Edible & Incredible by LASA Ezine

edible & incredible

fall 2019

spices ex vanilla w flower, cacao, sage

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside? 6

Lana Giles-graphics and images for inside covers, front and back covers

Team Biographies - Page 2 Letter from the Editors - Page 4 Might of Spice- Page 6 A Bite of Ethioamerica - Page 8 Favorite Ethnic Foods - Page 13 Masala Mania - Page 14 A Change In Cuisine - Page 18 Game Pages - Page 20 In the Mood for Fast Food? - Page 22

Favorite Fast Foods - Page 26 Saftey First- Page 28 America's Diet - Page 30 Millennial Mush - Page 34 Spacial Sustenance - Page 36 Favorite Pizza Toppings - Page 40

Photos provided by maxpixel.net, Wokandapix (pixabay.com), NASA, The US Army, pixel1 (pixabay.com), Robert Owen Wahl (pixabay.com), Marcxo Fisher (goodfreephotos.com), TravelAdvisor (pixabay.com), Quadell, Bertrand Devouard, and Yonatan Soloman

M I L K

Lana Giles-Designer

BBQ

Greetings! I’m Leelai and I’ve always had a niche for cooking ever since I can remember. I am currently fifteen years old and I wrote the article A Bite of Ethiomerica. I was inspired to write about Ethiopian food in America because over this past summer I went to Ethiopia and I experienced culture shock for the very first time in my life. I felt like it was an experience that I had to share and enlighten others with, so I wrote the article. I hope you can enjoy A Bite of Ethioamerica and maybe someday, go experience it for yourself! BBQ

Features Editor

BBQ

Hi there! My name is Nithin, and I am a huge food lover. One of my favorite types of food is Indian food. As an Indian myself, I find the americanization of Indian food and the fusion of it with other types of cuisines very interesting. Before I wrote this article, I thought that I love authentic Indian food. However, it turns out that I love Americanazied Indian food much more. For the magazine, I wrote the Masala Mania article, designed its corresponding infographic, Creamy Dreams, and created the chef hat end sign for each article. Masala Mania will tell you everything you should know about Indian food. I hope you enjoy it!

Photo Editor

Hello! I’m Lana and I like to learn about food health and what goes into our food. I’ve always been interested in what I eat and how it gets to my plate, so I chose to write my article In the Mood for Fast Food. In the magazine, I made the design for our inner cover pages and helped with a few other graphics I hope my article gives you a new perspective on fast food and raises your food awareness as well.

Graphics Editor

M I L K

BBQ

Hi! I’m Ryan, and I really enjoy cooking and eating! I’m 14 years old and have tried foods from all over the world. I wrote the article Spacial Sustenance to help spread the knowledge of food in space to others. I’m hoping other people can learn how cool food in space is, and that I can inspire people to be more interested in food! I also made the art and wrote the text for Millenial Mush, which talks about 3d- Printed Food, which is really unique! I hope you enjoy our magazine.

My name is Cooper and food is my favorite thing to eat. I enjoy science almost as much as I like consuming this miraculous substance, and so I wrote my article Safety First to explain what goes on behind the scenes to prevent epidemics from striking our nation. Being 14, I believe that there’s a lot of room in the world for me to explore new things, and I learned a lot from this dive into a unique topic. Along with my graphic about dietary guidelines, I hope I will educate you and inspire you to learn new things about subjects you take for granted.

Layout Editor

Copy Editor

Letter From the Editors Dear readers,

magazine, and polished into what you are reading now.

This is not an ordinary food and health magazine. In this magazine, we strive to cater to your interests, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s foreign foods or the science of astronaut meals. We cover a wide variety of subjects from across the world, containing aspects of taste, science, and culture. We hope that you will enjoy reading this publication even if you lack a taste for exquisite meals. Our subjects include Indian food, Ethiopian food, astronaut food, fast food, and safe food.

