Christian Chefs Newsletter
April 15, 2000

OUTLINE:
           What's New With CCF
           Christianity in the Kitchen - Trials
           Learning Subject of the Month - Shocking Root Vegetables
           Featured Discussion Topic
           Recipe Contests
           Recipes
           Recent Job Listings - 2 New
           Featured Website

Volunteering Area:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/volunteering.html

The other area we are featuring this month is our About Us area. This allows you to find some information about the Fellowship itself, including our history and what we see God bringing for the future of CCF. It also provides some personal information about the people who volunteer (we have no paid employees) with CCF, including what they do to serve God through the Fellowship.

About Us Area:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/about.html

You're probably thinking through about 10 different trials going on in your life right now (I am, too!), but more important than the trials themselves is the purpose for them and how you respond to them. James 1:2 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." In this section of scripture, I believe that God is saying that He customizes each person's trials to form us into His own image, to bring the best out of us and to produce what's lacking in our walk with Him. Although the details of the trial itself may not be joyful, it should be joyful to know that through them, God is bringing us not just closer to Himself, but also forming us into His own personal image. As trials teach us, all the things of this world will one day pass away, but Christ-likeness is eternal.

So what is the first thing people usually do when a trial arises? We react to whatever the situation may be. Instead of just reacting to whatever happens to come along, God calls us to respond to them. As God tells us through James 1:5, we should respond to trials by praying and asking God for wisdom to know what we should do in the situation, since very often our reaction isn't anywhere near the best course of action to take. When a chef I worked under threw my knives across the kitchen during the second week of my first cooking job ever, most people that were working with me at the time said they'd have blown up at her for it and quit. Instead, I didn't let it get under my skin and worked there under her for another year (which to me is a long time) with her doing stuff like that constantly. But when we ask for this "wisdom" that God said He will give to anyone who asks for it (James 1:5), we must first realize that the answer may not be anywhere near what we want it to be. We should also be prepared not to question His response, for "When he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

Through all the trials occurring in your life, just remember to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, for He will provide for all that's to come if you'll just allow Him to do so.

Ira Krizo
CCF Director

If God is speaking to your heart about these things, and you need somebody to talk with, please don't hesitate to e-mail us about your need and somebody from the Fellowship will contact you as soon as possible.  If you have a prayer request or would like to start a theological discussion on this or any other topic please feel free to post it in our Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

The process of shocking root vegetables to cool them quickly in ice water versus letting them cool to room temperature on their own has been a topic for discussion by many great chefs. Some chefs believe that shocking any root vegetable will produce an inferior product, while almost every single chef believes more specifically that shocking potatoes is a bad practice. We decided to experiment with this to try to find out whether or not it is true.

First, we did some research and found the potato to have a very interesting and extensive history. There is evidence of its cultivation and domestic use in Peru as far back as 3000 BC. Some researchers believe that at one time Peruvians probably worshiped the potato, for potato-shaped pottery has been found dating from the second century AD. (Bareham, 3) The first European encounter with the potato was believed to be in the 1500s through a Spanish explorer. During the early 1600s, the potato had spread all over the world, becoming the staple food of Ireland around 1650. The potato is now recognized as the third most important crop in the world - for both human and animal consumption.

The Solanum tuberosum esculentum (Latin) is also an extremely nutritious product. It has very few calories (about 160 per 8 ounces of steamed potato), and even when made into mashed potatoes with the classic combination of milk and butter, the calories only build up to about 280. This holds true in almost every occasion with potatoes except potato chips, which consist of about 500 calories if you had an amount of those equivalent to the amount of mashed potatoes in the previous example. There are many vitamins and minerals stored in or just below the skin, which is why it's best to cook the potato in its skin (see results below). We've heard it said that salt draws out these vitamins and minerals, and that's why we should add salt after the cooking process rather than in the cooking water...though we don't know that this hypothesis has ever been tested. (Bareham, 7)

Our hypothesis was that only starchy root vegetables are affected by shocking. We believe that testing beets, carrots, turnips, and potatoes will give us some type of understanding on what happens to root vegetables when they are cooked and shocked.

So that we would be able to tell if there are any differences between shocking root vegetables or not shocking them, we had a wide variety of variations, broken down into four categories. For each vegetable listed above, we had one quarter of the total amount of that vegetable that was peeled and sliced. It was then cooked in a control amount of 2 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon of salt and cooled by the shocking method. The second variation was another quarter of the amount of each vegetable that was peeled, sliced, cooked in the control, and cooled slowly in a refrigerator. The third variation was another quarter of the total amount of vegetables we had, not peeled or cut, cooked in the control, then being cooled by shocking. The fourth variation is the same as the third, but the vegetables were cooled slowly in the refrigerator.

After doing this experiment, we found that the whole, cooked vegetables with the skin on tasted better and kept their color better as well. The differences between the shocked vegetables and the non-shocked vegetables were very few. When vegetables are heated, the cells expand and split apart when cooking. When the vegetable is shocked, the cells quickly contract tightly, squeezing out water and some color pigment, making them crisper as well. With starchy vegetables, the same thing happened, but the sliced potatoes tasted "waterlogged" (as many of our taste-testers mentioned), making for a brittle and unwanted texture.

