saw a plate of french fries also pass our table so of course, we were prompted to order an order of those as well.

Greek french fries

When I first tried my gyro I thought it was really delicious. I have not had too many gyros in my life but it was definitely comparable to ones I have eaten and enjoyed in the past. The one I had contained pork, tzatziki sauce, and vegetables. The french fries we ordered were a non traditional type: Greek french fries. These fries had feta cheese and oregano on top of them, which was very delicious.

Gyro from BZ Grill in Astoria, Queens

Although this small restaurant claimed to have the “Best Gyro In New York,” I would definitely have to say that even after trying this, my favorite Greek restaurant is in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn called Spartan Souvlaki. I have been going to this restaurant ever since I was a child with my family and we always order the same exact thing every time we go: a gyro meat platter with extra tzatziki sauce and pita bread on the side.

Mentoring

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Genesis Rivas

On Friday, October 23 I visited my mentee named Rebecca at Port Richmond High School. When the class bell rang, the students got straight to work. It was so interesting to see all of them grabbing pots, pans, ingredients, kitchen tools and getting down to business. I asked my mentee what they have done during the past week and what they have made. She told me that earlier in the week they had prepared fried rice and that today they were making chicken stir fry. I paid close attention to the ingredients used and how they made the chicken stir fry. The main components of the meal were chicken, bell peppers, and bok choy. They then added things like garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oil to cook the stir fry in. I am not much of a cook myself so to see these high school students handle and maneuver the kitchen in such a professional and knowledgeable manner was really inspiring. After they finished cooking, they started serving the fried rice and chicken stir fry. The room smelled delicious. I got handed a plate and after one bite I was so impressed. It tasted really good. This time around at Port Richmond High School, I learned from Rebecca and her peers more so than she learned from me. I was inspired by these students and their obvious passion for cooking. I suppose the great part of this mentorship project is that I never know what I am going to get. Sometimes I will leave feeling like I learned something new ( as I did that Friday) and other times I hope to inspire my mentee which will leave her feeling as I did after my visit. I can’t wait to see what other dishes, lessons, and advice I will encounter during this mentor partnership with Port Richmond High School. 🙂

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