Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Class Schedule

So, I had class names but a difficult time explaining to people what I'd be studying. Here's the answer:

FSM 1065, Food Safety and Sanitation Management
Students explore the fundamentals of food safety and environmental sanitation. This course looks at the origins of foodborne illness and the implementation of HACCP. Students must pass a national sanitation exam that is recognized by the Conference for Food Protection to fulfill the graduation requirement.

CUL 1375, Nutrition and Sensory Analysis
Students are introduced to the cooking techniques of steaming and poaching. Lecture, demonstration and production revolve around nutritional analysis of menus and recipes, and the sensory properties of food. The focus is on production of flavorful and nutritionally balanced entrees, vegetables and grains.

CUL 1385, Fundamentals of Food Service Production
Students are introduced to cooking techniques of baking, sauteing and shallow frying. Lecture, demonstration and production focuses on fats, oils, seasonings, flavoring and plate presentation.

CUL 1395, Purchasing & Product Identification
Students engage in identifying and handling various fresh, frozen, canned, dry ingredients and sundry items. Food service purchasing, receiving, handling, storage, issuing and evaluation processes are discussed and demonstrated. Purchasing automation, computerized purchasing and HACCP systems are discussed and demonstrated in this course.

Monday, February 8, 2010

Shrimp and Bacon Chowder

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound raw medium shrimp, shelled
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups potatoes (2 medium), cut into 1/2" cubes
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups corn
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 strips bacon, cooked and cut into 1/2" pieces
salt and fresh ground pepper

Heat olive oil and butter on medium-high heat in large saucepan till butter is melted. Saute onions for a moment or two, adding shrimp and stirring till onions become translucent and shrimp is mostly cooked. Add flour, continuing to stir till shrimp and onions are coated and all flour is moistened.

Add potatoes, corn, bay leaf and thyme. Pour in milk and chicken broth, scraping bottom of pot as you stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer partially covered for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check tenderness of potatoes, which should be fork tender. Add bacon, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving and top each bowlful with shredded cheddar cheese if desired.

Serves four. Serving Size 1 3/4 cups. Calories 403, Fat 12.9g, Fiber 4.2g, Protein 30.7g

The chowder can be as rich as you wish, depending on the fat content of the milk used but the nutrition info listed is for fat-free skim. For potatoes, I used partially peeled reds, though this soup is plenty colorful with the pink of the shrimp, the yellow corn and the deep browns of the bacon against the creamy base.