Kulsoom Cooking project

1. Cooking With
Kulsoom!
Period 6

2. My Initial Plan Layout

3. Grocery Shopping!
Grocery shopping was a fun experience. I had done it before, because I help my
mom do it sometimes. My first stop was the meat store. This was where we bought
all our meat, as well as the junk food. You can get other groceries as well there, so I
bought the things that I knew I wouldn’t be able to find in safeway. It was a small
little store, so things were tightly packed together, and you wouldn’t be able to find
them if you blinked. I bought my jello, as well as bulgur wheat, garlic, and finally
saffron. I knew that store carried it, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. It was in such a
small box usually, that it was impossible to find. Turns out that they keep it behind
the counter because saffron is a valuable spice. While waiting for the meat to be
cut, I looked at the selection of cuts already sitting there. I saw tongue of cow, as
well as its liver and kidney. Yum...if you’re a wolf! Anyways, as soon as we got our
food, we headed out of the store. Then we drove to Safeway, where I ran around
the store, clutching the 4 pages of grocery I had written out. When I tried to find
the sponge cake for the trifle, I was told that they didn’t carry it. They told me to
substitute either pound cake or angel food cake in its place. After considering
prices and sizes, I chose the pound cake because it was smaller and it was the
right flavor-lemon. While running through the aisles, I happened to glance at
Starbucks stall, and saw 3 kids from my school. I turned my head, and awkwardly
walked faster past them. I walked up to the baking aisle, and looked up and down
on the shelves. I was trying to find cornflour, but I couldn’t. I panicked and called
my mom over, and she pointed out the cornmeal and told me that it was the
same thing. Relieved, I grabbed a box and put it the cart. Then, we headed over
to the checkout, paid for my stuff, and headed for the exit. Before we walked out, I
glanced longingly at the Starbucks stall, the smell of coffee inviting me, and I asked
my mom, “Do you want any coffee?”. She smiled knowingly and responded,”No,
and neither do you.” I sighed, and walked out of the store, frappuccino-less.

4. In front of meat shop

5. Different Types of meat I saw

6. The jello

7. The Bulgur Wheat

8. The Oil

9. Finished shopping here

10. Outside Safeway-Before

11. The Bell Pepper

12. The Parsley

13. The Potatoes

14. The Cumcumber

15. The Mint

16. The Onion

17. The Whipped Cream

18. The Chickpeas

19. The Canned Fruits

20. The Vanilla

21. The Pound Cake

22. The Corn Starch

23. Outside Safeway-After

24. Recipe #1-Lemony Mediterranean Chicken
-¼ c. olive oil
-2 tbs. lemon juice
-2 tbs. lemon zest
-4 cloves garlic
-1 tbs. dried oregano
-¾ tsp. salt
-½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
-4 skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved
-8 baby red potatoes, halved
-1 red bell pepper
-1 red onion
-1 lemon
From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lemony-mediterranean-chicken/

25. Recipe #1- Process
These pictures show the
process, and all the ingredients
measured out, and above, the
final product.

26. Recipe #1- What to do
 1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
 2.Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oregano, salt,
and black pepper in a bowl. Place chicken breasts into a 9x13-inch
baking dish. Brush lemon juice mixture over chicken.
 3.Place potatoes, red bell pepper strips, red onion, and lemon slices
in a bowl, pour remaining lemon juice mixture over vegetables, and
toss to coat. Arrange vegetables and lemon slices around chicken
breasts in baking dish.
 4.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes; brush chicken and
vegetables with pan drippings. Continue baking until chicken is
browned, the juices run clear, and an instant-read meat
thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast reads at least
160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 30 more minutes.

27. Recipe #2- Tabouleh Salad
-1 tsp. lemon zest
-¼ c. lemon juice
-¼ c. olive oil
-1 tsp. salt
-¼ c. bulgur wheat
-½ red onion, sliced
-5 oz. of parsley
-1 Lebanese cucumber
-2 cucumbers,sliced
From: http://norecipes.com/recipe/tabouleh-recipe/

28. Recipe #2- Process

29. Recipe #2- What to do
1.Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, black pepper and salt together in a small
bowl, then add the bulgur wheat. Let this soak for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours,
depending on the coarseness of your bulgur and how soft you want it.
2.If the raw onion is too strong for your tastes, soak the minced onion in cold water for
an hour or two to tame it. You may need to change the water a few times. Drain and
dry thoroughly with paper towels before using them in the salad.
3.Wash the parsley then use a salad spinner or paper towels to thoroughly dry it.
Remove all the stems, then grab a handful and roll it up and slice the roll as thinly as
possible. Chop the parsley in the opposite direction to the direction you sliced and
you should get it pretty evenly chopped.
4.Add the parsley to a large bowl along with the cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.
Add the soaked bulgur along with the dressing and toss everything together. Tabouleh
tastes fresh the day it's made, but if you let it sit overnight, the flavors have a chance
to meld and it tastes even better.

