ContextThere has been much concern related to the quality of food products/meals served to students in school

canteens. The ‘healthy school dinner’ campaign has brought about many positive changes. The school canteen is to launch a new and exciting range of savoury food products to appeal to 11-16 year olds with a focus on fresh, locally grown produce where possible. You may NOT use bought sauces (like Dolmio etc.) or bread. Make your own!

Design Task: THE BRIEFDesign and make a savoury product that could be sold as part of a ‘Themed Day’ or ‘Celebration’ at your school.

IntroductionThis project is on Themed Food by Sonali Nandi in 9T2 and will guide you through the steps I took to reach my

final themed savoury dish that can be served in my school canteen and how it was developed and what research I did to get there, as well as some ideas I had before and the reasons I selected the dish and cuisine I did.

My ThemeI have chosen the theme Japanese as I believe it has a variety of foods that many people have not tried before,

as it is a very different culture. Also, Japanese food is famous for being healthy which would fit very well in a school environment. I believe that it can be made cheaply so it will not put people off buying it.

Introduction to ResearchResearch is important as there is no point in cooking a dish no one in your target market will enjoy or

appreciate. It is also good to know how spicy people eat their food and whether are a vegetarian or pescatarian (only eats fish), or if they like or dislike certain foods or any allergies they have – as it is no good making a meal with loads of meat but only one or two people eat meat. Also I thought it would be useful to find out how much the target market would pay for lunch, and how much my item is generally sold at. After deciding my theme shall be Japanese, I also thought it would be a good idea to find out what Japanese ready meals were being sold at and how they were priced a packaged.

Background Research: Shops and RestaurantsFor my background research, I had a look in some superstores, such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s at what Japanese

food they sell. They mostly tended to sell sushi, and they came as a meal deal for lunch. They were priced from £1 to £4, the smallest having four pieces of sushi in, some soy sauce and some wasabi sauce. I also had a look at some Japanese restaurants. Their prices tended to be quite a bit higher. At YO Sushi the prices ranged from £1.70 to £5; this included hot food, salads, sushi and desserts. At Itsu the prices are even more expensive than YO Sushi, and they range from £1.99 to £9.99. The restaurants prices were quite high.

QuestionnaireI sent my questionnaire to some people at Kendrick School via email. The reason I only sent it to students at

Kendrick is because I want to find out what they like to eat as there is no point asking people who don’t go to Kendrick or go to school as they do not eat in our school canteen.

I asked them whether they brought lunch to school or bought it from the canteen and what they normally eat. I also asked what type of cuisine they normally ate when they ate out. As well as that I asked questions that would help me decide which type of cuisine to cook, some of these questions were ‘how spicy can you eat’ and whether they had tried certain cuisines and if they wanted to and why. I also asked whether they had allergies or special dietary requirements, as there is no use making a dish where half the people in the school can’t eat because they are either vegetarian or have any allergy.

Results of QuestionnairesFrom the 30 questionnaires I sent out via email, I got a response from 20. Most people were vegetarian, so I

will make something that is either vegetarian or has a nice vegetarian alternative. The main allergy people had were nut allergies, so I will try not to use nuts in my food. The people who selected other did not eat certain types of food because of their religion or they don’t like it. Two people said they do not eat beef and one person said that they do not eat pork. I also found that most people have packed lunches, but they did say that if there was a special meal that they liked the sound of and was affordable they would eat at the canteen. When asked what type of cuisine they normally eat out at, the majority said Chinese. No one ate out at Japanese restaurants normally and most people had never eaten Japanese food, though most said that they would like to try it – but they don’t like the idea of eating raw fish. Most people also said that they could only eat a very little bit of spice, so my dish cannot be very hot. The cost band most people said that they wouldn’t mind paying was £0.50 - £1.99 and £0.50 - £2.99; therefore I can’t make a dish that would cost me a lot to make.

