Pasta worksheet - worksheet 23b

1 Why is it important to have the water boiling rapidly before adding the pasta?

Pasta quickly begins to break down in lukewarm water starch starts to dissolve. The intense heat of the boiling water creates a 'barrier' around the outside of the pasta, which stops the pasta from sticking together. The water temperature drops when the pasta is added, however with rapidly boiling water, the water will still be hot enough to cook the pasta.

2 How do you test if pasta is al dente?

One way of telling if the pasta is al dente is if you cut a pasta piece in half. If you are able to see a different between the center and outer ring of the pasta, then it is not completely done. If the pasta is one constant shade and texture, then it is done.

3 Why is the garlic and onion cooked first when making most pasta sauces?

You sauté the onion and garlic before the rest of the ingredients is added because if they haven’t been sautéed enough, the onions and garlic would stay relatively crunchy in the dish.  You also cook the garlic and onion first so that you can bring out the sugars in the onion and garlic by caramelizing it. If you don’t do this first, they will still be a bit sweet, but not caramelized. 

4 A bolognese sauce is simmered uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Why does it need to be cooked for this long?

A bolognese sauces takes that long because it takes a long time for the flavours in the sauce to develop and mature, which results in a tasty sauce. It also takes a while so it can break down the meat and so that the meat can absorb all the flavours.

5 What are some reasons for the popularity of pre-made bottled pasta sauces?

Some reasons for the popularity of pre-made bottled pasta sauce would be the connivence of having pasta sauce without all the hassle and because people are busy, the taste and quality is really good and you can get different flavours and varieties that you wouldn't normally expect.

6 These sauces do not contain many vegetables. This often leads to pasta dishes that are made from a packet of pasta and a jar of sauce. What are the health problems associated with eating this style of meal?

Vegetables provide substance for the body, along with essential vitamins and minerals. When lacking vitamins and minerals, the body may not function to the best of its ability, and would therefore cause your body to possibly fatigue quicker and you would not be able to function as well as you could.

7 What are some other disadvantages of buying ready-made pasta products?

Some disadvantages of buying ready-made pasta products would include that the consumer may not be fully aware of the ingredients in the product, and they may not know if a certain product is dangerous for them or not. You are also not sure if the ingredients used are 100% fresh, or have even passed the expiry dates (there was a report on a ready-made food product that used no fresh ingredients)

Pasta PDF - page 86

Let’s remember

1.       Where did noodles originate? It is believed that noodles had originated from China. In 2005, there had been a discovery of some 4000 year old noodles in Qinghai, China, which had dismissed any doubts that the noodle originated anywhere other than China. This discovery also proved that the first noodles had not been made of whole grain wheat, but of foxtail and broomcorn millet. The first written account of the noodle was from the East Han Dynasty between 25 and 220 A.D. In 300 A.D. the Chinese appeared to create noodles from a whole grain wheat paste. It is believed that Marco Polo brought the Noodle to his homeland from China in the thirteenth century.

2.       What kind of wheat is used to make pasta? Why is it used? The type of wheat that is used to make pasta is Durum Wheat (also known as macaroni wheat) which in turn makes durum wheat flour. Durum wheat is used to make pasta because it is more course than regular wheat, it has a good amount of gluten and it doesn’t require as much kneading as regular flour. Regular flour would also cause the pasta to fall apart. Durum wheat also makes the pasta easier to digest.

3.       Why have pasta and noodle dishes become popular in Australia? Pasta and noodle dishes have become widely popular in Australia mainly because of the impact from the multicultural influences, and the increasing number of food products that have now become available and can be bought almost anywhere.

4.       What is the difference between noodles and pasta? There are a number of differences between noodles and pasta. Although both noodles and spaghetti are long cylinders, noodles are thinner than spaghetti. The main ingredient of spaghetti is wheat flour; however noodles can contain different types of ingredients (e.g. rice starch and flour, potato starch and canna starch). Traditionally noodles are eaten with chopsticks, and spaghetti is eaten with a fork.  Noodles are normally boiled in water or a broth until they are softened, and then are served with sauce and other dishes like meat, seafood or vegetables. Spaghetti is generally boiled in water with olive oil or salt, and then is served with sauce and additional toppings such as herbs, oil, basil leaves, meat and vegetables.

5.       Name three kinds of pasta that are hollow in the middle. There are numerous types of pasta that are hollow in the middle. 3 kinds of pasta that are hollow will include cannelloni, macaroni and penne pasta.

6.       Which noodles are sometimes referred to as cellophane noodles? Why? The noodles that are sometimes referred to as cellophane noodles are glass noodles or bean thread noodles. The cellophane noodle is a type of transparent noodle that is made from starch (such as mung bean, yam, potato, or canna starches) and water. They are called cellophane noodles because of their appearance when they are cooked, which resembles cellophane (a clear material/translucent light grey colour)

7.       What do carbohydrates provide us with? Carbohydrates provide the body with fuel and energy that is mandatory to proceed with the daily activities and exercise we do. Any extra energy is stored until needed.  Our bodies need a constant supply of energy to function properly, and a lack of carbs can cause tiredness, poor mental function and lack of stamina. Carbs are also important for correct working of the brain, heart and nerves, digestive and immune systems.

