For the last unit of the Food course, an integrated math and science class, we studied plant genetics and plant engineering. For our action project, we were assigned to hold a debate on whether or not to allow GM seeds in our rural neighborhood in Illinois. I am pro-GMO. At first it was difficult because I didn't know much about this topic, and because most of the people I know are anti-GMO. From this unit and project I also learned about the Green Revolution and visited a farm, where the class had a chance to interview Marc, an executive chef and farmer. During the interview we had a chance to ask him his opinion on GMOs.I thought it was interesting to see what he had to say, because he only grows organic seeds only. I am actually glad that I decided to be pro-GMO. I have found out so many interesting research that definitely has opened my eyes. Before this unit and project I didn't see the importance of knowing  where food comes from and how food is made.Now with all the knowledge, I have been catching myself looking at food labels, ingredients, and even just observing my food.


Did you know that around 150 to 200 people die in the U.S from food allergies?  According to National Geographic, genetically engineered foods can minimize the risk of people dying from food allergies. When we eat, we’re all at risk of getting sick. It doesn’t matter if the food is  genetically modified or not. If anything foods with genetically modified ingredients are more safe. These ingredients go through rigorous tests, in order to land on our shelves. Scientist go through each ingredient carefully to make sure that they’re safe. GMOs don’t do any harm. You all have been eating GMOs for a long time. All of you look pretty healthy.

GM technology will help the environment. In the U.S. farmers spray more than 970 million tons of insect- and plant-killers each year, which can cause damage to our environment. In 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency recorded that cotton farmers that grew large amounts of genetically modified cotton sprayed 21 percent less insecticides. Using less pesticides is the same as removing 10 million cars from the road. Not only do GMOs benefit the environment, they also benefit our health According to USDA ,GM crops can provide better quality traits such as increased levels of Vitamin A in rice and improve oil compositions in canola, soybeans and corn. Plant breeding also gives crops the ability to stand up to the environmental challenges of drought, disease and insect infestations. Every plant improved through the use of food biotechnology is checked out by the FDA and EPA for health risks. These tests are done on plants before entering the food and animal feed supply, so if their was really something wrong with them, we would not have access to that food or produce. Hundreds of studies and tests have been done on GMO safety. We still have not seen any scientific evidence that GMOs are more dangerous than crops produced by traditional plant breeding. GMOs are very useful when addressing world hunger. Millions of children either die or suffer from blindness because of vitamin A deficiency.Golden rice was created to get rid of the suffering. It’s a genetically modified type of rice, that contain vitamin A. With that said, GMOs can improve crop yield and increase the nutritional value of those same crops. GMOs can help save money. An Iowa State University study showed that without the help of biotechnology, global prices would be 10 percent higher for soybeans and 6 percent higher for corn. With the help of biotechnology the food we buy are staying at affordable prices. Ingredients grown with GM technology need fewer pesticides, less water and keep production costs down. GM technology helps reduce the price of crops used for food, such as corn, soybeans and sugar beets by as much as 15-30%.

GM foods have helped us in the past few decades, and it’s working. GMOs gave us the boost that we needed. Our wallets are more packed because GM technology keeps food at affordable prices.The environment is being helped out because of less pesticides. GM technology makes up for the lack of vitamin A in our food, which can also reduce the number of people that suffer from hunger and malnutrition.Why are we being so critical on something that has helped us? Let’s get busy saving our environment and help feeding millions of people. Vote pro-GMO!

Citations:
 Entine, Jon. "2000+ Reasons Why GMOs Are Safe To Eat And Environmentally Sustainable." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 02 June 2014.

Feature, WebMD. "Genetically Modified Foods (Biotech Foods) Pros and Cons."WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 01 June 2014.

"GMO Foods." Commonground GMO Foods Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2014.

Pad Thai

In unit 3 of our Food for thought class, which is called Rebirth, my class learned about the foods we eat and studied how fresh or not they really are. For the action project we were assigned to pick a dish we enjoy at a restaurant, and try our best to remake the dish at home, and create a food review. While eating out we had to write down how the dish looked, smelled and tasted. I decided to go to Noodles and Company and order Pad Thai like I normally do. What is not normal is me cooking. I’m not the best in the kitchen, so I was pretty nervous when it was time to recreate the dish. Luckily I had my uncle to help me. Unit 3 opened my eyes on how the food we eat is either industrial or fresh, and the differences are huge. I never really took the time to study my plate and try to figure out whether it was fresh or not, but lately I’ve been catching myself doing so.