We are most proud of how we were able to work together to finish this massive undertaking. When we set out, we were just a group of food fanatics who had no idea what they were doing. By the end, we had turned into a coordinated team who had produced something great. How this happened is a mystery even to us. Our best guess is that we were united by our common love of food, and through trial and error managed to design a magazine for your entertainment.

With all of this food, it was quite a journey to create this magazine. To obtain our stories and interest you, we gathered an assortment of opinions and facts from a variety of people. These people are all around food every day, and told us about the intricacies that go into their daily lives. We then had to compile this diverse array of statements into cohesive stories intended to entertain you with relevant topics that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t encounter every day. These stories were compiled into a

If we told you everything about the magazine, there wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be any need to read it. So, prepare to dive into a delicious anthology. Enjoy! Sincerely, Nithin Reddy, Cooper Roalson, Lana Giles, Ryan Le, and Leelai Teshome

Interviewees Selam Abebe Gregory Chamitoff Shannon Ehrhardt Yidnekachew Fantu Solomon Hailu Aster Kassaye Kassaye Kassaye Woinee Mariam Rakesh Mehndiratta

Matthew Melton Sam Moffett Kiran Paija Zack Pickard Robert Sanchez Jaime Sepulveda Dave Siebold Jesse Torres Joseph Vick

Kyle Westervelt

Photos Asterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ethiopian Restaurant Bombay Bistro Element5Digital (Pixabay.com) Flickr Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar NASA

Saffron Tarka Indian Kitchen Taste of Ethiopia Texas DSHS (Jaime Sepulveda) The United States Military

Might

ipsum

Leelai Teshome - Designer

Injera INJERA -4 cups teff flour -5 cup water - A pinch of salt -1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Photo courtesy of Pen Waggener

Injera is a flat sourdough bread that has a spongy like texture. It is the staple food of Ethiopian and Eritrean culture and originated from the highlands in Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is the national dish and is traditionally made from teff flour. It is fundamental to the dining prices in Ethiopian culture, as it is eaten with most Ethiopan dishes by being rolled up to cup the stews.

Shiro SHIRO -½ cup oil -½ cup chickpea flour -2 medium onions -4 cloves of garlic, -2 tablespoons niter kibbeh (Ethiopian spiced clarified butter) -2 to 2 ½ cups of water -3 tablespoons berbere spice -1 teaspoon garlic powder -¼ teaspoon sugar

Shiro is a very common dish in Ethiopia. Because of its simplicity and low cost, it is eaten by meany lower class Ethipians. It is given its orange color by chickpea powder and is traditionally cooked in a clay pot called “Sheckla.”

Photo courtesy of Jerome Randeau

f SPiCE Alicha ALICHA -1 large onion -1 Potato/lentils/carrots -1/2 cup Ethiopian spiced butter -2 tablespoons ginger -5 cloves garlic -1 teaspoon turmeric -Salt -4 serrano chilis

Alicha is a vegetarian Ethopian dish. It can be made in many different ways. There is atkilt alicha which is made with cabbage and carrots. There is also Kik alicha which is made with lentils. There are two colors of kik alicha: brown and yellow which is given its color by the the tint of the letles being used.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Randeau

Doro Wot DORO WOT -3 Tablespoons Spiced butter -2-3 medium onions sliced -1/4 cup canola oil -2 Tablespoons Berbere Spice -1 Tablespoon minced garlic -3 pound chicken thighs

Doro wat which translates directly to â&#x20AC;&#x153;chicken stewâ&#x20AC;? (with a hard boiled egg) is a very well known Ethipian dish. It is commonly eaten at parties, or big events. It is an onion and berbere (spice) based dish that is very spicy. Photo courtesy of Zack DuFran

A Bite of Ethioamerica An Austiniteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to