None Vegetarian Pescatarian Allergies Vegan Other0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Special Dietary Requirements

1. How spicy can you handle?a) Noneb) A little c) Medium d) Hote) Very Hotf) Extra Hot

2. Do you have any special dietary requirements?a) Noneb) Vegetarianc) Pescatariand) Vegan e) Allergiesf) Other

If Allergies or Other please state specifically below:

3. Do you normally eat:a) A Packed Lunchb) In the Canteen?

4. What do you normally eat for lunch?

5. When you eat out what cuisine do you normally have?a) Indianb) Chinesec) Italiand) Pub Grube) OtherIf other, please state:

6. Have you ever tried Japanese Food?a) Yesb) No

7. If no, would you like to try it?a) Yesb) NoIf yes please state what you would like to try:

8. If yes, do you like Japanese Fooda) Yesb) NoPlease state what you like/dislike about it:

9. How much would you ideally spend on lunch?a) £0.55 - £0.99b) £0.55 - £1.99c) £0.55 - £2.99d) £0.55 - £3.99e) £0.55 - £4.99f) £5+

Canteen Packed Lunch0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Lunch

Chinese Fast Food

French Indian Italian Japanese Mexican Spanish Thai Other0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Type of Cuisine

None Very little Medium Hot Very hot0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Spicy Food

£0.50 - £0.99 £0.50 - £1.99 £0.50 - £2.99 £0.50 - £3.99 £0.50 - £4.99 £5+0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Cost

Initial IdeasFrom my research I have come up with a list of initail ideas that fits with my theme of “Japanese cuisine”. They are:

Fried Rice

Gomae

Gyudon

Gyoza

Korokke

Miso

Nikujaga

Okonomiyaki

Ramen

Soba

Sushi

Tempura

Tofu

Yakitori

I have selected three items to make; Sushi, Tempura and Soba with Tofu.

Initial SpecificationMy theme is Japanese and the product will be savoury and Japanese in origin. It will either be vegetarian or have a vegetarian option and cost no more than £2.00 per portion. The packaging will be simple, yet attractive, following the Japanese theme and at the same time be bright and make people want to buy the product.

RecipesSUSHIIngredientsFor the sushi vinegar50 ml rice vinegar (Mirin) 25 g sugar1/2 tsp salt

For the rice250 g sushi rice, (short-grain white rice) 325 ml waterTo assemble the sushiNori seaweedSmoked salmonCucumberAvocado

MethodFor the sushi vinegar: 1. Put the rice vinegar, sugar and

salt in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.

For the rice: 1. Rinse the rice with cold water

and drain. Repeat this three times so that the water almost runs clear. Put the rice into a shallow dish with the measured

amount of water and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes (it could be left for up to 5 hours).

2. Tip the rice and water into the pan, cover tightly and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed (still with the lid on). Remove from the heat and then leave to stand for 15 minutes.

3. Spread the rice out onto a large, flat-based bowl (preferably made of wood) while the rice is still very hot. Gradually pour

over the sushi vinegar and fold it in with a plastic or wooden flat spatula. Fold the vinegar into the rice, cutting through the rice at a sharp angle; do not stir - otherwise the rice grain will become lumpy and crushed. As you gently fold the rice, use your other hand to fan it until it comes to room temperature. Do not over-cool the rice or it will harden - the rice should be shiny and sticky, but the grains should remain separate. Place a damp cloth over the rice to stop it drying out.

To assemble the sushi:

1. Place a bamboo sushi mat on a clean work surface, rough-side up. Place one half of the nori on the mat horizontally, rough-side up.

2. Spread the sushi rice over the nori sheet, covering evenly, leaving a 1½ cm margin on the side furthest from you. Spread the rice to smooth the surface, but do not press it down too hard.

3. Arrange the strips of fillings horizontally in a row along the centre and allow them to poke out of the sheet slightly. Hold the sushi mat with both hands and carefully roll up, neatly wrapping the different fillings in the middle while rolling away from the side closest to you. When rolled, hold the sushi mat with both hands and squeeze gently to firm up the roll.

4. Leave the roll on the work surface for at least 5 minutes with the nori joining side touching the work surface – this should enable the nori to stick naturally (you shouldn’t need to add water to help it stick).