We immediately followed the experimentation process with a survey, in which the only noted differences between the shocked and unshocked vegetables were within the potatoes only, which were made note of above.

Through all our research, we found no information supporting the idea that shocking root vegetables is bad, with the exception of potatoes. Potatoes are said to fall apart when shocked, lose taste, become less sweet, and lose a great deal of nutrients. With one exception (that being the sliced potatoes being waterlogged), we found this statement to be false. Our research showed that potatoes may lose some of their nutritive value when shocked, and while that may have been true, we were unable to test it.

In conclusion, whether root vegetables are shocked or not really doesn't matter. The only difference is that it's a big waste of time to slowly cool vegetables. Plus, when vegetables are cooled slowly, the center becomes overcooked, which is unwanted in any restaurant. We feel that shocking vegetables is a good practice for almost any restaurant. This will allow them to parcook their vegetables before service, cool them quickly so they don't overcook, and finish them off during service for the customer.

Tested by Ira Krizo and Charles Lacad
Written by Ira Krizo

We encourage and welcome any questions you may have about this article or any other food- or faith-related questions in our Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

Do you shock your root vegetables? Potatoes? If so or if not, why, how, and what differences do you see between the two cooling methods?

Just follow the "Featured Discussion" link in the Message Boards:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/forums.html

SOUTHERN LIVING HOLIDAY RECIPE CONTEST
WEBSITE: http://www.southernliving.com/events/contests/holidayrecipeform.asp
PRIZES: Best of each category wins $1,000; two Runners-Up in each category each win $500.
DEADLINE: May 1
INFO: Southern Living is looking for your favorite recipes for the holiday season (Thanksgiving through New Year's). Enter as many categories as you like: Entrees with 8 Ingredients or less; Make-Ahead Main Dish Casseroles; Easy-and-Fresh Side Dishes; Quick Party Snacks; Perfect Pies. Recipes will be judged on originality, taste, ease of preparation and visual appeal.

To find out about future contests, you can follow the below link to the NEW "Contests" area of our website:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/contests.html

All contests listed above are provided by the company listed, NOT by CCF. For additional information on each contest, please visit the designated website for that specific listing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 1/2 oz (184 g) chocolate, extra-bittersweet, chopped
14 Tbsp (210 ml) unsalted butter
5 ea. large eggs, separated
7 Tbsp (105 ml) granulated sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp (30 ml) cocoa powder, unsweetened, for garnish

Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 400' F (205' C). Bring a pan of water barely to a simmer. Place the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or metal mixing bowl and place over the pan of hot but not simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has melted but is not too hot. Stir until smooth.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and four-sevenths [1/4 cup/60ml] of the sugar together until thickened slightly and lighter in color. Whisk in the flour and then the chocolate mixture.
3. Place the egg whites in a metal bowl and place over hot water until warmed slightly. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of sugar and whip with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons (21 ml) more sugar. Turn the speed to high and add the remaining sugar, whipping the whites to firm peaks.
4. Stir a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining whites. Divide the batter among 6-ounce tins. (The recipe can be made to this point up to 1 1/2 hours before serving; refrigerate.)
5. Place the tins on a baking sheet and bake until the tops are puffed and feel firm to the touch but are very liquidy in the center, about 8 minutes (or a few minutes longer if they were cold).
6. Meanwhile, sift a little cocoa lightly over dessert plates. Three minutes after the cakes are done, run the tip of a knife around the sides to loosen, and unmold the cakes onto the plates, rinsing the knife with hot water between each one. Serve immediately.

More information on the below listings, such as the job's timeline, responsibilities, pay, and contact information, can be found within the Job Listings area. There you can also find jobs that have been posted in previous months that haven't yet been filled, plus you can post any job openings you have available there for FREE!
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/employment.html

Name = Captain Jacks
Location = Tulelake, California (USA)
Position = Dinner Cook

Name = YMCA Wainui Park Conference and Outdoor Pursuit
Location = Wainui, Akaroa Harbour, Banks Peninsula (New Zealand)
Position = Cook/Kitchen Manager
Second Position = Cook/Kitchen Hand

Although this is a personal site, it is also an excellent resource for anyone interested in food! There are a number of different cooking tutorials, recipes, Q & A sections, and more to be found here for your enjoyment! http://www.pipeline.com/~rosskat/

Permission is granted to circulate this publication via e-mail or in printed form to others providing that no fee is charged and that proper credit has been given to CCF for the part sent.

Donations are sincerely and deeply appreciated and may be sent to the below address. The following link leads to our "Finances" webpage, where you can find how all CCF's finances are handled:
http://www.ChristianChefs.org/finances.html

Note: To view our archived newsletters, go HERE

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God Bless,
Ira Krizo, Director
Christian Chefs Fellowship
webmaster@ChristianChefs.org
http://www.ChristianChefs.org
Phone: (540) 723-0593
Fax: (508) 462-1068
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Christian Chefs Fellowship
P.O. Box 608
Crestline, CA 92325-0608
USA