Photo by Leelai Teshome

Ethiopian Food Leelai Teshome - Writer

hot plate of searing meat and an assortment of stews are placed on a table engulfing noses all around with the spicy and tangy aroma of spices from every corner of the world. The first taste is instantly overwhelming with the culture of a country from across the globe, all

in a single bite; a bite of Ethioamerica. Restaurants featuring foreign foods have been becoming more popular in Austin. Among these is Ethiopian food. Since 2012, several new Ethiopian restaurants have opened up in Austin for locals to try. It started with the curious, the explorers who wanted to try something new and to be opened up to a whole

different culture. Eventually, restaurant owners. Ethiopian difference.” the word spread about the food involves hundreds of In order for importations unique taste of Ethiopian different spices that have to to be cost effective, imported food and the industry blew be imported from all over the spices are mixed with other up. Not only did the United world. spices from the U.S. that States of America become Solomon Hailu, co-owner can be found at local stores. a melting pot for different of the restaurant Taste of Not only does the need for cultures, it has become Ethiopia said, “from my importing spices provide a a melting pot for diverse perspective, I think they challenge, having enough culinary styles with unique spice while maintaining cost methods of eating, especially “In a way it’s like effectiveness adds another with Ethiopia, giving it the challenge. From a business every Ethiopain name of Ethioamerica. perspective, this is where Kassaye Kassaye, the a balance of quantity over restaurant restaurant owner of Aster’s quality comes into play. owner is a mini Ethiopian Restaurant (named Kassaye said that “Teff after his mother) said, “Here has not been exported from ambassador” it’s like a specialty food Ethiopia for many, many years. because most people don’t Ethiopians started a teff farm - Kassaye Kassaye know what it is and because in South Africa and started it’s hard to get. There exporting it. It’s because of aren’t a hundred Ethiopian the high demand restaurants everywhere you go. Ethiopian restaurants in Ethiopia are like having a hamburger here; it’s normal.” Most Americans haven’t been exposed to Ethiopian food and that’s what makes it such a big industry in Austin. This is because customers like to be exposed to new cultures and new experiences that they believe are worth their time and money, such as foods from foreign cultures. Additionally, Kassaye said, “Most of the spices This dish is doro wot with assorted vegetable dishes such as salad and alicha are imported. Most of along with misir wot (a spicy stew made with lentles). Photo by Leelai Teshome our spices we get from Ethiopia, but spices we don’t get the ingredients easily in Ethiopia. get from Ethiopia are also available, for us we have to The base of Ethiopian imported from other countries import it and we have to mix food, injera, is made from like India or China.” it with something here even teff, which is one of the most Starting a restaurant though we try to use as much arduous ingredients to be with foreign ingredients and stuff from home as possible. able to obtain. This is because spices adds a challenge for I think that’s the number-one Ethiopia stopped exporting it

Gumfo is a traditional celebrative Ethiopian dish made from teff, butter, and berbere. Courtesy of Eugene Kim.

due to its high demand in the country itself. Hailu said , “I can teach someone how to cook it but Ethiopian food takes a little more

effort. Let me put it this way, cooking Ethiopian food, it’s not flipping a burger. It’s completely different. The spice, it’s not something that you really measure. Your eyes play a factor, your senses, your

This is the inside of the restaurant Taste of Ethiopia. They have mesob which is a basket made from dry grass which is dyed and colored to form interesting patterns. Photo by Leelai Teshome

smell, the timing. Everything plays a factor.” Cooking Ethiopian food is not as simple as it may seem. The content of the spices in the dish has to be perfectly balanced so nothing is overpowering. There is no perfect measurement of how much of what goes into every dish. Senses play a factor because every dish is unique in its spice and ingredient content. Yidnekachew Fantu, coowner of Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar, said, “If people are trained, any ethnicity can cook the food. 90 percent of our kitchen employees are Ethiopians so that’s what they grew up cooking and knowing and it makes it easier for them and for us.” Anybody can be taught how to cook Ethiopian food. However, it would be easier if they were born Ethiopian and raised eating Ethiopian food; their early exposure to the culture would make it easier for the employee to cook the food because they are already familiar with the taste of it. Kassaye said “Here in America, since people eat at restaurants for the most part, they think doro wot is like an everyday thing but in Ethiopia its made for special occasions, if you’re having a special guest over at your house or for Christmas, Easter or whatever holiday it is.”

