Author: Kade Aseltine (Page 2 of 2)

During week 6 of the learning project, I decided to swim over to the savoury side of cooking with salmon. I wanted to discover how to prepare and cook meat from the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also brings back memories because my family loves making a salmon recipe with a maple glaze, but I decided to broaden my horizons involving one of my favourite fishes. Thanks to all who commented on my last blog post with supportive and uplifting comments! The online source I used was the Food Network, which I have only watched without making anything from. The shows can be addicting to watch and make the viewers couch potatoes. I will base my review of the Food Network on three criteria: 1. The recipe clip from the website, 2. The information of the recipe, and 3. My overall impressions of it.

Mary Berg’s confidence and down-to-earth, likeable personality help complement the dish. She truly wants people to take something from each of her recipes. It helps that Mary won Master Chef Canada season three and knows what it means to learn as a home cook in the kitchen. The 4:46 minute segment is quick and reliable compared to some YouTube shorts or TikTok videos. Also, the information and steps have the purpose of not just entertaining the viewer, like a show by Guy Fieri. I would gladly watch and make another recipe from Mary Berg due to its simple and fun execution of flavours.

The FN website is unique and different from a site or blog from individual cooks. It has sections for breakfast, lunch, dinner, chicken, and pasta recipes. The layout makes it easy for people to find the recipe they want from specific chefs. However, the site is gimmicky, focusing on shows, “trendy news,” and storefronts to capitalize on the network’s superfans. When they focus on proper recipes, it is well executed for beginners like myself. For this recipe, the seven directions are practical and educational in that anyone can cook salmon in 45 minutes. I would give the Food Network 4 out of 5 chef’s hats for a learning focus in the kitchen!

Ingredients for Crispy Salmon Fillets:

• One 1.5-kilogram/3.3-pound salmon side
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (56 grams)
• 4 cups panko breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons dried herbs (such as Herbs de Provence or Italian seasoning)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Nonstick cooking spray

I started by getting a baking sheet and cutting my salmon. Luckily, mine did not have skin, so it was less labour-intensive and time-efficient—and I was hungry! In the meantime, I melted butter on my stove and gradually added the other dry ingredients. These were panko, which I recommend adding slowly, or you will create a big mess. Then, I seasoned the panko and made sure it got to a golden brown colour. Next, I transferred it to a sallow dish to get the breadcrumbs to room temperature. 

I easily mixed eggs, mayo, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard for the sauce or dredge. It was finally game time to prepare the salmon by dipping it into the panko breadcrumbs and the dredge. Finally, the oven was at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, and I put the salmon on the baking sheet for 15 to 18 minutes. I completed the Crispy Salmon Filllets with mini-roasted potatoes and asparagus. Side note: This is an excellent recipe for meal-prepping and a fantastic meal worth your money off the internet!   

As always, I look forward to your reactions and feedback. Next week, I will look at one of my favourite content creators on TikTok; a hint is Milkshake Monday! Till then, I will leave you with this inspirational advice!

Pinterest post by Gail Shinkle

I am falling right back into the swing of things in my kitchen; after cooking a great steak meal, my next step involved something related to the autumn season in Saskatchewan. This week, I searched far and wide to create one of my favourite desserts, Cheesecake with a pumpkin spin. Thanks to the previous comments on my posts about different baking recipes! The source I used was from Natasha’s Kitchen, and it was an honest, trusted recipe with step-by-step documentation. However, the challenge in baking was lovely and in a setting where I felt like a professional due to the amount it produced. I gave it to lucky friends and family members who enjoyed the rich taste and hard-working effort.

The history of Pumpkins in baking dates back to early American settlers of the 17th century, when they would make a pre-version of pumpkin pie with milk, honey, and a variety of spices inside the vegetable over hot ashes. Cheesecake evolved from Greek and Roman recipes using honey, flour, eggs, and crushed cheese. Fun fact: the “dessert” was presented at the first Olympic games. It would later include sugar during Tudor England (1485 – 1603). Then, cream cheese was created in 1872 by American immigrants, and its current form was created with New York Cheesecake’s creation during the Roaring 20s.

Here is the Pumpkin Cheesecake for your consideration, lifted from the website:

The Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs/12 whole graham crackers
• 6 Tbsp unsalted melted butter
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

The Filling:

• 24 oz room temperature cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 15 oz can pumpkin pie mix
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Starting the recipe, my head was filled with thoughts about making this cheesecake, which is truly a science, like in the chocolate chip cookies. It made me confident and excited to conquer the long 7 hours and 30 minutes. First, I grabbed a plastic bag and put the graham crackers into it. Letting out some steam, I smashed them like the Hulk into a fine form that would soon resemble a crust. So, I added the crumbs into a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and everything nice (melted butter), stirring them to perfection. I deviated a little bit because I did not have a springform pan; instead, using a glass baking pan. I gently jammed them into the bottom and let the crust cook for eight minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. They then had to cool to room temperature, but that was alright since it was time to fill it with the Pumpkin Cheesecake goodness!

