Yogurt

Posted on December 14, 2015 by Shannon Bailey

I’ve been on the search for a yogurt that I like. It’s a strange mission, but I’ve found that the only time I’ve ever enjoyed it was when it wasn’t sweet. I’ve had yogurt in Europe that I’ve liked, but I don’t know any of the names, nor where I could even find them in the US! Because I live here and not in Europe, I’ve tried many yogurts in an attempt to find one that I would replace the product that I had come to love. The problem is that after years

5f5f9e4e-61f0-4413-8200-4b6224f033bb of searching, I still haven’t found one. The sweetness that is prevalent in many brand name yogurts in our supermarkets is just too much for me to enjoy them. In my hunt, I had believed I had found an alternative. The most important factor was that I wasn’t disgusted by the amount of sugar in the
product. I would rather eat something bitter, than something overly sweet. I prefer dark chocolate as well, which may not come as a surprise. When I was lookingI came across Siggi’s. It is marketed as being an Icelandic yogurt with less sugar. The creator of this yogurt, who’s name I assume is Siggi, claims to have started making their own yogurt because they missed the 4dc239da-c335-4d72-bf7f-25c1dd37e0a7 yogurt that they had enjoyed from home. Created on the principle that yogurt should have subtle flavor and less sugar, the yogurt was soon being marketed in the United States. This yogurt is actually called skyr and has a traditional part of an Icelandic diet for more than 1,000 years.

When I tried the yogurt, I was pleased to find that it was much closer to the yogurt I had wanted. It wasn’t too sweet, and there wasn’t overwhelming flavor. But, one thing that I didn’t like was the consistency. Since it is skyr and is made by straining away the water that is in many other yogurts, it has four times the regular amount of milk in a cup of yogurt. This means that it is much thicker. Unlike the dining hall yogurt that many of you may know, this yogurt is closer to a mix between that yogurt, and cream cheese. This was deterring to me. I like the taste of the yogurt? But why couldn’t I enjoy eating it? The thickness was just too much. It reminded me of when dairy products go bad. It almost made me nervous. This type of response is similar to our discussion in psychology about mechanisms that our body uses in order to keep us safe from spoiled food. Unlike other times, this smelled okay and was pleasant, but I just couldn’t get over it. Once again I am kept from enjoying yogurt!

Shannon

My Italian Culture Present on Holidays

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Allison Krauza

A tradition in my family that makes an appearance every holiday is antipasto. The tradition started when my great grandmother came to America from Italy. She would carefully design a large tray of assorted meats, cheeses, olives peppers and other cold appetizers to pick on before the hot meal was served. Fortunately, the tradition was passed down through the generations. Antipasto is honestly my favorite part about holidays, more than any of the other food that is made! My grandma still purchases all of the ingredients needed to make the antipasto including: salami, provolone cheese, roasted peppers (sometimes we make them fresh ourselves), eggs (to hard boil), marinated mushroom and artichokes, and olives.

I woke up Thanksgiving morning very excited to help my mom prepare the antipasto, since I haven’t had it since the last holiday we celebrated, which was Easter. The antipasto is designed in multiple layers, which my mom takes very seriously. It starts with rolling pieces of salami and placing them along the outer edges of an oval shaped plate. After all the salami is rolled, provolone cheese, cut into small pieces, is placed in between two salami rolls. Next, roasted peppers are cut into slivers and placed in the space the cheese created. Whatever pieces are too small or do not meet mom’s approval are thrown in the middle of the plate to be eaten later. Peeled and cut hard boiled eggs are placed on top of the peppers. Then, in rings, the mushrooms and artichokes are placed, moving in towards the center of the plate. Finally, olives are stacked up in the middle. I used to get in trouble when I was younger for “helping out” because I would start to eat the salami and olives before they even reached the plate! To complete the dish, the juices from the marinated mushrooms and artichokes are poured over the whole antipasto. The plate is then covered and placed in the fridge to marinate before we eat.

Both my mom and I prefer the leftovers to the real dish. When we finish eating the antipasto course, there is always so much left over! My mom carefully spoons the remaining items, along with the marinade, into a container. That container then goes in the fridge to get picked on for the next week or so. As unappetizing as this may sound, I would get up in the morning and that would be the first thing I would look to eat! Delicious!

