edible May 2013
desserts
letter from the editors / welcome!
staff & contributing writers
Dear Readers, Welcome to Edible’s third issue of the year! Spring is undeniably one of the most beautiful times of the year. The air is moist and the flower petals rain down on you. Amid this beauty also lies one of the most stressful times for many of the students at Horace Mann. For this reason, we decided to make our third issue about Desserts. We will share some new desserts from around the world, help you design a perfect cheese platter, and guide you through our ice cream crawl. We hope you enjoy our issue and wish you all the best as you finish off the school year.
Your editors, Sophie Dizengoff, Catherin Engelmann, Anushka Gupta, and Jenny Heon
try this at home 5 6
cheese plate learn to bake on tv
reviews
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nyc bakeries max brenner il laboratorio de gelato ice cream crawl
health and culture 14 16 18
staff editors-in-chief: Rachel Buissereth Ben Kremnitzer Noah Margulis Molly Wharton junior editors: Cathrine Engelmann Sophie Dizengoff Jenny Heon Anushka Gupta
contributing writers layout: Nailah Hines faculty advisors: Adam Casdin Angelina Goater
Megumi Murakami Sara Hirade Allison Gelman Hannah Fink Zachary Port Rachel Kline Kathryne Robinson Karina Hooda Lindsey Zelson Melanie Totenberg Jeremy Robbins
desserts around the world desserts and diabetes ben and jerry’s
science
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fried food extravagance
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fried oreos
recipes
edible table of contents
t r y t his at home
cheese plate
creating the BEST cheese plate for any occasion Megumi Murakami (‘16)
step 1
examples
selecting the cheese
Aged: Aged cheddar, goat, gouda, Comte Soft: Camerbert, Brillat-Savirin, epoisse (really yummy), brie Firm: Manchengo, Parmigiano-Reggiano Bleu: Gorgonzola Dolce, Stilton
You have to try different textures and flavor. There are 4 basic categories: Bleu, aged, soft, and film. For a balanced selection choose one from each group. There should also be a variety in the type of milk used (cow, goat, sheep).
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step 2
arranging the cheese amount A good ratio to follow is 3 pounds for 8 people. Adjust for party size. accompaniments
step 3
Cheese goes well with a variety of things. These include bread, dried fruits, jarred condiments and veggies, or various sweet and salty items. Depending on your cheese plate, certain things should be present. For example, if you serve Epoisse you will need to have bread because it is a very soft cheese. Generally it is good to have bread or crackers, some olives or artichokes, and some candied nuts or fruits like figs. It really depends on the season as well.
time to serve 1. REMOVE the cheese 1-2 hours before serving. Cold cheese loses flavor. 2. SEPARATE strong smelling cheeses, they can overpower the others, 3. A UTENSIL for each cheese is key! Depending on the cheese different knifes and spoons can be used. Don’t use one knife for all of the cheese; this will cause them to mix. 5
t r y t h is at home
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learn to bake on tv dessert shows rising in popularity Sara Hirade (‘15)
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f you were to turn on the television and go to almost any channel, you would find a cooking show. A few years ago, more of these shows seemed to be a regular cooking shows with a host telling the viewer how to make simple dishes or a “reality” competition show. Today, there are many more television programs dedicated to only desserts. Why are these shows so popular? Cooking shows used to teach the audience how to cook and different techniques that they could implement at home. Julia Child on her series, The French Chef, which can be viewed at pbs.org, taught viewers about knife skills or the proper way to grease a pan. Many years later, the cooking television landscape has shifted. Chefs on television no longer teach us how to make a meal, but are selling the audience the experience of cooking a gourmet meal and their personality. While this is very interesting and enjoyable to watch, it is much less comforting than watching someone bake a cake, even if it is in a stressful situation. Desserts are comfort food and everyone knows what a cupcake tastes like. People can relate to a cooking shows about desserts much better than they can to a show about fancy foods that most have never even heard of before. This is just one of the many reasons that dessert television programs are so popular.