Luckily, my stove was already at the desired temperature, and I was reunited with an old friend, the mixer. This is the rich part with the heavenly cream cheese and brown sugar. I made sure not to have a lumpy filling, but the part I did not enjoy was how sweet the brown sugar was in the final result. So, I recommend putting less (1 cup instead of 1 ½) for your tastebuds to not be overloaded by sweetness, saving you a trip to the dentist afterwards, haha! Then, I added the remaining wet ingredients into another bowl and ensured they were finely combined. It is also great because this part of the recipe adds a little extra flair for the baker besides the traditional baked cheesecake! The final part, before baking, required me to transfer the completed filling to the graham cracker crust.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake was in the oven for around one hour and thirty minutes, and I remembered to leave the stove ajar to allow air to circulate during the baking process. Also, I let it cool for forty-five minutes.  In the meantime, I made homemade whipping cream, beating the vanilla, sugar, and heavy whipping cream together for a delicious finish to the recipe that only took two minutes. Now, there was waiting time for the cheesecake to cool in my refrigerator for four-ish hours. Side note: it was cracked when I took it out of baking. I know it was only my first time making any cheesecake, but be sure not to bake it too long, get the perfect speed or time for incorporating air during mixing, take your time while cooling, and check the (cold) temperature of ingredients. Lastly, I have to work on my patience, precision, and timing, as mentioned earlier, while baking to limit mistakes. However, they are a part of the learning process, and I should accept that because nobody is perfect at everything!

Thanks for reading about my discoveries in the kitchen with this famous rich and filling dessert! What is your favourite Cheesecake? As always, I am up for suggestions in the comments! Next week, I will dip my toes into the world of cooking shows on the Food Network. Keep staying positive, and have a tremendous week!

In this combination of EDTC300 and Learning Project posts, I tested my Photo editing abilities using two online applications: Foodie (an app) and Photoshop (one of the most popular ways to edit images). It was a battle of prices because Foodie’s cost was free, and Photoshop would generally have a subscription, but I used a free trial to test the full abilities without wasting money.  Besides the applications, I looked up suggestions on Reddit for the best photography platforms to use on an iPhone. Also, I found an article by Allison of Some the Wiser on Food Photography: How to Edit Food Photos in Photoshop. They will support me on the Week Four quest in Kade’s Kitchen. So, let the cooking and editing begin!

The subject or food for the photos was a steak meal, and I documented my journey in the kitchen/grill visually. Usually, I do not make this type of meal as a university student, but since it was the end of reading week. I decided to cook my parents a meal they love from restaurants and show them some newfound confidence in me. I followed two video recipes by YouTube chef Nick DiGiovanni this week to learn. First was a video on how to cook the perfect steak, and it was a detailed video with various ways of discovering the art of steak. The second and last was a YouTube short, where Nick made golden garlic butter mashed potatoes. It was a quick recipe like the short and one of the best ways to make a great side dish in ample time. I also made a Caesar salad from a grocery store kit, which complemented the healthyness of the dinner.

The pictures help describe the thoughts of learning that went through my head during this grand learning event. I wanted to capture the look of stereotypical food from Instagram or even a cookbook. I believe that I succeeded, but what do you think? My first task was to season the steak, which I deviated from the video a bit by using salt and Montreal Steak Spice for a bolder taste. Then, I sent them to the grill for 7.5 minutes per side for our desired rarity of medium well. It was a different experience than frying up chicken for the Sweet & Sour recipe, and I enjoyed the various challenges/perspectives of grilling. How do you cook your steak? What is your favourite alternative product if you do not eat steak/meat?

I returned to the kitchen to put the cold, bathed Yukon gold potatoes on the stove and started to brown the butter. I removed the steaks and covered them in tin foil until the rest of the meal was finished. By this time, I was hungry and prevailed by adding the garlic butter to the mashed potatoes. I used a masher instead of a strainer because I don’t have one. Lastly, I mixed up the Caesar salad and would recommend it for simplicity, taste, and time efficiency. It was time to plate the meal and take the final product picture. 