I am happy that my family incorporates our Italian culture into all of the holidays that we celebrate. I believe that it enhances every holiday we celebrate, in addition to being with family, of course. It is a tradition I look forward to preparing and eating each holiday!

Carrots, Are They As Good As They Seem?

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Ilana Levich

“Eat the carrots, they’re good for you, especially for your eyesight!” That phrase was most likely often mentioned in every household. Many of the claimed health benefits include an increase in cardiovascular health, avoidance of specific cancers, enhancement of the immune system, decreasing signs of premature aging, lowered levels of cholesterol, improved digestion, and enhanced vision. In addition, carrots are noted to contain a variety of necessary vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals such as, vitamin C, vitamin K, Vitamin B8, pantothenic acid, potassium, folate, copper, iron, manganese and vitamin A. Vitamin A, in carrots, helps people see in dim lighting because it converts the light into a signal that is sent to the brain. If the body does not receive a sufficient amount of Vitamin A, the cornea can just vanish from the eye, and can eventually lead to blindness. Due to these claims stating that carrots improve vision, many people eat copious amounts thinking their eyesight will be impeccable. However, contrary to popular belief, in order to preserve good vision, only a little amount needs to be consumed. High doses may have a negative impact on people who smoke, causing lung cancer and excessive consumption of vitamin A may be toxic to humans. United States Department of Agriculture came up with an advised portion size – a medium cup or half of a cup of chopped carrots is a serving size. Evidently, it is shown that carrots do not in fact improve vision unless the subject has a vitamin A deficiency or some other vision impairment. Due to this people can now be at ease and not be worried about consuming a certain amount of carrots a day!

Russian Hanukkah Dinner

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Ilana Levich

Every year we start off Hanukkah with a big family dinner that includes an abundance of Russian infused Jewish foods. I love celebrating all of the Jewish Holidays because at every dinner we incorporate Russian dishes into the meal. This past Hanukkah we had a number of Russian dishes at the table. First, we had a soup called Borscht, which is a beet soup that is served with sour cream on top. In addition, we had Gifelte fish, which is a stuffed fish, filled with a mixture of chopped fish, eggs, onions, matzo meal or crumbs, and spices. Nowadays, it usually refers to poached fish cakes or a fish loaf, sometimes made with matzo meal. We had Knish, a kind of turnover, filled with one or more of the following: mashed potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha (buckwheat groats) or cheese, and baked or deep fried. Latkes were also prepared which are fried potato pancakes, usually eaten at Hanukkah with sour cream or apple sauce. Last but not least before the dessert entered the table we had Vorschmack which is also known as gehakte herring or chopped herring. It is strong tasting creamy herring spread, served on crackers or bread, very commonly used as a spread. For dessert, we had Blintz which are thin egg pancake wrapped around a sweet mixture of farmer’s cheese, potato, or fruit pie filling, similar to a crepe, but with the ends tucked in and fried again in butter; often served with sour cream. In addition, we had Hamantashen which is a triangular pastry filled with poppy seed or prune paste, or fruit jams, eaten during Purim. Last but not least we had Kichel which is a cookie commonly made with egg and sugar rolled out flat and cut into large diamond shapes; they are typically eaten with a savoury dip or topping. I am very thankful of my Russian background and the different types of dishes it brings to my dinners.

Does Dark Chocolate help with Hypertension?

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Genesis Rivas

For our last psychology paper, our class was assigned to choose a super food and find supportive evidence if there were the health benefits that are associated with that food. I chose to research and write about the dark chocolate and its effect on individuals with hypertension. As someone who is a fond lover of chocolate herself, I decided to see if the claims about whether this food can reduce high blood pressure were true. After some research, studies have shown that the consumption of dark chocolate can lower a persons blood pressure with the help of polyphenols. Polyphenols are a micronutrient that carry antioxidant properties and increase a particular nitric acid in our bodies. That increase in acid promotes the widening of our blood vessels which causes a lower systolic an diastolic blood pressure reading. There was no information that I found that said exactly how much dark chocolate was needed in order to reduce blood pressure. Yet, one experiment showed that as little as 100g of dark chocolate was able to lower blood pressure readings.