I walked into the familiar view of Noodles and Company. The first thing I did was  run to the back to make sure my booth wasn’t taken, then I ordered. It was busy as always with servers walking around with interesting looking pastas, the bustling kitchen open with many cooks, and the sound of frying foods bustle in my ear. I order Pad Thai with chicken. Once my Pad Thai made its way to my table I got the aroma of steamed vegetables, fried noodles and soy sauce. The plate was covered with colorful greens and filled with thick Thai rice noodles. As I started to mix in lemon, hot sauce, and soy sauce, it sounded squishy, but still appealing. I was ready to try it. The first spoon was surprising. It was salty, yet I got hints of citrus, spicy,but I could taste peanuts. The dish was squishy, and crunchy with the carrots and bean sprouts. The noodles were slimy, but crisp. The addition of chicken added a delicious smoky taste. It had layers of flavors. The Pad Thai was topped off with fresh cilantro and bean sprouts. The cilantro gave the dish a herby, fresh taste. I can tell it was fresh because I saw the cooks make it while waiting, and because the store has no freezers,microwaves or can openers, which means that they would not be able to store any vegetables, or reheat any food. It’s made on the spot once you order.  

RD. Photography. Chicago Illinois. 2014

I tried my best to recreate the Pad Thai from Noodles and Company. I went to the store and bought some dried rice noodles, so I knew it was not as fresh. Once I had everything I needed, I prepared my dish. With the sesame oil in the pan, I added onions and garlic. I  heard them bubbling in together. My kitchen was surrounded by the smells of fried noodles, onions, garlic, and dressings. I was excited to see what I could come up with. Once my dish was done I was anxious to try it. As I poured the noodles in a bowl I heard the familiar sound of the squishy noodles mixed in with catalina dressing. My noodles had more color added. I added lemon to get a more zesty taste going on. The rice noodles were a darker color, almost brown. I saw and smelled the steam rise up from my bowl. When I stuck my fork in and tried it I was surprised again. It was sour, because I added more lemon, salty because of the soy sauce, and very spicy because of the crushed red pepper. The spice was a taste I was not expecting. The noodles had a more sticky texture, not as crisp as the dish at Noodles and Company. In my opinion, the spice is what really made the dish come together. The spice didn’t overpower the other flavors. It was a good kind of spice. It blended in well. Both dishes tasted different, but were good in their own ways. If you like spice, then I would say go for my homemade dish, but if you like a more smoky, stir fry dish, I would recommend Noodles and Company.

RD. Photography. Chicago Illinois. 2014

The other flavour that made my tastebuds happy was the zesty catalina dressing used as a sauce.  The ingredients were pretty interesting. Two of them really caught my eye: Phosphoric Acid, and Calcium Disodium. Phosphoric Acid is a artificial additive that gives off a tangy taste in the dressing, way cheaper than actual lemons. It’s not that healthy either. This acid is linked to lower bone density. Calcium Disodium is a preservative with a salty flavour, which can cause Kidney disease. I wish I didn’t read about that, but at least I know n

One person that knows a lot about food and what kinds of  ingredients are put into it, would be Michael Pollan. He is an American author and journalist. He writes about how nature and culture come together on our plates, farms and gardens. He believes in  5 food transformations: Whole to Refined, Complex to Simple,Quality to Quantity, Leaves to Seeds, and Food Culture to Food Science. My experience connected to Pollan’s Quality to Quantity. The noodles they use for Pad Thai are rice noodles. You can’t get a lot of nutrients from rice noodles. They’re high in calories and carbohydrates, and very low in minerals and vitamins. That being said you would have to eat large amounts to get all the right nutrients for your body, but will eventually gain weight.

To rise or not to rise?

In Food, our  second unit ,Cooking, is focused on the chemical reactions behind cooking. We covered  topics such as  chemical and physical change, the pH scale, leavening agents, and logarithms. For the second action project, the class has to submit  a cupcake recipe to a baking magazine that is coming out with an unique issue on Passover. Passover is a time when Jews had to stop eating certain foods. One of those foods is leavening agents. For that reason, we had to bake a controlled group cupcake and an experimental group cupcake. In the experimental group we substituted baking powder with two ingredients of our choice.  Conducting this experiment was interesting, especially when we were collecting the data. I am not good in the kitchen, so trying to come up with a good batter was kind of difficult for me. With the help of my group members I quickly overcame that challenge. I never really understood the importance of leavening agents in baking. The second unit, along with this action project, opened my eyes to the importance of knowing what our food goes through in order to come about the way it does. It was difficult choosing which cupcake to submit, but it  came down to the one cupcake with ⅛ tsp of lemon juice with no olive oil added. It was sweet, zesty, and fluffy.