Here are just some of the shows that are dedicated to desserts on television:
Ace of Cakes
Sweet Genius
Although this show is not on the air anymore, no article about desserts on television would be complete without mentioning Ace of Cakes. Ace of Cakes was a reality show that also ran on Food Network for ten seasons, premiering on August 17, 2006 and finally ending on February 10, 2011. This show followed Duff Goldman and his eccentric staff at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, Maryland. The bakery constructed and decorated elaborate cakes every episode. Then the cakes were driven, sometimes for hundreds of miles, to different locations.
Hosted by Ron Ben-Israel, Sweet Genius is a realitycompetition show premiered on September 22, 2011 and is still airing on the Food Network. In each episode four pastry chefs compete against each other in other in three challenges. The pastry chefs, according to the show, receive “surprise ingredients, an inspiration, and a limited amount of time.” At the end of each round, the host judges each dessert and overall winner of the episode will then move on to a final round. The finalists from each episode will compete to be crowned the Sweet Genius and win $10,000.
Cake Boss Cake Boss is a reality television series that is currently on The Learning Channel (TLC) that is centered on a family-owned bakery, Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, New Jersey. Carlo’s Bakery is owned and run by Buddy Valastro, the “Cake Boss,” and his siblings. The series shows how the cakes are made as well as the relationships of the family and their employees. Like most popular television, book, or movie series, Cake Boss has led to a spin-off called the Next Great Baker, a reality competition in which the contestants compete in three challenges every episode. The winner receives a cash prize, a magazine spread, and a chance to work with Buddy in his Bakery.
Each of these shows has different appeals. For instance, Ace of Cakes was enjoyable because of its lavish cakes and the over the top personalities of the pastry chefs. Where as Cake Boss focuses much more on the relationships of the family and staff. Sweet Genius is similar to Iron Chef because has competition and strange themes. These shows offer different aspects of reality television that people love to watch in an accessible fashion. 6
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nyc bakeries on a knead to know basis Allison Gelman (‘16)
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’ll admit it; there are some days off from school where I take a ride into the city and eat some sweets at three different bakeries. Yes, I said three. When Dominique Ansel’s and François Payard’s patisseries are so close in distance, it’s hard to say no to either one. Once you start your delicious dreaming stage, it’s just mandatory to take a pit stop at Maison Kayser on the Upper East Side (don’t worry, there’s a soon to be location downtown in the SoHo area and many others to come). Every time I go on one of my bakery-hopping sessions, I have trouble on deciding what to eat where. Not that you’ll be as crazy as I, but even when going to one of these sensational locations, it’s always good to know what each one’s strengths and weaknesses are. Let’s start with François Payard, the first of the three men to lace the city with his sweet pastries and macaroons. By the fact that he has been the pastry chef at both Le Bernadin and Daniel, it’s already obvious this guy has talent. In 1995, he won the James Beard Award for “Pastry Chef of the Year,” and two years later he opened up his own bistro/ patisserie. Unfortunately for New York, this foodie landmark closed just three years ago due to rent spikes. Currently, Payard has five other New York City locations, one in Las Vegas, two in Japan, and five more in Korea. Speaking specifically about the New York City locations, every single baked good from this pastry chef is phenomenal – whether it be the macaroons that are fresh as can be, a croissant, or two of my personal favorites, either one of Payard’s infamous
holiday logs (specifically the chocolate raspberry) or a chocolate Louvre modeled after one of France’s biggest landmarks, topped with chocolate gold. The only thing that really isn’t up to speed at this place is the sandwiches; the bread is dry, they are light on the ingredients, and there’s nothing that really says “wow” like everything else they sell. On the bright side, people usually don’t go into Payard for sandwiches. Unlike Payard’s locations, it is perfectly typical to go into Eric Kayser’s NYC restaurant for a pleasant Parisian lunch or dinner. The onion soup is to die for, cheesy enough for any fanatics. The entire list of tartines all sound and taste amazing, but the thing that makes the entire restaurant really a destination is the bread. From baguettes to honey breads, there is no way to go wrong with a type of bread from Kayser. The true disappointment in Kayser is the pastries that are really just incomparable to those of the other two contenders. Don’t get me wrong, they’re better than the average bakery, but there is no factor to them that sends a want to marry them, something which the bread does quite efficiently. With about 40 places worldwide, the majority of them being in Paris, I am quite excited to see numerous Maison Kayser’s pop up around New York, hopefully giving the city a fresh baked Parisian bread scent. Recently opened in November 2011, Dominique Ansel Bakery has hit SoHo with a tasty splash. Chef Ansel, born north of Paris, began his culinary career at age sixteen and has only gone up from being an apprentice in a small