8.       Is pasta a good source of protein? Explain. No, pasta is not a good source of protein. This is because the protein amount in pasta is between low to medium, depending on the type of flour used. Most pastas are made from durum wheat; this contains both protein and gluten. Once the pasta is digested, the protein in the pasta may be burned as fuel after being converted to sugar.

9.       How can we classify carbohydrates? We can classify carbohydrates in a number of ways. The most common classification system divides the carbs into groups that are according to the number of individual simple carbohydrate molecules.  There is monosaccharaides, which contain a single unit; disaccharides, which contain two carbohydrate units; and there is polysaccharides, which contain many carbohydrate units.

10.   Why do athletes eat carbohydrates? Athletes eat carbohydrates because they benefit the most from the amount of carbs that are stored in the body. In early stages of moderate exercise, carbohydrates provide 40-50% of the energy required. Carbohydrates produce more energy per unit of oxygen eaten than fat. During digestion, the body breaks down carbohydrates to glucose and stores it in the muscles as glycogen. During exercise, the glycogen is converted to glucose and is used for energy. The ability to withstand long vigorous exercise is directly related to the original levels of the muscle glycogen.       

Let’s investigate

1.       Choose five different types of pasta and find one suitable recipe for each. The five types of pasta I have chosen is spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli, lasagne and cannelloni. A recipe for spaghetti would be the traditional spaghetti Bolognese. For macaroni, a suitable recipe would be macaroni and cheese. With ravioli, a good recipe would be roast pumpkin and herb ricotta ravioli. A good recipe for lasagne would just be the classic lasagne. With the cannelloni pasta, a recipe that would be suitable would be spinach and ricotta cannelloni.

Compare the information below on a home-made blueberry muffin with a ready-to-eat blueberry muffin from the supermarket.

Home-made blueberry muffin	Ready-to-eat blueberry muffin
Serving size: 80 g	Serving size: 120 g
Ingredients: wholemeal flour, milk, monounsaturated margarine, blueberries, sugar, eggs	Ingredients: flour, sugar, honey, butter, blueberries, water, egg, colouring, salt, preservative (200)

Determine which product is healthier and justify your choice. Support your response by referring to the serving size and ingredient information.

I believe that the blueberry muffin product that is healthier is the Home-made blueberry muffin. Wholemeal flour is better than the normal white refined flour because wholemeal flour is not refined in the same way. Wholemeal flour keeps the husk of the wheat, or bran which is where the nutrients and dietary fibre are. With wholemeal fibre, there is no bleaching and the gluten levels are usually lower than in white flour. Wholemeal flour contains lower levels of high GI carbohydrates than what white flour has, and it also has higher levels of low GI carbs, which work in opposite ways to the high GI carbs, as low GI carbs that is contained in wholemeal products produce slow release of sugars into the bloodstream. The result of this is that insulin is only slowly released into the bloodstream in far less amounts. The metabolism is stimulated rather than inhibited, which means that the digestive system gets a boost in efficiency and therefore less fat gets stored. Using monounsaturated margarine is better than using just butter, because monounsaturated margarine has less saturated fat than what is in normal butter. For every 100g, butter has 52 grams of saturated fat, whereas monounsaturated margarine only has saturated fat content as low as 11 grams (however the amount could be higher so labels should always be checked). It is also distinct that there are no preservatives or colouring in the home-made muffin than in the ready-to-eat muffin. This is good as you know in your home-made muffin there is nothing artificial or fake in the muffin, and you may not know what the colouring and preservative could do to your health. There is also a smaller serving size with home-made blueberry muffins than with the ready-to-eat blueberry muffins. This means that because you are consuming less food, you will in turn not be consuming as much fat and calories in the ready-to-eat muffin if you have the home-made muffin. 

4. Why is it important for the consumer to have all this information?

 It is important for the consumer to have all of this information on the food package because it can tell us vital information about the food. It can tell us what nutrients and in what amounts are in the product. It can warn us if the food contains a certain food allergen such as milk, nuts or wheat. It is able to inform us if the food is fresh or if it is out of date. It can explain how to store, prepare or cook the food we purchase, especially if it is pre-made, such as cake mixes and pastas. It gives us all the product ingredients present in the food. It can give us information on where the food was produced and by which company. And most importantly, food labels are there to provide the consumer/purchaser with any basic information about what is in the food we are eating and the best way to handle it.

3. List the other information that must be included on a product label.

1.            The name and description of the food – all food labels MUST give a name for the food            that is either prescribed by the code (such as Infant Formula) or is a name/description that describes the true nature of the food (such as cheese spread) The name must be accurate and cannot misinform or deceive the consumer. 