30. Recipe #3- Trifle
-1 packet of strawberry jello
-Custard
○ 6 ⅓ tbs. sugar
○ 1 tbs. cornflour
○ 7 tbs. flour
○ 2 tbs. butter
○ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
○ 6 tbs. cream
-1 can of cocktail fruit
-1 package of pound cake
-1 can of whipped cream
From: My mom, and http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/15891/easy-custard.aspx

31. Recipe #3- Process

32. Recipe #3- What to do
1.Set frozen cake out to thaw
2.Boil 1 cup water, and add jello crystals. Stir until dissolved, the refrigerate to set.
3. Create custard
i)Mix the sugar and corn flour in a saucepan. Stir in the water with a whisk. When sugar and corn
flour have dissolved, heat it slowly, stirring occasionally.
ii)When the sugar water begins to bubble (almost boiling) and begins to caramelize, simmer for
about another minute, stirring constantly - the sugar will now become a syrup.
iii)Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. When all the butter has dissolved, stir in the
cream.
4. Set custard to cool.
5. Open cocktail fruits; keep the liquid in a bowl.
6. Using a wine glass, cut out a piece of pound cake and place it into the glass.
7. Add fruit, and pour the syrup into the glass to keep the cake moist.
8. Pour cooled custard over the fruits.
9. Spray whipped cream over the custard, making sure to cover the entire surface. Spray in a circular
motion to make it smooth.
10. Place a jello circle on top of the whipped cream.
11. Refrigerate before serving.

33. Recipe #4- Pita Chips
-12 pita bread pockets
-½ cup olive oil
-½ tsp. ground black pepper
-1 tsp. garlic salt
-½ tsp. oregano
-½ tsp. dried basil
-1 tsp. dried chervil
-sumac to taste
From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pita-
Chips/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=pita%20chips&e8=Quick%20
Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

34. Recipe #4- Process

35. Recipe #4- What to do
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut each pita bread into small pieces.
3. In a small bowl, combine oil, pepper, salt, basil,
and chervil.
4. Brush each piece with oil mixture.
5. Bake for 7 minutes.

36. Recipe #5- Hummus
-1 ½ cloves garlic, peeled
-1 can garbanzo beans, drained
-½ cup olive oil
-½ cup tahini
-1 ½ lemons juiced
-salt to taste
Garnish
-sumac to taste
-⅛ cup olive oil
-Sprigs of parsley
From: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Traditional-
Hummus/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=traditional%20hummus&e
8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe&soid=sr_results_p1i1

37. Recipe #5- Process

38. Recipe #5- What to do
1. Place garlic in food processor and chop
thoroughly.
2. Add garbanzo beans and blend into paste.
3. Pour in olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, and salt.
4. Blend until smooth and creamy.
5. Garnish and serve cold.

39. Recipe #6- Saffron Rice
-2 pinches good quality saffron threads
-1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-1 small yellow onion, minced
-3 ¾ c. chicken stock
-1 tsp. salt
From: My Aunt

40. Recipe #6- Process

41. Recipe #6- What to do
1. Take one pinch of saffron threads and put them in a spice mortar. Grind
the spice with a pestle to a powdery consistency.
2. Add a second pinch of saffron threads to the mortar. Do not crush
these threads.
3. Pour water into the mortar. Let saffron soak for 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, sort your rice and rinse in a colander. Drain
5. In a large heavy pot, heat extra virgin olive oil over medium. Add the
minced onion to the pot and sauté for about 10 minutes, till the onion
begins to caramelize.
6. Add rice to the pot and sauté for 1 minute longer, mixing the rice
together with the cooked onion. Pour the yellow saffron liquid evenly
across the top of the rice. Make sure to scrape any saffron that clings to
the mortar into the pot.
7. Add broth to the pot. Bring to a boil.
8. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Let the rice cook for 20 minutes,
or until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is tender.

42. Cooking- What went on...
When I started cooking, I first soaked the saffron. I crushed half of it, and left the other half untouched, then I put ¼ cup of
water in the bowl and let it sit. The bulgur wheat, it needed to sit for 2 hours! Whoo! So, I had to measure out all the li. I
preheated my oven, then proceeded to chop and measure all of my ingredients, which took a long time. I stopped in
the middle to soak my chicken to defrost it, so it would be ready to cook. I tossed together all the ingredients for the
tabouleh salad except for the wheat mixture, because I thought the wheat wasn’t soft enough.(After eating the
leftovers, I realized that overnight was the right amount of time for the wheat to soak.) I decided to start the chicken
first, to marinate it, so I added all of the ingredients to a bowl and let it sit. Then started the custard and jello, which
were surprisingly easy to make. I popped them into the fridge to cool. I mixed together the liquid for the pita chips, and
brushed it onto the bread. I put that into the oven, and while it cooked, I mixed together the ingredients for the
hummus and blended them. I poured it out onto a plate, but then noticed that the chips were looking a little too crispy
in the oven. I hurriedly pulled them out, and let out a breath when I saw that they were unharmed. I set the chicken into
the oven, along with the bell pepper and onion for the minimum 30 minutes, and got started on the rice. I measured
the rice out and washed them, and then I set it aside. I caramelized the onions and then poured in the rice, broth, and
saffron mixture. I Iet the rice sit, and pulled out the chicken. I started washing some of the dishes, and soon the rice was
done as well, and most of the bigger pots and pans were washed. I quickly started plating the food, because it was
getting quite late. I stuffed a portion of rice into a plastic bowl, and then dumped out the cake into a plate, and
sprinkled mint on it. I put a piece of chicken onto the plate, and cut up cucumber and lemon, and placed them there
along with the potatoes and bell pepper. I put that on the table and finished making the trifle, layer by layer, topped
with whipped cream.