are not eaten every day, but are saved for holidays. Additionally Kassaye said, “I also think that certain dishes have a significance to certain regions and certain tribes within the country. And I think that it’s always fun to go have kitfo made from a Gurage family because they are well known for their kitfo. Or like certain dishes from different parts of the country.” This is berbere from Aster’s Ethiopian The significance restaurant packaged in small plastic containers. of Ethiopian food Photo by Leelai Teshome to the culture of Ethiopia is that Specialty dishes like certain dishes have certain doro wot are unique to significances to the tribes special holidays such as which made them. Individual t r i b e s are well known for the dishes they make because they are considered better at making them than any other tribe. Hailu Himbasha is a mildy sweet Ethiopian bread. It is usually s a i d , eaten with tea and coffee. Courtesy of Scott Harrison. “during fasting, Easter, Christmas and more. people don’t want butter Commonly, dishes like kitfo, or meat or any meat bya dish made with raw meat, products. That’s when the

vegetarian dishes come into play. Ethiopian food has a variety of vegetarian dishes like shiro; which is chickpeas. The aktlickt kik; which is split peas, misir; which is lentils, green beans, carrots and cabbage. You know if you have that virarety you don’t even need to eat meat.” The religion of most Ethiopians has a tremendous impact on how most dishes are made. Most Ethiopians are either Muslim or Christian, and fasting, which is called Tsom (pronounced sowm), is a big part of that religion. Ethiopians fast very often, usually every week for 165-200 days a year. During Tsom, Ethiopians don’t eat any meat or meat by-products. Selam Abebe, co-owner of Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar said, “we have many vegetarian and vegan options because Ethiopians fast a lot every year and that’s why they created many vegetarian and vegan options.” This is where the diverse and large amounts of vegan Ethiopian dishes come in. In fact, most Ethiopian dishes are comprised of vegetables and other not meat products such as Gomen, alicha, and shiro. Abebe said, “It makes us happy to share our culture and our food, it makes me happy. That’s my success.”

Leelai Teshome-Designer

favorite ethnic foods malaysian 1 nigerian 1

Lana Giles-Designer

kazakhstanian 1 tex mex 2 korean 3 chinese 5

italian 7

thai 10 mexican 9 indian 3 american 2 vietnamese 2 french 1 ethiopian 1 japanese 1

greenland 1

50 people were asked what their favorite type of ethnic food was, here are the results...

Tarkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature chicken tikka masala. Tarka says that this is their most popular dish. Courtesy of Tarka Indian Kitchen any people find Indian food rich and delectable, but it has not always been the way it is today. Food, just like organisms, continuously evolves, and the cuisine tends to be altered to suit the taste buds of everyone who enjoys it. With such vibrant and intricate cultures in India, there is bound to be a load of delicious food. Indian food wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t very popular in the United States when it was first introduced in 1909. Now, over 100 years later, national food chains that serve Indian food. However, the food at many of these popular Indian restaurants is not authentic to the food served Nithin Reddy - Writer in India. In America, over the Nithin Reddy - Graphics past few decades, Indian food

MASALA MANIA

Everything You Need to Know About Indian Food in America

has drastically changed to suit the taste buds of people living outside of India. Rakesh Menhdiratta is the head chef at Bombay Bistro, a restaurant offering a wide selection of Indian food. Menhdiratta believes that Indian food has drastically changed in America. “In India, it is more spicy and oily,” said Mehndiratta. “But in America it’s not that spicy, it’s mild, plus there’s so many changes in so many dishes.” Menhdiratta also believes that a lot of cream is used

that a lot of cream is used in several of the dishes he makes. “Chicken tikka masala, korma, biriyani are some examples of things on our menu that have a lot of cream,” said Sanchez. Cream makes Indian curries milder and slightly sweeter. An example would be chicken tikka masala. Although this dish originally used yogurt, it was replaced for cream. Although Indian food is typically eaten by Indians, many other ethnicities enjoy the taste of the culture’s cuisine. “50 percent [are] Indian or Middle Eastern, and the rest are white and black people,” said Sanchez. Most Indian restaurants in America have many customers of diverse ethnicities. Ever since Indian food was introduced in America, more and more people have come to love it. head Many Indian restaurants in America don’t have a large amount of Indian staff. Many waiters, waitresses, managers, and chefs at these restaurants are of other ethnicities. “The executive chef is Indian, but everyone else is not,” said Sanchez. This means that all of the waitresses and waiters are not Indian, nor are the rest of the chefs. Sanchez himself is not Indian. “I’ve got about 90 percent Indian and 10 percent mixed chefs,” said Mehndiratta. “Waiters and waitresses are also mixed. A few Indians, a few