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kitchen. Once having been extremely successful in France, Dominique Ansel moved to the United States where he, just like François Payard, was the pastry chef at Daniel. With him as the pastry chef, Daniel received numerous awards, including the honorable James Beard award for “Outstanding Restaurant of the Year.” After six years as an auxiliary to Daniel’s success, Ansel knew it was time to move on. With that, he decided to open his own restaurant/patisserie, Dominiqut Ansel. My favorite thing at Daniel had always been the petit madelines fresh from the oven, and now I know how they came about – it was from this sweet genius. On certain days of the week, you can catch a batch of madelines from the oven and savor them in all their glory. The small pastries are so incredibly rich yet light, with so many to choose from you really cannot go wrong. His lunch sandwiches are great, made with high quality ingredients (just like everything else). If you’re looking for a sandwich, try the grilled cheese, a sandwich that is simply delicious, and the carmelized onions really put it over the top. My all time favorite thing here is the croissants. They are not too dense, but not too crispy in an attempt to make them feel light. They are soft yet light, making for the perfect morning treat. Besides a plain croissant, an Ansel novice must try a Dominique’s Kouign Amann (more typically known as the DKA). These pieces of heaven are similar to the regular croissant, except for their carmelized outside, a feature which just makes the treat ten times more special.
So here is my advice to you: if you want a delicious pastry, head over to Payard. If you want bread, don’t even think about going anywhere except for Maison Kayser. If you want madelines, croissants, or are deciding between the three different choices, go with Dominique Ansel. Payard is a master, yet things just aren’t the same after he closed his original bistro. Kayser’s sweets are just “eh” but his bread is divine. Dominique Ansel on the other hand doesn’t go wrong in any category – the sweets are great, the sandwiches use fine ingredients including quality bread, and the croissants will make you feel as if you were in Paris instead of the Big Apple. Although, any of these patisseries will let you embrace your inner Parisian culture and give you some tasty treats along the way.
sample menu items hazelnut waffles
croissant
chocolate pizza
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max brenner
to hear each other, yet we enjoyed the meal. Directly following dinner, we ordered the best part of all; the dessert. Deciding to be role models for gluttony, we each ordered separate desserts, and then shared the European Fondue, which included skewers, assorted fruit, cookies, marshmallows, and three pots of assorted chocolate dips that were
downtown, nyc Hannah Fink (‘15)
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ver heard of a chocolate pizza? I hadn’t‚ either, until the first time I visited Max Brenners, located in Union Square. It was a wintry evening in the seventh grade when a friend of mine made a passing comment about a restaurant that offered decadent meals comprised of nothing but chocolate. If you know me, you won’t be surprised that not after even ten seconds I was hooked. Since then, I’d attended many a celebration there, including a few of my own. After hearing about this opportunity to write a review for this incredible location, I jumped at the chance. Dragging a friend in tow, this was an opportunity to truly dive into the meals - as well as provide a plausible excuse for dining there, yet again If you’d never eaten at Max Brenners, a tip before planning to dine
there: last minute reservations are few and far in between. Knowing this, I made my reservation online through their website two whole days in advance. And even then, spots were limited. This could be due to the fact the reservation was made for a Saturday night, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. When arriving, I put my companion under strict commands to order a different meal than mine, and that we would be sharing many desserts, so that a full report could be delivered. After finally being seated, due to the abundance of people, we sat at a cozy table and delved right into the menu. The lighting was dim, while the surrounding noise was powerful. Not exactly the best ambiance for a date, but perfect for a review or a dinner with a friend. We studied the menu, arguing over who could get what, while
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I took pictures of the surrounding restaurant on my smartphone. The dark wood tones of the booths and furniture provided a warm feel to the room, along with the exposed pipes that criss crossed repeatedly on the ceiling, bearing the words‚100% PURE CHOCOLATE‚ My eyes followed these mysterious mahogany pipes to a basin where chocolate was being dispensed behind the takeout bar, where a multitude of waiters were rushing hot chocolate orders for the few who didn‚Äôt want to sit and have the full dining experience. I ordered a Strawberry White Chocolate smoothie, which was comprised of white chocolate truffle, yogurt, and strawberries, while my friend ordered an Eighties milkshake, which was made with milk chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream, and a crunchy chocolate shell. When the waitress brought over our drinks, she explained the meaning behind the glass. A reference to Alice in Wonderland, the side of the drink read Drink Me‚ while the rim of the cup was curved into a smile like that of the Cheshire Cat. If you want a proper meal, don’t worry, they serve regular dishes like pasta, salad, pizza, and burgers alike. We ordered our entrees, with my friend getting penne alfredo, and I their Really Cheesy Really Crunchy Mac & Cheese. I highly recommend this dish, due to it being one of the most authentic mac and cheeses I have ever eaten. Throughout the night, the noise level slowly increased, as well as patrons. My friend and I struggled