Foodie is a good version of a photo editor for beginners like myself because it has filters specifically for food. It was simple and improved my shots, making my food more colourful/less bland. The controls and features were understandable, but sadly, it is behind a paywall for some of the filters that could have jazzed up my pictures. Using my phone instead of a chunky and confusing laptop for images was pleasant since they are more accessible to the everyday user. However, where it shined for me was combining it with the competition of Photoshop. I imported the filtered photos over to the web version of Photoshop. It is overwhelming at first, but there are plenty of videos online and websites on which to figure out how to work the application. I edited by altering the property values/numbers, going from levels to curves to colour balance to most other layers except black and white until they looked breathtaking or aesthetically pleasing. If I had more time and bought it, I would enjoy taking pictures/editing of my food/other things in my life. High Schoolers could use this in a design or photography class without hardships. Also, there is an app version for iPads and a school discount. So, regarding the previous sentences, here are the SAMR model approaches. 

Photo editing can be used in educational settings for many different reasons. It could be used from Upper Elementary (Grade 4) to the end of Secondary in Grade 12. Augmentation would be as simple an activity where students create a collage of the environment and edit the pictures on Foodie to have a filter on them, replacing a small chunk of the boring slideshow that half the students probably would not be paying attention to in the first place. This way, the change is interactive in a combined Science/Arts Ed lesson, producing a better result in the classroom for both parties involved. An example of redefinition is its use in a fully online photography/film class like Sask DLC on video communication platforms, where students learn how to use phone cameras to make experimental photos/videos to be creative in learning—varying from Photoshop to editing pictures into short-form content showcasing the semester’s development to an extensive digital independent film festival/gallery.

Overall, photo editing is an exciting and fun tool to use in my search for culinary art. It made me think about how my food looks after I make and eat it. What could I do to make it more appealing and not rush through life or this project? Instead, I should take in the sights and appreciate the good in everything that a person does/eats. I am happy with this diverse learning outside my comfort zone and can not wait for next week. I plan to make something involving a pumpkin or spooking-related because Halloween is approaching. Remember to relax since hard work pays off!

During week 3, thanks to Peter S’s supportive comment, I decided to try baking for the first time in forever. The world of baking is vast, like cooking, and my sweet tooth overpowered all my thoughts on this learning project in Kade’s Kitchen. So, with Brynn’s friendliness and suggestion, I decided to channel my inner cookie monster and make Chocolate Chip Cookies! I would recommend this website to anyone who wants a simple way to find BAKING recipes because the layout is straightforward and inspires me for my site. You know, a person can trust Sally instead of using the quick format of a Facebook short like last week. If you enjoy videos, she has a whole section of them, and they are great for all types of bakers! 

The recipe is on Sally’s Baking Recipies, and here is the recipe on my blog without having to look online for it:

• 2 and 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour (Spooned and Leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (170g / 12 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted & cooled 5 minutes*
• 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks 

This is my step-by-step reaction to this recipe and everything I did for it. I started by mixing all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Due to all the components, I thought I was in a lab experimenting, like in a chemistry class. Then, combining the wet ingredients with the dry ones confirmed to me that baking is scientific. I used a stand mixture for the previous instructions, which is a valuable form of kitchen technology. Next, I had to wait for the cookie dough to chill and firm up overnight because patience is key to learning the culinary world.

It was Monday night, and I took them out of my refrigerator for 10 minutes (to bring them to room temperature). So, I got the cookie sheets and a scooper to scoop the dough out of the bowl. Operation Cookie was underway, and I shaped them to be small because a flat is unsuitable for a cookie. While doing that, I warmed my oven to  325°F (163°C)! I cooked each batch for 12-14 minutes, with time to cool on the baking sheet and a wire rack. I have cookies for my busy week and will make them again because they are so yummy! I think you should try this recipe, especially if you are having a bad day since it will cheer you up and put a warm smile on your face!

Before I say my plan for next week, I will tell my audience the history of the Chocolate Chip Cookie. It was created in 1938 by Toll House restaurant owner/baker Ruth Wakefield in Whitman, Massachusetts, United States of America. Legend says it was made by testing recipes and adding small chunks of chocolate to the cookie dough mixture. In all, it combines a 7th-century dessert with the introduction of sugar in Persia (the cookie), the production of chocolate bars in the 18th-century United Kingdom, and the previously mentioned American creation during the 19th century. I hope you found these facts interesting and that I did not bore you to death with this little section in my blog!

This recipe was perfect for the second week and showcased a different attitude toward baking compared to cooking. These thoughts can be summed up with this quote: “As the saying goes, cooking is an art, baking is a science”—John Thomas. I enjoyed the moulding of the raw cookie; it was almost relaxing with the chilled sensation of a Play-Doh mixture. Also, watching the reaction in the oven to where they became soft and chewy was interesting! I want a new cooking recipe with something different and a more intricate variety. I like the challenge this project has done for me and the growth mindset I have developed in my kitchen. If the recipe tastes excellent, it will succeed in my book! I can’t wait for my next time baking! My next adventure will be using YouTube because I already watch it daily, and the site has a multitude of knowledge of it. I will still gladly take suggestions from commenters/the audience for recipes or platforms to use! Thanks again to Peter S and Brynn! Have a terrific week, and remember always to be yourself!