5. Using a sharp knife, slice the sushi into pieces and serve

TEMPURAIngredients

For the dipping sauce120 ml dashi (Japanese fish stock)2 tbsp Mirin2 tbsp soy sauce1 tsp grated gingerFor the tempura1 small handful of mushrooms1 aubergine1 small handful of king prawns1 free range egg yolk250 ml iced sparkling water125 g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)½ tsp bicarbonate of sodaVegetable oil (for deep frying)

MethodFor the dipping sauce:1. Place the dashi, mirin and soy sauce and bring to the boil. Take off the heat immediately, leave to cool, and then stir in the

grated ginger. Set aside

For the tempura:1. Whisk the egg in a bowl, then whisk in the ice cold water. Add the flour and beat lightly to make a lumpy batter.2. Half-fill a deep, heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns brown in 30

seconds.3. Dust the vegetables and mushrooms in flour, and then dip into the tempura batter. Fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes or

until crisp and lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.4. Serve the tempura alongside a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

TOFU AND SOBA NOODLESIngredients

For the stock12-16 dried shiitake mushrooms3 cloves of garlic, sliced2 cm piece ginger, sliced2 spring onions, cut into 5cm lengths½ tsp sesame oil1 tsp Japanese mirinFor the soup100-120 g soba noodles1 handful broccoli floret80 g sugar snap peas200 g firm tofu, halved horizontallyVegetable oilSoy sauce, to taste

MethodFor the stock: 1. Place all the ingredients for the stock in a saucepan with 400ml water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes,

adding a splash of extra water to the pan if necessary. 2. Strain the liquid into a clean plan, reserving the mushrooms and discarding the other solids. Set aside. For the soup: 1. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions in a pan of boiling water. Scoop the noodles out of the pan, leaving the

water in it, and set them aside in a bowl. 2. Add a pinch of salt and the broccoli to the pan and cook for 1 minute. 3. Tip in the sugar snap peas and cook until both the broccoli and the peas are crisp yet tender. Drain and set aside.4. Heat a griddle pan. Brush the tofu with a little oil and cook until lightly crisp and golden brown on all sides and hot in the

middle. 5. To serve, reheat the stock if it has cooled and add soy sauce to taste. Ladle the stock into bowls and add the soba noodles,

mushrooms and other vegetables. Slide a tofu steak onto each portion.

Conclusion:In conclusion, though the tempura vegetables and prawns taste nice I do not think I will make them at school again because the deep-frying seemed to be a health and safety issue.

Evaluation for Themed Dish: Proposal 1IntroductionThis is an evaluation for my first proposed themed dish, Tempura, made by Sonali Nandi in 9T2 on Thursday 6th October 2011, Week A, Period 2.

How I worked:Prep – I was well prepared for the lesson as all my ingredients were measured out. It also didn’t take me too long to chop the vegetables or make the tempura batter and I did this while the sauce was simmering and the oil was boiling.Tidiness/Hygiene – I did not make much mess as I was clearing up as I went along. I was cooking with prawns but I made sure I had put these in the fridge and that they were within their sell by date.Timing – My timing was alright, though it took some time for the oil to boil as well as frying all the vegetables.Finished Results – Overall I was quite pleased with my finished result, though it took me a few tries till I knew how long to leave the vegetables in the oil. Although when I was deep-frying the prawns it began spitting so I had to stop deep fat frying.What my family thought –

Appearance

Aroma

Texture

Flavour 12345678910

MumAnjali

Costing:Item Weight Price Price for 1 Weight Used Price UsedDashi 150ml £1.14 £0.01 120 £0.91Mirin 150ml £1.59 £0.01 30 £0.32Soy Sauce 250ml £2.49 £0.01 30 £0.30Ginger 300g £0.63 £0.00 5 £0.01Mushrooms 700g £1.75 £0.00 100 £0.25Aubergine 1 £1.00 £1.00 0.5 £0.50King Prawns 400g £5.00 £0.01 100 £1.25Egg 24 £4.00 £0.17 1 £0.17Sparkling Water 975ml £0.79 £0.00 250 £0.20Plain Flour 1500 £0.90 £0.00 125 £0.08Bicarbonate of Soda 200 £1.59 £0.01 2 £0.02Vegetable Oil 3000 £3.98 £0.00 300 £0.40

TOTAL (V) £3.15 TOTAL (NV) £4.401 PORTION (V) £1.05 1 PORTION (NV) £1.47

Evaluation for Themed Dish: Proposal 2IntroductionThis is an evaluation for my second proposed themed dish, Sushi, made by Sonali Nandi in 9T2 on Thursday 20th October 2011, Week A, Period 2.

