MIXED BLESSINGS OF FOODS

Presented by: Veronica Cole, Joanne Brown, Candice Torres, Vincenza Kyriakakis

The following pages contain an insight into a variety of cuisines eaten throughout the world, focusing on four popular cuisines:

SoupsVegetarianDesserts

Gluten Free

The presentation looks at what they are, some favourite dishes, celebrity chefs that favour each cuisine and the countries they are popular in.

Each cuisine has been researched using highly credible resources. Throughout the presentation each resource has been assessed by detecting

accuracy: if the site is free from errors, authority: who authored the site and if their contact information is available, objectivity: the purpose of the site,

currency: wether the information is up to date and coverage: the depth of the information (Metzger, 2007).

Table of jobs

Team member Topic Task within group

Vincenza Soup Editing final presentation.

Candice Vegetarian Creating PowerPoint presentation.Inputting body of text into presentation.

Veronica Desserts Research and inputting pictures. Adding in resources blurb.

Joanne Gluten Free Input references and introduction/conclusion.Uploading presentation to Slideshare.

SOUPS

Soups can be a trouble free meal addition to ensure that the family gets all the vegetables and nutrition.

Studies have shown that when a low calorie vegetable soup is eaten it consumes up to 20% less calories so the effect of this would be a more filling feeling as we eat less and gain more of the minerals and nutrients which help with the digestive tract and ensure that we get important key elements we need each and everyday.  Homemade soups are the best alternatives as you are able to control the amount of vegetables that is used as well as choosing to reduce salt and few other additives.

Our celebrity chefs that specialise in the soup recipes are Nigella Lawson, with Thai Chicken soup, (Lawson, 2014), Jamie Oliver, Pumpkin soup (Oliver, 2002) and of course our recent popular chef George Calombaris with his version of Egg and Lemon soup (Avgolemono) (Calombaris, 2013).

Thai Chicken Soup as well as the Greek Lemon Soup has been used as a medical remedy as it clears congestion and provides the body with necessary hydration.  Pumpkin soup has all the vitamin and minerals necessary for keeping in good health as well as keeping you full.

Vegetarian

In addition to eating healthy soups, many people choose a Vegetarian lifestyle due to the various health benefits. However, it can have negative impacts if not done correctly. Let’s explore some advantages and disadvantages. Being a Vegetarian can lower effort to the body during digestion, and decrease the intake of toxins. It can decrease the risk of colon cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension and stroke, and diabetes. Lastly, fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants which help fight cancer, and prevent early aging (Vegetarian Benefits, Benefits, 2014). Some disadvantages include protein deficiency, anemia, and lower intake of Omega3, Calcium and Vitamin D (Vegetarian Benefits, Disadvantages, 2014).

Vegetarianism is promoted by the following famous chefs, Jason Wrobel (Jason Wrobel, Celebrity Chef, 2014), Chloe Coscarelli (Chloe Coscarelli, Chef Chloe, 2013), and Tal Ronnen (The Kind of Life, The Kind 101, 2013).

Vegetarianism is popular in the following countries, the UK, India, and Thailand (Skyscanner, Top 5 Vegetarian Friendly Countries and Top 5 Countries for Carnivores, 2013). Many popular Vegetarian dishes might include, Lentil-Barley Burgers with Fiery Fruit, Vegetable “Meat” Loaf, and Fall Vegetable Curry (Cooking Light, 25 Best Vegetarian Recipes, 2014). If done right, the Vegetarian lifestyle can be rewarding, and satisfying.

Desserts

We now move on to exploring desserts.  Desserts are seen to have positive and negative effects.  Basil Phillips (2014) discusses how it may be seen as a positive reward for a child to receive if their meal is finished however it could be negatively impacting their view on healthy eating.  Desserts are delicious and are looked at with desire by most; however they are an unhealthy food.  Or are they?  The key is to find healthy alternatives such as yoghurt and banana bread.

There are many dessert dishes. One popular dish is ice-cream.  Ice-cream was said to have originated from the Chinese as early as 3000BC, Olver (2014).   Ice-cream is a frozen dairy dessert that is easily altered with nuts, chocolate chips, sprinkles, flavoured syrups or used as a side dish to an apple pie or to top a bowl of fruit salad. President Ronald Reagen even designated the month of July to ice-cream, IDFA (2014).  Other delicious dishes include Trifle or Pavlova (Taste.com.au, 2014).Famous celebrity chefs include Martha Stewart (Stewart, 2014), Sandra Lee (BIO, 2013) and Jacques Torres (Mrchocolate.com, 2011). Many dishes are popular within different countries including: Australia’s chocolate crackles, Italy’s Tiramisu and France’s Crème Brule, (Taste.com.au, 2014).

Gluten Free

As for gluten free diets, they are becoming extremely popular around the world for many reasons. However, it is important to understand the pros and cons of gluten free as it isn’t always a healthier option. For sufferers of celiac disease or gluten intolerance, going without gluten can help reverse damage and inflammation of the intestines (Barry, 2011). Or, if you are avoiding gluten for health benefits it can still encourage you to eat less processed foods, which is always a positive. On the other hand, your weight could fluctuate due to greater fat and sugar levels, and lower nutritional value in gluten free products (Barry, 2011). It would be recommended to see a health professional prior, to starting a gluten free diet.

There are many gluten free chefs around the world, but two celebrity chefs most people are familiar with are Janella Purcell, from tv show Good Chef, Bad Chef and American cookbook author, Rocco Dispirito. Both have produced many gluten free dishes, some of the more well-known ones are Gluten Free Brownie Cupcakes (Dispirito, 2014), Coconut fudge balls and Pumpkin Hummas (Purcell, 2011). Due to the growing number of westerners following chefs such as these, following a gluten free diet can easily be done in countries such as Australia, Canada and the USA (Broussard 2012).