kept warm with an open flame. My friend’s option to go with the S’mores Concoction, which was marshmallow fluff, milk chocolate mousse, graham crackers, and caramelized bananas, was clearly misled - I tasted some of his food, and in the end I was much happier that I opted for the Chocolate Chunks Pizza, with nutella and roasted marshmallows
serving as toppings. Overall, the food was heaven, but combined with the wait and amount of people, only make a reservation if you have at least 2 hours to spare, including transportation time. While Max Brenners isn’t Seraphina, it has an incredible menu and a downtown energetic feel, and comes highly recommended.
il laboratorio de gelato downtown, nyc Zachary Port (‘16)
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l Laboratorio de Gelato is more like a gelato factory than a laboratory but regardless; they have gelato down to a science. Located on East Houston next to the legendary Katz’s deli, Il Lab oratorio de Gelato is a modern factory with a storefront where they sell a large variety of their nearly 200 flavors of ice cream. Best known for their exotic flavors a customer can expand his or her horizon with ingredients that he or she didn’t even know existed much less that can be turned into gelato. Odd flavors include everything from wasabi to cheddar cheese to butternut squash, but they have also mastered the traditional flavors like hazelnut, chocolate (which they have 12 different flavors of) and vanilla (5 different flavors) Sorbets consist of just about every fruit from honeycrisp apple to passion fruit. On a recent trip I took a gamble with a toasted black sesame seed/ crème fraîche combo and sure
enough I was impressed. Sesame seed most commonly know for its oil gives the gelato a signature Chinese flavor and the crème fraîche added a nice tartness to it. Overall I would certainly return. Recently with its new factories’ capabilities Il Laboratorio del Gelato whas begun
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supplying New York City restaurants and you can now find their ice cream on Fresh Direct. Of course if you ever find yourself on the Lower East few foodie experiences compare to a classic lunch at Katz’s Deli topped off with unconventional dessert at Il Laboratorio del Gelato.
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ice cream crawl
favorite flavors
where to get the best flavors! Rachel Kline and Kathryne Robinson (‘14)
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fter countless hours of crawling across the borough of New York City the best ice cream store has been decided. The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory has been decided as the winner over the ten other contenders including Il Laboratorio Del Gelato, Ciao Bella, Grom, Popbar, Big Gay Ice Cream, Cones, Amorino, L’arte Del Gelato and Ronnybrook Dairy Far. With their deliciously interesting flavors such as black sesame, cherry vanilla, ginger, and peach, they have withstood the test of both creamiest and most delicious flavors. Standing beneath the awnings of the heavily ornamented street, the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory is located at 65
Bayard Street, in the depths of Chinatown. It can most easily be recognized due to the mass crowds standing both outside of the store, and clustering inside as well; however, this proves not to be a problem as crowds are cleared out of the store (generally) very fast. Although the Factory is a particularly small store with only up to three employees able to fit behind its counter, and no place for customers to sit, it forces the people of New York to get their ice cream, get out of the store, and walk around, potentially reaching the park only two blocks from its location. This allows both people from New York City and others visiting from around the world to learn about the area of the city that is Chinatown. Lastly, their affordable ice cream contains both traditional and nontraditional flavors. As stated earlier in the article, the traditional flavors included in the menu are flavors like, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, cookies n’ cream, chocolate chip, mint chip, rocky road and others; nev12
ertheless, the Factory does create their own authentic flavors proving the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory can create a unique experience for its customers. Other non-traditional flavors include cherry vanilla, black sesame, red bean, coconut fudge, chocolate pandan, don tato, ginger, pandan and zen butter. Other ice cream stores did prove to contain various non-traditional flavors such as cinnamon, pear, olive oil and key like graham, although none as deliciously rich, smooth and creamy as the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. The runner up of the crawl was Cones, a medium sized store located in the middle of the west village of New York City. Even though the store is never quite filled with people, there is never a complete lull as the tables often refill themselves with children and their families. The atmosphere of the store is nothing special, and almost seems broken down when first arriving there, but after tasting the flavors there is no doubt why this store has survived throughout the years. Whether you are trying plain flavors such as dark chocolate or chocolate chip or you are trying interesting flavors such as mate and honey cinnamon, the ice cream is extremely delicious and proves to be home made.