How I worked:Prep – I was well prepared for the lesson as I had soaked my rice over night and I had measure all my ingredients out at home. I also had enough time to peel and cut my vegetables while the rice was boiling.Tidiness/Hygiene – I did not make much mess and I cleared up as I went along. I did not cook any meat and so I did not need to worry about cross-contamination. Timing – My timing was good and I finished with time to spare at the end of the lesson.Finished Results – Overall I was pleased with my finished result, though it took me a few goes until I could wrap the sushi properly. What my family thought –

Appearance

Aroma

Texture

Flavour 12345678910

MumAnjali

Costing:Item Weight Price Price for 1 Weight Used Price UsedMirin 150ml £1.59 £0.01 50ml £0.53Sugar 2kg £2.99 £0.00 30g £0.04Salt 500g £0.79 £0.00 2g (½ tsp) £0.00Sushi Rice 500g £1.99 £0.00 250 £1.00Nori 6 sheets £1.99 £0.33 6 sheets £1.99Smoked Salmon 400g £12.00 £0.03 100g £3.00Cucumber 1 £0.80 £0.80 ¼ £0.20Avocado 4 £1.50 £0.38 1 £0.38 TOTAL (V) £4.13 TOTAL (NV) £7.13

1 PORTION (V) £0.69 1 PORTION (NV) £1.19

Conclusion:In conclusion, my sushi went well and my family found it very enjoyable. The price to make it is also in the preferable price range. If I were to make it again I would change the avocado and try it with another fish. I also think there was a bit too much sugar, so I would reduce that as well.

Evaluation for Themed Dish: Proposal 3IntroductionThis is an evaluation for my third and last proposed themed dish, Tofu and Soba Noodles, made by Sonali Nandi in 9T2 on Thursday 10th November 2011, Week A, Period 2.

How I worked:Prep – I was well prepared for the lesson and had the correct amount of my ingredients measured out before the lesson, and it did not take me too long to cop all my ingredients.Tidiness/Hygiene – I made very little mess and I was not using meat so I did not need to worry about cross-contaminating the food.Timing – My timing was alright and I finished with time to spare at the end of the lesson.Finished Results – I was pleased with the finished result though I found it quite bland and tasteless. What my family thought –

Appearance

Aroma

Texture

Flavour 12345678910

MumAnjali

Costing:Item Weight Price Price for 1 Weight Used Price UsedDried Shiitake Mushrooms 40g £2.99 £0.07 12 mushrooms £0.90Garlic 1 £0.30 £0.30 3 cloves £0.10Ginger 300g £0.63 £0.00 5g £0.01Spring Onions 15 £0.75 £0.05 2 £0.10Sesame Oil 250ml £1.59 £0.01 ½ tsp £0.01Mirin 150ml £1.59 £0.01 4 £0.04Soba Noodles 250g £1.69 £0.01 100g £0.68Broccoli 335g £0.97 £0.00 200g £0.58Sugar Snap Peas 400g £2.25 £0.01 80g £0.45Tofu 396g £2.00 £0.01 198g £1.00

TOTAL £3.87 1 PORTION £1.93

Conclusion:In conclusion, I thought that making this dish went quite well but the actual taste was quite bland. I think if I were to make it again I would add more spices.

Development 1I have chosen to develop the sushi dish as it was the most favourable dish out of the three dishes I made. It also fit well within the initial specification.

FillingsLast time I made sushi with avocado and cucumber, and salmon for the non-vegetarian option. I thought that the avocado was quite bland in the sushi, and it gave the sushi a soft texture which was not very nice, this time have changed the avocado for red peppers. I thought this gave a more crisp texture; the pepper also gave the sushi some colour.

AppearancePreviously, I found rolling the sushi hard to roll up, I realised that this was because I was overstuffing them which was why the rice was falling out of the nori. This time I put a little less rice in the sheets and made sure I spread it evenly and to the very end so that the filling was centred.

Development 2 Two weeks after my first development I remade sushi again, developing and improving it further.

FillingsThough I think that changing the filling from avocado to red pepper gave the sushi a larger variety of texture, I decided to try a different type of fish. Instead of using smoked salmon as I previously did I used tinned tuna with mayonnaise. I think that this worked better as not only did the mayonnaise give the sushi more flavour and more textures but it also smelt more appealing and gave a further variety of textures. Also the price was reduced when using red pepper and tuna than avocado.

FlavourWhen I made it two weeks ago I found that there was a bit too much sugar, so instead of adding 30g like last time I reduced it and only used 20 grams.

Appearance

Aroma

Texture

Flavour 12345678910

First TrialFirst DevelopmentSecond Development

HACCP

STEP/ACTION POSSIBLE HAZARD CONTROL MONITORING

Leaving the rice out in room temperature.