“In India, it is more spicy and oily. But in America it’s not that spicy, it’s mild, plus there’s so many changes in so many dishes.” - Rakesh Mehndiratta, chef at Bombay Bistro in several Indian dishes in America. In India, barely any cream is used. “It’s twice what we use in India, like saag paneer, chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, a lot more than we used to use in India,” said Menhdiratta. Mehndiratta has worked at Bombay Bistro for almost 12 years, making him a very experienced chef Robert Sanchez is another chef who cooks Indian food. He works at Tarka, a restaurant in north Austin. Sanchez agrees

Asians, and a few from here [America].” Although some Indian restaurants have a majority of Indian staff, like Bombay Bistro, many others, such as the Tarka in north Austin, have a group of staff consisting of very few Indians. in India, restaurants would mainly be composed of Indian staff members. The Indian cuisine consists of many dishes in each subgroup of culture in the country. “Indian cuisine is so big, so elaborate, so you cannot have everything on the menu,” said Mehndiratta. “Indian cuisine is basically divided by the regions: North India, South India, Bengali, Muslims. They all have different foods, so you cannot have everything on the menu.” The Indian cuisine consists of hundreds of dishes. Indian restaurants in America must wisely choose which dishes to serve. “We change the menu about every one to two years so we can remove what items aren’t selling and we can introduce some new foods,” said Mehndiratta. The restaurants will adjust their menus periodically to accommodate the wants and cravings of their customers. This helps them identify dishes that appeal to Americans. Indian fusion food has recently received a lot of fame. Many restaurants have decided to integrate Indian recipes with those of other cuisines. For example, Saffron, a restaurant in Austin, serves a fusion of Nepalese and Indian food.

Kiran Paija preparing a delicious meal. Photo by Nithin Reddy Saffron’s signature grilled shrimp. Courtesy of Saffron. Kiran Paija, the head chef at Saffron, is Nepalese but was born and raised in India. He has had a lot of experience working with both cuisines. “We wanted to make our food something that could be shared by many people,” said Paija. “That is why we decided to mix our Indian recipes with other cuisines.” Their restaurant mainly integrated Indian food with the Nepalese dishes, but they also integrate it with other foods. “Some of the items are IndoChinese ... such as Manchurian chili and our chili chicken.,” said Paija. Just like many Indian restaurants, Saffron tries to appeal to their customers’ desires and cravings. “We worked really hard and did a lot of testing with our menu,” said Paija. “We are proud of what is on the menu.” Saffron is one of the many restaurants that have integrated

Indian food with other types of cuisines. Many restaurants in Austin have unified Indian food with other types of cuisines. For example, a restaurant called Nasha serves a fusion of Indian and Mexican food. Although many find Indian dishes to be very tasty, not all of the foods are healthy. Still, there are several ingredients commonly used in Indian food that maintain the dishes’ nutrition. “Our dishes that are most beneficial are the ones with dal,” said Mehndiratta. It is very delicious and high in nutrition.” Dal means lentils in Hindi. Although the beans are tiny, they are full of nutrition. Dal is packed with proteins, folate, fiber, and vitamin B-6. “The dishes with a lot of cream are high in fat,” said Paija. “If you are trying to eat healthy then avoid super creamy Indian dishes like saag paneer and korma.” Cream is one of the biggest

factors that increases the fat content in Indian dishes. Substituting creamy sauces with other sauces such as tomato sauce is an easy alternative to avoid the high-fat content. Mehndiratta, Sanchez, and Paija have proved that Indian food has changed in America. It has been fused with other types of cuisines, and there are options to enjoy Indian food without consuming a lot of fat. With so many Indian restaurants in Austin, it’s hard to say which one is the best. The only way to figure it out is to try every Indian restaurant in Austin. “Indian food is one of the broadest cuisines, is always changing, and different cultures have different foods,” said Mehndiratta.