“Almond Cookie: Hands down the best flavor they have.”
“Delicious exotic flavors - ie lychee sesame red bean.”
“The lychee is the absolute best of all their ice cream.”
“Cherry pistachio and taro are awesome!”
65 Bayard Street New York NY 10013
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desserts around the world a taste of a different culture Karina Hooda (‘16)
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very country has its own unique edible creation, a cultural representation of the country stamped into its cuisine. These dishes are traditional, and are made only with what was primarily available in that geographical region. Gradually many countries became known for their specific cuisines and especially their desserts. Take a look at the French macaron, a cream-filled sandwich cookie composed of a sugary meringue-based confection made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, and ground almond. (Not to be confused with macaroons, a desert made of egg whites and shredded coconut) Macarons, like most French deserts, consist mainly of egg whites. The macaron’s origin isn’t clear, but there is a possibility they were brought to France from Italy as early as 1533 by Catherine di Medici and her pastry chefs. Nowadays these cute little delicacies come in the conventional flavors like chocolate and almond, but also in more exhilarating flavors like black sesame, matcha green tea and lavender. Crème caramel, or Spanish flan, is a signature dessert with Latin American roots. Spanish flan is a custard dessert with a layer of
browned sugar, or caramel on top. Today it is eaten all around the world. Each country, however, has adopted a different spin on flan. In Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, flan is usually eaten with dulce de leche. In Vietnam, following the French influence, black coffee is poured on the top. In Cuba, the native grown cinnamon is added for a distinctive zing and in Goa, India following the Portuguese influence; it is spiced with vanilla bean. Another well recognized Hispanic dessert is the tres leche cake, a flavorful type of sponge cake that is soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk to create a
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yummy essence and creamy texture. In Italy, a prevalent dessert is the cannoli. The cannoli originated in Sicily and is an essential part of Sicilian cuisine. The cannoli consists of a tube- like shells of crispy fried pastry dough, filled with a velvety cream traditionally made from ricotta cheese, though the American versions are usually filled with thick vanilla cream along with chopped pistachios and chocolate shavings. By far however, the sweetest and most sugary laden desserts originate from India. The gulab jamun (similar to the Turkish dessert Kemal Pasha) is a popular cheese based dessert, where milks solids
are kneaded into dough, and then shaped into small balls and deep fried at a low temperature. The balls are then soaked in thick syrup flavored with exotic spices that are common to the Indian cuisine, such as green cardamom, essence of rosewater and aromatic saffron. Desserts in China are almost on the opposite side of the spectrum, reflective of the general lack of milk
ingredients:
and sugar in the Chinese cuisine. Chinese desserts are lightly sweetened and mildly spiced. Tangyuan, like many Chinese desserts, is made from glutinous rice flour, and has a sticky jelly like consistency. The rice flour is shaped into balls and boiled, and Tangyuan is usually filled with a delicate sweet bean or potato paste, though it can sometimes be topped with ginger infused syrup.