Hello everyone, and welcome back to my journey in the Kitchen!

*Disclaimer* I did not follow through on the NYT Cooking app this week because it is a little bit more advanced for my current comfort level, and there is a paywall behind the app. So, it can wait for a few weeks! So, I narrowed it down to a noodle stirfry or a take-out favourite of something covered in Sweet and Sour sauce. I chose the latter because of the ingredients and because I would love to learn how to cook Asian food.  I also made white rice and boiled buttered cabbage with my S&S Chicken to complete the meal!

Picture of Sweet and Sour Chicken recipe

The video recipe is here, and I found it on Facebook. I decided to give that social media platform a starting edge in my learning project because they constantly pop up on my feed. I chose a relatively safe recipe without exciting ingredients to make the result edible! In that regard, I succeeded in a yummy meal!

The cultural history of Sweet and Sour sauce: it was created in China during or before the 1800s. On the surface level, it combines a sweet sauce and a sour meat taste that is prevalent in other Asian regions/countries like South Korea. Mine and the American versions have evolved to become the deep-fried Cantonese-originated scrumptious sauce of our dreams from Chinese take-out restaurants.

The dredge for the chicken used flour and eggs (which was quite fun, coating it with vigorous tossing movements in Ziploc bags). I don’t think it was an orange chicken like the home-cook content creator’s kids called it because the recipe did not have fruits or other traditional items. The sour category had vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic (salt). It uses ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and sugar as sweets. This means I cooked a semi-traditional Sweet & Sour Chicken; if you want a more historical recipe, the S&S Chicken is not for you.

Reflections and Overall Thoughts: 

1. I thought it was a healthier meal that only took an hour, and the recipe had some ingredients out of my comfort zone. Being confident is a new kind of calm in the culinary arts for me!
2. I also acquired new skills, such as chopping chicken, dredging, frying it in a pan, and cooking it in the oven with a sauce.
3. I am learning a task like cooking because of the transferable skills this can have for the classroom and life. As such, I notice how students feel about consuming content in different processes or even assignments.
4. To survive, a person needs to know it is a part of life, and doing it for university brings some fun to education. Seeing a different side to myself with technology is efficient and not draining!
5. This video’s technological use was significant due to its quickness and the ease of cooking the meal. Videos are the bread and butter of Facebook recipes since the commentary adds to my self-awareness when preparing and cooking the food on the screen. It is not one of the AI or fake pictures that do not follow through with the authentic recipe. I would use it again and could even compare it to the fake pictured ones for a learning objective during a week.
6. A part of me feels I should be doing two recipes a week: the first is a cooked meal, and the second is a baked dessert. I also want to start being prepared for this and have Sunday as my Learning Project day! What do my fellow learners/commenters think about this?

In week 3, I will explore another cultural dish through online recipe forums, try to improve my cooking, and be excited to learn more about the mysteries of the kitchen. Until then, have a fantastic week, and strive for curiosity!

At first, I had trouble figuring out something to learn or improve that would pique my interest. I could choose between learning a language like French, which I am doing right now in a course, getting better at different drawing styles, or trying to bake and cook recipes outside of my comfort zone. After tossing and turning the ideas around, I decided to follow the culinary arts because of shows like MasterChef, the influence of cultures on food, and the variety of recipes online.

Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels

My first exposure to cooking was as a teenager when I cooked eggs, microwavable noodles (KD and Ramen), and pancakes at home. Then, I cooked in Foods class from Grade 8 to Grade 11. I learned a bit about cooking and baking tasks in a kitchen group with other students and the theories behind it all. Since then, I have only cooked prepackaged meals and want to eat homemade meals without relying as much on fast food. I am not confident in doing most dishes or recipes at the moment, but I am ready for a challenge to become better versed in them.

I plan to search for a basic recipe for a beginner on NYT Cooking: Recipes & Tips and for suggestions from classmates in the comments. After accomplishing that, I will go one step further each week by discovering new dishes on Facebook, websites, cooking shows, YouTubers like Nick DiGiovanni, and Celebrity Chefs, asking AI for recipes on platforms like Chat GPT, and comparing some to ones found in a cookbook. One of the weeks, I also want to figure out recipes that a teacher could teach in a home ec class. My ultimate goal in this plan is to see the unique ways a person could cook and bake from the information of technology in the overarching age of the internet. How does it consume these everyday tasks? Are there ways that it could make a person a better cook? Follow me on a culinary journey in Kade’s Kitchen!