Conclusion

We are blessed to live in a multicultural society that allows us the freedom to choose from the many cuisines around the globe.

Whether you follow one specific diet, or eat a combination of your favourite cuisines, the best thing about food is that there is always another dish to try. In the words of food critic and author

Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, "A new dish matters more to human happiness than the discovery of a star” (Brillat-Savarin & Fisher, 2009 p. 8). Our advice; enjoy a healthy well rounded

diet and never stop searching for your next favourite dish!

References

Barry, D (2011). The Pros and Cons of a Gluten Free Diet. Retrieved from http://www.coreperformance.com/daily/nutrition/the-pros-and-cons-of-a-gluten-free-diet.html

Begun, R (2012). 31 days of celiac awareness. Retrieved from http://rachelbegun.com/31- days-of-celiac-awareness-10-easiest-places-to-travel-gluten-free

BIO. (2013). Sandra lee biography. Retrieved from: http://www.biography.com/Sandra-lee--2096429

Brillat-Savarin & Fisher, M. F. K. (2009). The physiology of taste, or, meditations on transcendental gastronomy. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Celiaccentral.org. (2011). Celebrity chef rocco dispirito shares gluten-free cupcake recipe | nfca. Retrieved from: http://www.celiaccentral.org/News/NFCA-Blogs/Did-You-Hear/Did-You-Hear-Gluten-Free-in-the-Mainstream/389/vobid--6939/ 

Coeliac.org.au. (2014). Coeliac disease - coeliac australia. Retrieved from: http://www.coeliac.org.au/coeliac-disease/

Cooking Light. (2014). 25 best vegetarian recipes. Retrieved from: http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top- rated-recipes/best-vegetarian-recipes-00412000076926/page28.html 

Cookstr. (2004). [online] Retrieved from www.cookstr.com/recipes/chickennoodlesoup/Lawson

Coscarelli, C. (2013). The official website of chloe coscarelli - chef chloe - vegan cooking and recipes. Retrieved from: http://chefchloe.com/

Culinary arts (2008) The many benefits of eating soup Retrieved from www.SendEmailw.culiaryarts.360.com/Indexphp/Stemke.k. (p 1) Delish. (2014). Popular dessert recipes. Retrieved from: http://www.delish.com/recipes/best-recipes/dessert-recipes.

Dispirito, R. (2014). Rocco dispirito's chocolate brownie cupcake with cream cheese icing and chocolate chips. Retrieved from: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/rocco-dispiritos-chocolate-browni-cupcake-cream-

cheese-icing-14849021

Elliot, D. (2014). Tiramisu recipe. Retrieved from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/1877/tiramisu?ref=collections,dessert-recipes

Food Netweork (2002) Retrieved from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkinsoup/Oliver.J

Good food show (2002. Retrieved from www.goodfoodshow/index.php/blog/recipes/Avgolemeno/Calombaris.G

IDFA (2014). National ice cream month - key issues | idfa. Retrieved from http://www.idfa.org/keyissues/category/nutrition--health/national-ice-cream-month/

Living Strong (2013) What are the benefits of eating healthy soup. Retrieved from  www.livestrong.com.au/article254373/MyersC. (Pg1)

Mrchocolate.com. (2011). Chef jacques torres, mof | jacques torres chocolate. Retrieved from: http://www.mrchocolate.com/news/about/chef-jacques-torres-mof/

Metzger, M. J. (2007). Making sense of cedibility on the web: models for evaluating online information and recommendations for future research. [e-book] Santa Barbara:. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.lib.swin.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=b80f3fce-180a-45159d4003caee0d382b%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4212&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=bth&AN=27265558

Olver, L. (2014). Thefood timeline: history notes--ice cream. Retrieved from: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodicecream.html

Phillips, B. (2014). Positive & negative facts about desserts for kids | ehow. Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/info_8771899_positive-negative-desserts-kids.html.

Purcell, J. (2011). Coconut fudge balls recipe - lifestyle food. Retrieved from: http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/18346/coconut-fudge-balls

Purell, J. (2014). Janella purcell | naturopath, nutritionist, wholefood chef, author.Retrieved from: http://janellapurcell.com/

Purcell, J. (2014). Pumpkin hummus recipe - lifestyle food. Retrieved from: http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/15798/pumpkin-humus

Stewart, M. (2014). The official martha stewart blog - the martha blog. Retrieved from: http://www.themarthablog.com/.

Skyscanner (2002-2013). Top 5 Vegetarian Friendly Countries and Top 5 Countries For Carnivores. Retrieved from http://www.skyscanner.net/news/top-5-vegetarian-friendly-countries-top-5-countries-carnivores

 

Taste.com.au. (2014). Dessert recipes collection - taste.com.au. Retrieved from: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/collections/dessert+recipes

Taste.com.au. (2006). The benefits of healthy soup Retrieved from: www.taste.com.au.newletterarticle/4289/Burrel.S (pg1)

The Kind of Life (2013). The Kind 101: My Little Interview with Tal Ronnen. Retrieved from http://thekindlife.com/blog/2013/03/alicia-silverstone-interviews-crossroads-chef-tal-ronnen/

Vegetarian Benefits (2014). Vegetarian Benefits and Disadvantages. Retrieved from http://www.vegetarianbenefits.net/

Wrobel, J. (2014). Jason wrobel. Retrieved from: http://www.jasonwrobel.com/