43. Cooking- My Thoughts and Feelings
At the beginning of my cooking time, I was relaxed. I started at 5 o’clock, hoping to finish by 9, just in time to eat. Little
did I know that my scheduling was way off. Initially, work did not get done too fast. I was slow, and it took me around
2 hours to get things prepped for only the salad. At 7, I had only chopped and measured out a few things, and made
the jello, and I had started getting a little worried. My mom came in and saw my progress, and told me that
marinating the chicken would make it taste better in the end, as well as cooking faster. So, I quickly added all the
ingredients of the chicken, and let it sit. Then, I mixed everything for the salad and happened to glance at the clock.
It was already 8, and I started panicking. My family came in, and my mom was on the phone with my uncle. After
hearing of my position in the kitchen, he gave my mom the number of a pizza place. Hearing that my mom laughed
and I protested, “That’s not funny!” Seeing my distress, my mom came in and started helping me, pulling out the
ingredients for the hummus, so I could blend them together, and then pour it out. After she had left, I was relieved,
because I was starting to gain control of things again. Then, I whipped together the pita chips and popped them into
the oven, along with the chicken. The rice was bubbling on top of the stove, so I thought I was almost done when my
brother came in and asked me what was for desert. Whoops! I thought. I hopped up again to make the custard, and
prepare the rest of the desert. I really enjoyed putting the trifle together, because it was fun to cut out all the foods,
and spray out the whipped cream. Soon, I pulled out the chicken and pita chips, finally mixed the bulgur wheat into
the tabouleh, moved the rice off of the stove, and I was ready to plate. Looking at the foods I had in front of me, my
first thought was, ‘So. Much. Yellow!’ But when I looked back at the pots and pans behind me, I saw red potatoes,
now more purple looking, and red bell pepper strips. Grinning, I packed the rice into a bowl, and dumped it onto a
plate, and it came out looking like a little rice cake! I popped a spring of parsley on top of it, and then moved on to
the chicken. I placed on breast half next to the rice, and 2 potatoes, a lemon since in the middle, beside it. Finally, I
placed a couple red pepper strips on the other side of the rice, and voila! I was finished. Sighing deeply, I happily
stared the plate in front of me, before my brother asked my mom, “When are we eating?”, I jumped back into action,
quickly plating the rest of the food, stirring up some lemonade (Using the same 2:1 formula I always use, and it turned
out perfect), and clearing the table. Running around, I was finally able to set the table, with all the components, and I
called my family in, anxiously waiting for their response.

44. Clean Up
The night of the meal, I mostly only washed the dishes that
were used during the dinner, like the plates, utensils, etc. I
put them all in the dishwasher, and ran it, so they would be
ready to use the next day. I told my mom to leave the rest
of the kitchen, and I would do it after school the next day.
I couldn’t forget to do that, otherwise my mom had a
habit of cleaning everything and anything she saw dirty.
But, when I came back from school , it was thankfully left
alone. I put on some music before starting, because I
always like to listen to it when cleaning, then I started
washing the pots and pans, scrubbing to get all the food
off. Thankfully, nothing got burnt, so there wasn’t any
hassle there. Also, I thought that putting

45. The Kitchen
Before After

46. Guest Book
 “It was a wonderful experience to see my daughter prepare and
serve us a whole meal. I was really happy that she had done a great
job all by herself. The food was excellent, we loved it, except for the
fact that the chicken was a little dry. The presentation was very
professional, and she did a great job of cleaning all the mess she had
created the next day. I hope she makes many more meals for in the
future.”—Mom
 “Yay! My sister can cook yummy food! I loved the pita chips and
hummus most, and the desert too.”--- Little brother

47. How I liked the food
Honestly, I didn’t like the food as much as I thought I
would. I found the chicken dry, and the chips way to oily.
Afterwards, I realized that I had accidently doubled the oil,
because I was reading a recipe for 8 people, and I was
halving as I worked, so I missed that one. Otherwise, I
though that the food was great. On the other hand, my
food prep I thought was not good at all. I figure that I had
started too late, thus giving me only just enough time to
make the food, and even then I finished at 10 o’clock. I
though it looked pretty enough from the plating. I would
probably make the tabouleh salad again. It was amazing
in my opinion, and I liked the trifle too.

48. My Final Table
My Final
Table Setting