When I continued reading about the experiments that were conducted, it elaborated more about the positive relationship between dark chocolate and hypertension. However, there were some experiments where those who participated in the experiments found that eating dark chocolate had some adverse effects. Due to the caffeine content within dark chocolate, individuals reported that after daily consumption of this food, they had difficulty sleeping. Also, some reported that merely eating dark chocolate everyday gave them feelings of nausea. Thus, due to these consequences dark chocolate does not seem like a feasible form of treatment to reduce blood pressure. Growing up, I have always heard how dark chocolate could potentially be beneficial to ones health however, I did not know that there were scientific studies that actually supported the claims. Upon finding these answers about dark chocolate, I was fascinated. Even though it may not be a great form of treatment for individuals with hypertension, it is still satisfying to know that when I do eat dark chocolate there are some benefits.

Here are some articles that I read that helped me write my paper: polyphenols and dark chocolate

Thanksgiving

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Ariana Gargano

One holiday my whole family likes is Thanksgiving. Every year we go to my grandmas house where my mom, two aunts, and my grandma cook everything starting from the preparation from the night before. My grandma’s favorite thing to make on Thanksgiving is the turkey; she loves turkey so every year she buys and cooks the biggest turkey she can find. This year she cooked a 30-pound turkey and by the end of the day more than half of it was gone. My favorite dish that she makes is lasagna; her lasagna is the best! Most of my family members can not wait to eat her lasagna on holidays she even makes an extra tray for everyone to take home. When she makes her lasagna she uses the tomato sauce we made over the summer and her homemade mozzarella.

My family does not only just make lasagna and turkey on Thanksgiving it is much more than that. There are four courses that my family prepares for just about every holiday. The first course my grandma calls the antipasto that is peppers, hard boiled eggs, different kinds of cheeses, different types of dry sausage and my favorite little pieces of pizza that she made and cut up tiny. The second course is the lasagna, but everyone has to be careful with this dish because if they eat too much they will not be able to eat anything else. The third course is the turkey, but along with the turkey is sweet and regular potatoes, broccoli rabe, corn, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. Finally last but not least dessert, which is everyone’s favorite part of the day. My grandma makes butter cookies, some filled with jelly and some covered n walnuts and what I love the most that she made this year was her homemade seven layer cookies. This year one of my aunts made brownies, my other aunt made cream puffs, and my mom made a homemade vanilla cake from scratch that is to die for!

Korean BBQ

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Shannon Bailey

Boka

Recently I met up with two of my friends in Manhattan. I hadn’t seen them in around three years and I thought it was time for us to get together again! We had gone to a school in Connecticut together, but when we went to different high schools we lost touch. I was a day student, and they were both boarding students from Korea. Since many of the students at the school were from different countries and had different backgrounds, I was often exposed to as much of their culture, as they were mine. Our dining hall also did what they could to accommodate such different tastes in their cooking. I became familiar with foods that I otherwise wouldn’t have known, such as kimchi. When I suggested we meet up, I let them pick the restaurant. My friends, Brian and E, decided on a place called Boka. E said that it was a very popular hangout place for NYU students, and that they served great Korean barbecue. I didn’t know what Korean barbecue was, but I agreed that if they liked it then I probably would too! It turns out that Korean barbecue is just crazy good barbecue that I highly recommend.

Delicious!

Brian and E are two friends that I had hoped to keep in touch with after graduation, and I’m so glad that we could see each other again! I’m thankful for the experiences that I had at school with them. I was able to get an understanding of other cultures from those who were from the actual countries. In a way, it prepared me for my experiences here in New York City. I’m thankful that I have a background that encouraged the introduction of new foods into my life. Without the influence that I felt there to embrace new things I don’t know if I would have such an open mind about food here in New York.

Shannon

Thanksgiving: My Food Voice

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

In my food voice paper I wrote about my mom’s lasagna. While home for Thanksgiving she made it like always. When she was making it Thursday morning, I was able to get a picture of her laying down the layers. She gave me a disapproving look as I got in her way, but she let me take the picture.

Like always my paternal side of the family loved it. They commented again about how the German makes the best lasagna at an Italian Thanksgiving. In fact, they almost ate the whole tray of it, and my dad’s side of the family is pretty small.

As for me, my mom made gluten free baked ziti which was amazing. As I talked about in my last pots, I really missed good home cooked meals. So when I got my plate of ziti I downed it in a matter of minutes. My grandma looked so proud.

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.

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.

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