The Bacillus cereus toxins can cause food poisoning and will cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

Serve it as soon as it has been cooked.

Cool the rice as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge.

Not washing your hands before cooking.

Your hands get very dirty throughout the day and if you don’t wash them before cooking you are likely to give someone food poisoning.

Always wash your hands before handling your ingredients.

Working on a dirty work surface.

This could also cause food poisoning as you do not know what was on the work surface before, and it might have been raw chicken, which would give you Salmonella. Or there may have been a disinfectant which was not wiped properly, and this could cause illnesses as well.

Always wipe down the counter before and after cooking.

Leaving the tinned tuna tin or lid on your work surface and opening the tuna tin.

You could cut yourself on the tin or the lid.

Throw it straight in the bin and being careful when you open the tinned tuna.

Cutting the vegetables. You could cut yourself with the knife. Be careful and pay attention to what you are doing.

ResearchSupermarketsSainsbury’s – http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/ Tesco – http://www.tesco.com/RestaurantsItsu – http://www.itsu.com/YO Sushi – http://www.yosushi.com/Japanese disheshttp://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2035.htmlhttp://www.japan-guide.com/e/e620.htmlRecipesSushi – http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/601790/displayVideo/hiTempura – http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/616943/displayVideo/Hi Tofu and Soba Noodles – http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/633670HACCPRice Food Poisoning - http://www.nhs.uk/

Other ReferencesRecipe BooksAnjum’s New Indian by Anjum AnandChinese Cookery by Ken HomCurry Easy by Madhur JaffreyI Love Curry by Anjum AnandJamie’s Great Britain by Jamie OliverJamie’s 30-minute meals by Jamie OliverJamie’s Italy by Jamie OliverThe Japanese Kitchen by Kimiko BarberMagazineGood Food (and website – http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/)

Nutrition Information – Vegetarian SushiTypical Values

per 100g per serving 244gEnergy 341 kJ 833 kJ

81.5 kcal 199 kcalProtein 1.81 g 4.41 gCarbohydrate 17.1 g 41.7 g

of which Sugar 6.35 g 15.5 gFat 0.98 g 2.4 g

of which Saturates 0.2 g 0.48 gFibre (NSP) 1.25 g 3.05 gSalt 0.37 g 0.9 g

of which Sodium 0.15 g 0.36 gIron 0.43 mg 1.04 mgCalcium 31 mg 75.5 mgVitamin A 123 ug 300 ugThiamine (B1) 0.07 mg 0.16 mgRiboflavin (B2) 0.01 mg 0.03 mgNiacin 0.61 mg 1.48 mgVitamin C 29.7 mg 72.5 mgVitamin D 0 ug 0 ug

GDA (Guidance Daily Amount) for Average AdultWomen Men

Energy 2000 kcal 2500 kcalFat (of which saturates) 70 g (20 g) 95 g (30 g)Salt 5 g 7 g

Nutrition Information – SushiTypical Values

per 100g per serving 244gEnergy 349 kJ 912 kJ

83.4 kcal 218 kcalProtein 3.29 g 8.6 gCarbohydrate 15.9 g 41.7 g

of which Sugar 5.92 g 15.5 gFat 1.02 g 2.67 g

of which Saturates 0.21 g 0.54 gFibre (NSP) 1.17 g 3.05 gSalt 0.46 g 1.21 g

of which Sodium 0.18 g 0.48 gIron 0.46 mg 1.2 mgCalcium 29.6 mg 77.4 mgVitamin A 115 ug 300 ugThiamine (B1) 0.07 mg 0.17 mgRiboflavin (B2) 0.02 mg 0.05 mgNiacin 1.44 mg 3.77 mgVitamin C 27.7 mg 72.5 mgVitamin D 0.18 ug 0.48 ug

Design Specification

My final product will have 50 ml mirin, 25 g sugar, ½ tsp salt, 250 g sushi rice, 325 ml water, 1 tin of tuna, 2 tbsp mayonnaise, ½ cucumber and ½ pepper. It will have a diameter of 4.5 cm and a height of 4.5 cm.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I have leant a lot through this project, for example, how to cook a variety of Japanese dishes and I have also enjoyed doing it. I have also learnt how to develop an item and what things to pick out, which generally come out when you do your evaluation. I am very proud of my finished product, but I still need to practise rolling the sushi.

See-Through Film