Week 7

Introduction

Inspiration

Cookery Topic:

Hors d' ouvres, Appetizers, and Canapes

Cookery Method:

Creating a lot of flavor in one to two bites.

Dishes:

Shrimp Wontons with Asian Dipping Sauce

Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce & Mango Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

Corn cakes with salsa

Prior Knowledge:

I have some prior experience in making wontons at home. We would often use pork for the wontons, sometimes steaming, boiling, or frying them. We have made spring rolls once or twice at home. We would add carrots and make a dipping sauce that would go with it.

Learning Objectives:

Compare and contrast appetizers and hors d’oeuvre. List the six requirements for successful hors d’oeuvres. Identify foods frequently used for hors d’oeuvre preparations. List and describe the five basic construction types of hors d’oeuvres. Prepare a variety of cold hors d’oeuvres. List and explain the four elements of hors d’oeuvre tray design. Present hors d’oeuvres attractively on various types of service ware.( Plana, 2021)

Background

Scientific principles behind the method of cooking:

There was a scientific study conducted at Drexel University that suggested a good appetizer can make the entrée seem okay. However, if the appetizer is mediocre, the entrée was perceived as more satisfying. ( Pomeranz, 2015)

Origin:

The French have named finger foods as canapes since the late 18th century. Originally a term used for a sofa, canapes began a thin slices of bread that were toasted or fried and topped with savory toppings. Similar to Italian crostini, canapes got their name from the physical toppings on top of the bread like how people sit on sofas. The term canapes evolved to the term associated with finger foods at catered events/ functions. During Prohibition, alcoholic drinks were taken underground in speakeasies. One way to lessen inebriation that could disclose the secret location, were offered small bites of food throughout the entire night. The food had to be small and easy enough to for someone to hold a drink at the same time. Another way people drank during Prohibition is that they hosted private alcohol- centric parties. Cocktail parties became even more popular and some consider them as an American tradition. Today, canapes are usually seen at fancier events ,and they are more known as passed hors d oeuvres. The finger food term is often seen are more casual events such as Super Bowl watch parties. (Avey, 2013)

Yinn Low, B. (2021, August 14). Fried Wonton (best homemade wontons recipe). Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://rasamalaysia.com/chinese-recipe-fried-wontons/.

Surti, V. (2011, May 18). Cheesy corn fritters with Jalapeño Pesto. Vivek's Epicurean Adventures. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://viveksurti.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/cheesy-corn-fritters-with-jalapeno-pesto/.

Yoon, J. (2020, April 23). Shrimp and avocado summer rolls (fresh spring rolls): Chef Julie Yoon. Chef Julie Yoon | Your Kitchen Coach. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://chefjulieyoon.com/2015/06/shrimp-and-avocado-summer-rolls-fresh-spring-rolls/.

Methods used:

Multiple cooking methods can be used to make hors d oeuvres and appetizers. It can be wide range from steaming, frying, sautéing, and etc. Dipping sauces often have dipping sauces with the dish.

Variations of the dishes:

The portion can vary depending if it will be a hors d oeuvre or appetizer. An appetizer would be a larger portion compared to the hors d oeuvre and is ordered off of a menu. While, a hors d oeuvre is one to two bites and passed around. The dipping sauces can change depending on the portion and method of cooking. Wontons can have a different shape or protein. The spring roll can have varying vegetables. The corn cakes can be pan fried or deep fried.

Sources:

Avey, T. (2013, February 1). Speakeasies, sofas, and the history of Finger Foods. PBS. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-finger-foods/.

Plana, A. (2021, September). Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://auburn.instructure.com/courses/1385357/pages/week-7-overview?module_item_id=19965260.

Pomranz, M. (2015, June 26). Science proves a good appetizer can make your main course less enjoyable. Food & Wine. Retrieved September 29, 2021, from https://www.foodandwine.com/news/science-proves-good-appetizer-can-make-your-main-course-less-enjoyable.

Recipes

Plan of Work

Reflection

Results:

The texture of the wonton was crunchy on the outside ,while the filling was tender. The contrasting textures complimented each other. The filling was seasoned well, and the rice added more volume to the filling. The color of the wontons were a nice golden color. The most prominent flavor was savory. The texture of the crispy corn fritters is crunchy on the outside, while the inside is soft. The corn kernels add another texture, and the jalapenos added another color. The flavor is spicy and savory, with the jalapeno adding a little bit of heat. The texture of the summer rice paper rolls was crunchy. The summer rice paper rolls were colorful with the red cabbage, red bell peppers, cucumbers, and yellow red peppers. The most prominent flavor was the umami from the soy sauce that I added into the vegetable mix.

Evaluation:

The folding of wontons in the diamond shape had the most even frying. The diamond shape worked out the best as their was even distribution of the oil during the frying process. The use of the piping bag for the filling the wontons was helpful for creating more consistent amounts of filling. The rice paper was extremely finicky, so the wrapping needed to be done in a quick manner. If there is too much heat or movement, the rice paper would easily tear. If there was not enough water, the rice paper was still hard and not very foldable. One solution is to wait until both sides of the rice paper are completely translucent, and make sure there is enough structure( i.e red cabbage) to help hold everything together. The fried corn fritters had a problem with puffing up, so adding a little bit of cornstarch would help with puffing them up more.

Final Plating

Conclusions:

I learned the difference between hors d' oeuvres and appetizers. The portions and plating styles are vastly different as well. I learned that the presentation style will also vary depending on the cooking method, such as pan- fried corn fritters would be stacked. While, the fried corn fritters would be spread out from each other. How a certain food item will move on a plate will be important aspect , especially for hors d' oeuvres that will experience constant movement. The plating is crucial as we eat with our eyes. The more colors is usually for the better. Time management is an area for improvement as we were taking longer than expected on certain aspects.