Photography RD Cupcakes 2014*

Lab Report.

My lab report investigates whether or not we can come up with the same effect baking powder has with an acid and base of our choice. Baking powder is considered a leavening agent. When heat is combined with a liquid, it produces carbon dioxide and causes the dough to rise or fluff up. While conducting our controlled group, we followed the instructions exactly how they are written, putting in the right amount of ingredients, mixing the batter until it comes out smooth, preheating the oven, and finally baking our cupcakes for 20 minutes in 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the experimental group, we substituted the baking powder with lemon juice and olive oil. Our group wanted to create an acid-base reaction, hence why our group chose lemon juice as an acid, which has a pH of 2, and olive oil as a base,with a pH level of 6. We added different amounts of lemon juice and olive oil in each of our 6 cupcake trials to find out which cupcake rises the most. It all came down to seeing whether or not we successfully mimicked the effect baking powder had on the cupcakes. In order to find out, we had to measure the height of our cupcake in the experimental group and compare it to the height of the cupcake in the controlled group.

Research Question

Can olive oil and lemon juice mimic the effect baking powder has on cupcakes, by making them rise?

Hypothesis

I believe that by replacing the baking powder with lemon juice and olive oil, the cupcakes will rise. If we use lemon, which is very acidic, the cupcakes will have the power to rise, considering how acidic the lemon juice is.

Materials

Notebook

Pencil/pen

1/12 cup of sugar

1/24 cup of butter

⅙ eggs

⅙ tsp of vanilla extract

1/48  cup of all purpose flour

⅓ tsp of baking powder  (for control group)

1/24 cup of whole milk

olive oil and lemon juice (for experimental group)

For Control Group:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.

3.Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla.

4.Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

5.Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth.

6.Grease  a muffin pan using nonstick cooking spray.

7.Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

8.Bake for 20 minutes.

For Experimental Group:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
4. Combine flour and add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
5. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth.
6. Grease a muffin pan using nonstick cooking spray.
7. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.
8. Mix olive oil and lemon juice into cupcakes one at a time.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.

Data

Graph

Recipe in Metric

Conclusion

From this experiment, I learned that it is possible to replace a leavening agent, and still  have my cupcakes rise. In all six of my cupcake trials, my cupcakes rose,which means my hypothesis was correct.  that means I guessed right. In the experimental group the cupcakes did rise using the lemon juice and olive oil. The cupcake came out to be 0.25 cm shorter than the control group cupcakes. All the cupcakes came out to be around the same height, except for the sixth cupcake, which came out to be 1.05 cm shorter than the cupcakes in the control group. That was the cupcake with more olive oil than lemon juice, which means it came out to be more basic, since there is a bigger quantity of the olive oil, and so it would overpower the acid. Baking powder is a very important ingredient when it comes to baking. With a pH of 8.5 it gives the cupcakes the power to rise. Which is why I believe the cupcakes did not rise as high as the ones in the control group. After taste testing each cupcake, I believe that the second cupcake came out to be the best. It had ⅛ tsp of lemon juice with no olive oil. The lemon juice was enough to fill the cupcake up with a sweet, zesty, crunchy, yet fluffy taste and texture.

Sugar, Sugar.

In the second unit of the Food For Thought class, we learned about the processing of most of the foods we eat. The second action project for this unit assigned us to research a specific kind of food and find how it got from where ever it was originally grown, to our plates. The food that I decided to research was Sugar. I like sugar, but I don’t know much about it. I was surprised at some of the things I came across. One of those facts was  that sugar cane is burned to release any harmful chemicals and any poisonous animals. I get why they would do that, but all it's doing is releasing even more chemicals into the air. Although sugar is sweet, too much of it can damage our bodies. Many people have illnesses because of sugar. Many of them, that I did not know existed. I never really thought about where sugar came from or how it was produced, and everything shocked me when I did find out. Thanks to this project I now have a more clear understanding of one of the products that I enjoy.