All around the world many countries have a signature flavor that is often expressed in its desserts. As we have seen, desserts capture the history, geographically available ingredients and the cultural essence of that country. So the next time, instead of eating something you are familiar with, experience the history and culture behind a new dessert!
gulab jamun
1 tablespoons raisins (optional) 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1 quart vegetable oil for deep frying 1 1/4 cups white sugar 7 fluid ounces water 1 teaspoon red water 1 pinch ground cardamom
1 cup dry milk 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup warm milk 1 tablespoon chopped almonds (optional) 1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts (optional)
procedure: 1) In a large bowl, stir together the milk powder, flour, baking powder, and cardamom. Stir in the almonds, pistachios and golden raisins. Mix in the melted ghee, then pour in the milk, and continue to mix until well blended. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
2) In a large skillet, stir together the sugar, water, rose water and a pinch of cardamom. Bring to a boil, and simmer for just a minute. Set aside.
3) Fill a large heavy skillet halfway with oil. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes. Knead the dough, and form into about 20 small balls. Reduce the heat of the oil to low, and fry the balls. After around 5 minutes, when the jamun float, increase the heat to medium and turn them frequently until light golden.
4) Remove from the oil to paper towels using a slotted spoon, and allow to cool. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly. Place the balls into the skillet with the syrup. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, squeezing them gently to soak up the syrup. Serve immediately, or chill.
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desserts and diabetes everything in moderation Lindsay Zelson (‘15)
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iven that the term “diabetes” is commonly used but with many misconceptions, it is necessary to discuss the disease on its own before delving into how it is affected (or not affected) by desserts. Diabetes is a disorder in which the body has trouble regulating blood-glucose levels. There are two different forms of the disorder, Type One diabetes (T1D) and Type Two diabetes (T2D), and aside from involving the same basic problem, they are not as similar as one might think. Type One diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which a person’s body, specifically his or her
pancreas, stops producing insulin altogether, leaving the person unable to regulate blood-glucose levels. This type of diabetes generally strikes in childhood and lasts a lifetime. To manage, people with T1D have to take multiple injections of insulin daily or continuously use a pump. Type Two diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the person’s body produces insulin but is unable to use it to regulate blood-glucose levels. Type Two diabetes is usually recognized in adulthood, but increased obesity has led to a rise in cases of T2D in children and young
adults. This type does not necessarily need to be managed with an insulin pump. Unfortunately, diabetes, as with any disease, has its side effects. Some of the devastating effects of diabetes include kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart damage, and stroke, if not managed properly. When you think of “desserts,” the first foods that might come to mind are candy, cookies, and dessert—maybe even fruit, if you prefer natural sugars. In the case of Type One diabetes, all kinds of sugars will raise blood glucose levels, but the person will hopefully be aware of how to manage his or her intake of sugar by using finger pricks to test his or her blood levels before and after eating. A leading global organization called Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is dedicated to eradicating the effect that Type One diabetes has on lives of people all over the world. In a quote by 8-year-old Jonathan from California found on the JDRF website on managing the disease, “everything I eat is measured and every carbohydrate counted.” When you were eight, were you thinking about carbohydrate count? T1D is a constant battle that starts early in
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life. On the other hand, T2D is a different story. The science behind Type Two diabetes suggests that it is caused by excess fat cells interfering with the absorption of glucose into the majority of cells in vital organs. Since studies have shown that there is a correlation between obesity rates and T2D, desserts can have a more profound effect on whether or not one will get this form of diabetes. If a person does not take good care of oneself, he or she could run the risk of developing Type Two diabetes. This is not to say that having a treat or two every day will cause 17
a person to get diabetes, but eating habits can spiral out of control and control a person’s future health. Type One diabetes has a strong genetic component, so whether or not a person develops it is unavoidable; however, JDRF and other organizations are working towards a cure. You can help out by donating to the cause or participating in a Walk or Ride to Cure Diabetes! Type Two diabetes rates are increasing as the years go on, but if we all promote healthy living among our peers, communities, and world, we can end the epidemic. Enjoy desserts in moderation!