2.           An identification of the ‘lot’ number (Food recall Information) – Food labels are legally required to show the name and Australian business address of the manufacturer or supplier plus the lot and batch number of the food (or date coding) to enable efficient food recalls. Food is recalled when it poses a possible public health and safety risk to consumers.

3.           Name and Australian street address of the supplier of food (Food recall information) - Food labels are legally required to show the name and Australian business address of the manufacturer or supplier plus the lot and batch number of the food (or date coding) to enable efficient food recalls. Food is recalled when it poses a possible public health and safety risk to consumers.

        4.    List of Ingredients – The ingredients present in the food are always listed from greatest to smallest by the weight (including any water that has been added) at the time they had been added to the product.

5.              Date mark – All food labels have date marks to tell buyers about the safe shelf life of food. These date marks help the customers how long the food can be kept before it begins to deteriorate. All food with a shelf life less than 2 years must be date marked.

6.             Nutrition information panel (NIP) – The nutrition information helps keep the consumer track of what they are eating and can enable them to choose between different products to get the best for them and their family. The Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) helps compare key nutrients and serving sizes.

7.           Country of origin of the food – Country of origin labelling describes the country or countries where the food was grown, manufactured or packaged. All packaged food must be identified as having been made from imported or local produce or a mixture of both.

8.         Warning and advisory statements – If a food contains an ingredient or components of an ingredient that could cause severe adverse reactions then it must be declared on the label, no matter the quantity. 

2. Review the poster on food labelling (‘Food labels – What do they mean’) by Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) at www.foodstandards.gov.au. Search under the ‘Food matters’ heading and then under ‘Food labelling’.

Most of the packaged food must have a nutritional information panel. The information must be presented in a standard format (as shown in the image to the right) which shows the amount per serving and per 100g for any food, or 100mL for any liquid. There are only a few exceptions to requiring a nutrition information panel. For example:

• Extremely small packaging that are roughly the size of a large chewing gum packet
• Food that has no significant nutritional value (like a single herb or spice, tea, and coffee)
• Foods that are sold unpackaged (unless a nutrition claim is made)
• Food made and packaged at the point of sale (such as freshly made bread in a local bakery)

Packaged foods have to carry labels that show the percentage of the key ingredients or components in the food product. This enables the customer to compare similar products. As shown in the ingredient list from the nutritional information panel below shows that in this item there is 8% banana, 8% strawberry, 4% grape, 2% peach and 2% pineapple. Some foods though (white bread or cheese) have no characterising ingredients. 

All foods must be labelled with an accurate name or description (e.g. ‘fruit yoghurt’ MUST contain fruit) If the product were to contain fruit flavourings instead of real fruit, than the label MUST say ‘fruit flavoured yoghurt’.

Considering the number of foods available, recalls of unsafe of unsuitable foods are infrequent. Food labels must have the name and business address In Australia or New Zealand of the manufacturer or importer, as well as the lot identification of the food. This makes food recalls (if necessary) more efficient and effective.

Some foods, food ingredients or components of an ingredient can cause severe allergic reactions in some people (anaphylaxis) Foods like peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, finned fish, milk and eggs and their products (when present in food) could cause severe allergic reactions and MUST be declared on the label whatever the quantity. Gluten is also included in the list, but the caution is more for people with Coeliac Disease instead of an allergy.

Any labelling requirement legally required in the Food Standards Code must be legible, prominent, and distinct from the background and in English. The size must be at least 3mm high, with an exception of very small packages.  

Suppliers must label food products with accurate weights information. Weights and measures declarations are controlled by Australian State and Territory and New Zealand Government fair trading agencies.

Date marking that is having either a ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date, gives you a guide about the length of time a food should be kept before it begins to fade.

When specific storage conditions are required, manufacturers must include this information on the label. For example, ‘This yoghurt should be kept refrigerated at or below 4°C’.
In Australia, packaged (and some unpackaged) foods must state the country where the food was either produced or made. This could just be identifying the country where the food was packaged for retail sale, and if any of the ingredients do not originate from that country, a statement that the food is made from imported or local and imported ingredients.

Ingredients must be listed in descending order (by ingoing weight). This means that when the food was manufactured the first ingredient listed contributed the largest amount. If fat, sugar or salt are listed near the start of the list, the product contains a greater proportion of these ingredients. If the product contains water, it also must be listed in the ingredients according to its ingoing weight.

Food additives play an important part in the food supply, ensuring that our food is safe and meets the needs of the consumer. The food additives list can be confusing, so, to help reduce the confusion, each food additive is given a short code number. Food additives are used in processed foods in relatively small quantities. 

Rice Paper Rolls with Vietnamese dipping sauce

Today we made rice paper rolls with a Vietnamese dipping sauce, which were delicious. In this lesson, I had learnt a new knife skill, which was to brunoise some chilli. To brunoise the chilli, I had to cut it into small cubes. Once all the prep for the filling was done, we had to soak the rice paper wrappers in some warm water, and then place it on a board. We then placed the filling in and wrapped it. I already knew how to wrap these as I had made a similar food before. These smell amazing, and I can't wait to try them and share with mum and dad!