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ben and jerry’s two friends with one dream Melanie Totenberg (‘14)
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here are few people who don’t know Ben & Jerry’s, the purveyors of funky ice cream flavor combinations. What many people don’t know is how this popular ice cream brand got its start. Ben Cohn and Jerry Greenfield, who had been good friends since high school, decided to start Ben & Jerry’s when the two realized that they had no idea what direction their lives were heading in. Jerry finished college with the intentions of going to medical school, but failed to get into a single one, whereas Ben dropped out of every college he attended. Subsequently, the two decided that starting a business, though risky, was the best option for them. Both were “very good eaters” and had decided on opening a business related to food, either bagels or ice cream. After discovering that the equipment for bagel making would
cost $4,000, the pair decided that ice cream making was the better option. Ben and Jerry were aiming at targeting college kids, and after surveying various college towns of warmer climates decided on Burlington, Vermont. The two decided that their business would perform better in a spot that did not already have an ice cream parlor, as neither knew anything about running a business or making ice cream. Burlington fit the bill. Then, after settling on a location, Ben and Jerry took a $5 correspondence course at Penn State University to learn more about running a business. Afterwards the two moved to Burlington with their combined savings of $8,000 and $4,000 from the local bank. Using knowledge gleaned off of pamphlets from the Small Business Administration, they gained more insight on the work-
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ings of business and began to scout out the perfect location for their very first shop. The place they ultimately settled on was an abandoned gas station, ideally located a block away from Main Street. Money was tight, so Ben and Jerry asked friends to help, in exchange for free ice cream for life. With the additional money, Ben and Jerry renovated that gas station and transformed it into their first scoop shop. After building the interior of their shop, the pair perfected their ice cream. During the process of making the ice cream, Ben would say that the flavor was too indistinct and suggest adding more flavoring. The amount of flavorings far surpassed the recommended amount. As it turned out, Ben had a sinus problem, which affected his ability to taste, leading to the creation of Ben and Jerry’s bold flavored ice creams. Even Ben can
taste Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. On May 5, 1978, Ben and Jerry opened their first shop. During that time there were only twelve flavors on the menu; however the names of the flavors were still as creative as they are today. The flavors included Banana Ferry, Fruit Lovers Frolic, The Vermont Sweet Tooth, Health food Heaven, and The Chestnut Mare, to name a few. The business was so successful that some days they would even sell out of ice cream. In order to maintain business Ben and Jerry organized fun events, such as stilt walking competitions and festivals that won the hearts and support of the Burlington community. Ben and Jerry were still doubtful that their business would survive the cold hard winters of Vermont, and they promised that if their business managed to last more than a year they would give out free ice cream. Thus, “Free Cone Day” was born due to an appreciation for the support of customers. Ben and Jerry were also very active in supporting the environment and the local community, before all those
hipster locavores. They insisted on using Vermont’s milk only to make their ice cream, which later served to become part of the Ben and Jerry’s image. Their business, while successful, was not profitable. To combat this, Ben and Jerry decided to sell their ice cream to local restaurants and eventually expanded to local grocery stores and then supermarkets. Their brand expanded, and so did their business. Now, Ben & Jerry’s is a widely known ice cream brand, available in any supermarket. The company has greatly expanded, but throughout their success, Ben and Jerry have remained loyal to their founding beliefs in giving back to the community and using only the best ingredients. I, myself, am a huge fan of Ben & Jerry’s crazy flavors. In my opinion, the funkier, the better. Though, if I were to create a Ben and Jerry’s flavor I would try to create a flavor that balances sweet and salty. The first thing to do would be to start with a flavor base; for mine I would pick a sweet cream ice cream. Sweet cream sounds odd, but it’s basically just va19
nilla without the vanilla. In this way, the other add-ins are not overpowered and allowed to truly shine. The next step would be to swirl in some flavor and mix in some toppings. My flavor would have swirls of salted caramel with enough salt that it would actually be notable, as well as ripples of gooey fudge sauce. Then for the add-ins I would use buttery shortbread, fudge brownie bits and blondie bits (basically a brownie without the chocolate), and pretzel twists. The shortbread and the pretzels would add a nice textural contrast to the smooth and creamy ice cream. Meanwhile, the brownie and blondie bits would add a nice toothsome chew. True to my promise, the pretzels and the salted caramel would provide that salty kick, for flavor balance. Lastly, it would be time to name my creation. I’d pick “Worth Your Salted Caramel,” from the expression worth your salt, meaning worth your respect. Unfortunately this flavor does not exist. So until its creation, I will have to make do with my favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor in existence, Oatmeal Cookie Chunk.
s c i ence
s cience
fried food extravagance state fairs’ creative delicacies Jeremy Robbins (‘15)
W
hen state fairs were first created, they were envisioned as a gathering for people from throughout the state to take part in agricultural based entertainment, such as displays of new farm products and livestock competitions. Since the first fair held in Syracuse, New York in 1841, these festivals have changed in several ways; there has been the addition of carnival rides and games, concerts, and an increased emphasis on displaying new industrial
products. More importantly, to me anyway, there has been an increase in the amount of overly decadent, artery-clogging, fried creations that are served at these state fairs. In my opinion, the two most fascinating types of fried fair food are those that are fried using creative methods and those that are incredibly decadent. As there has been an increase in the number of fried food competitions at state fairs, chefs have had to step up the creativity and technique with which they fry
fried oreo
their foods. One of the main ways chefs do this is by thinking of new ways to fry beverages, since beverages seem unable to fry. Most of the time chefs accomplish this by either soaking batter in the desired liquid, as is the case with deep fried coca-cola and fried kool-aid, and other times chefs accomplish this by frying foods that mimic the flavor of the liquid, as is the case with the deep fried latte. However, other fried beverages are quite fascinating; for example there is deep fried
fried kool-aid
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beer, which took home the Most Creative Award from the Texas State Fair in 2010. The fried beer is made by filling a pretzel pocket with beer and then frying the concoction so that when a customer bites into the crispy exterior, the beer gushes out. Frying beverages is not the only way to bring creativity to these state fairs, 4-time Texas State Fair Award winner Abel Gonzales has recently brought molecular gastronomy to the fried food scene. A few years ago he debuted “Fire and Ice”, which is a deep fried pineapple that is then topped with freeze-dried whipped cream. In order to this, Abel douses the whipped cream with liquid nitrogen to achieve a consistency that is similar to astronaut ice cream. Another creative creation is deep fried bubble gum, which is a marshmallow that has had bubble gum in-
corporated into it and is then fried. Creative innovations like these are what bring intrigue to what is otherwise a food industry in which many products blend together due to their greasy nature. The other fascinating part of the fried food extravaganza is seeing how caloric and fattening some of the offerings are. There are options that make the 800-calorie fried stick of butter, which is literally fat fried in fat, and the 700-calorie fried candy bar seem like health food. At the Massachussetts state fair someone came up with jelly beans that are rolled in funnel cake batter and then fried, which is every dentist’s dream come true. There is also the technique of taking an extremely decadent food and deep-frying that, as is the case with the deep fried red velvet cupcakes, fried S’mores Pop
fried cheesecake
Tarts, and fried cheesecakes. Some chefs combine unhealthy components to create an even less healthy concoction. This can be seen at the Florida State Fair, where there is a dish called Snap, Krackle, and Fluff on a stick; this consists of a Rice Krispie Treat skewered between two marshmellows, battered, deep fried, and then topped with chocolate and caramel. There is also the Frankenstein-esque combination of a white chocolate candy bar stuffed inside a brownie, dipped in chocolate cake batter, and then fried. Overall, fried foods at state fairs are becoming increasingly and purposefully unhealthy, but perhaps have a right to be since state fairs are meant to showcase real America and very few things are more American than gluttony and obesity.
fried coke
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re cip es
fried oreos
interested in contributing to edible?
recipe from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/deep-fried-oreos/
ingredients: 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying 1 large egg 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 cup pancake mix 1 (18 ounce) package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos) http://www.flickr.com/photos/funkyah/8720308671/sizes/m/ in/photostream/
procedure: 1) Heat oil in deep fryer to 375 degrees F
2) Whisk together the egg, milk, and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a bowl until smooth.
3) Stir in the pancake mix until no dry lumps remain.
4) Dip the cookies into the batter one at a time, and carefully place into the hot frying oil. Fry only 4 or 5 at a time to avoid overcrowding. Cook for about 2 minutes.
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