A fusion of two intricate cuisines

A picture of Tarkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s garlic naan. Courtesy of Tarka Indian Kitchen

How to Make Garlic Naan -

4 2 4 2 2 2 2 4

Ingredients:

teaspoons of yogurt cups of all-purpose flour pinches of salt teaspoons of baking powder teaspoons of garlic paste teaspoons of melted butter handfuls of chopped coriander leaves teaspoons of butter

Steps: 1. Take a large bowl and combine all-purpose flour with salt and baking powder and mix them all together. Then add melted butter, yogurt, garlic paste, coriander leaves and water into the bowl. 2. Knead the flour well to a thick, pliable dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes. Make small balls of the dough and roll them out into small circles or as desired. Brush the top with a little water. 3. Heat a cooking pan over a medium-sized flame and put the prepared naan batter on it. Cook both sides till light brown spots start to appear on them. Then brush the top with a little butter and sprinkle a bit of coriander leaves over the naan. Serve it hot with a curry of your choice. Recipe provided by Bombay Bistro

A Change

Nithin Reddy - Designer

How Indian food has changed in America

18 CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA

BUTTER CHICKEN

Chicken tikka masala is a dish of pieces of cooked and marinated chicken in a creamy curry sauce. The dish was created in the United Kingdom by Indian chefs living there.

This dish is similar to chicken tikka masala. However, it is milder, sweeter, and more creamy. The dish was created in the United Kingdom by Indian chefs living there.

These two Indian dishes werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even created in India. Indian chefs who moved to Europe made dishes like these so that Indian food would appease to the appetite of Europeans.

in cuisine

Sources: spoonuniversity.com, Rakesh Mehndiratta (head chef of Bombay Bistro)

19 VEGGIE KORMA

SAAG PANEER

This dish is a creamy curry containing many delicious vegetables. Most vegetables taste amazing in the dish, so many recipes for it may slightly differ from one another. The dish was originally made with coconut milk in India. Now, in America, real cream is used.

This dish is made primarily with spinach and pieces of paneer. Paneer is a form of cheese commonly used in Indian cooking. Sometimes, cinnamon is used in the dish. Just like veggie korma, coconut milk was used to give the dish a creamy flavor. However, in America, real cream is used to give the dish a creamy texture.

These two dishes barely had any cream when they were first created in India. However, once they were introduced to America, a large amount of cream was integrated with their recipes.

Thanksgiving Scramble Can you unscramble these delicious Thanksgiving dishes?

Nithin Reddy-Designer

1. REKYUT 2. RCNRYRBEA AECSU 3. GSUNFIFT 4. AEBDR RLOSL 5. EGERN ENBA ERALSECSO Courtesy of the US Military 6. PANEC IPE 7. YRVAG 8. ETSEW OATTOP SEORLSECA 9. ECRROBAND 10. PKNPIMU PEI 11. NCRO 12. PLPEA EPI 13. ANAMRCIO NAD ESHECE Courtesy of Element5Digital (Pixabay.com) 14. EKAL LAADS 15. SEADMH SATEOOPT 11. Corn 12. Apple Pie 13. Macaroni and Cheese 14. Kale Salad 15. Mashed Potates

Answers

6. Pecan Pie 7. Gravy 8. Sweet Potato Casserole 9. Corn Bread 10. Pumpkin Pie

1. Turkey 2. Cranberry Sauce 3. Stuffing 4. Bread Rolls 5. Greenbean Casserole

MAIZE MAZE Leelai Teshome-Designer

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IN THE MOOD FOR FAST FOOD? A Closer Look at an Everyday Meals For Americans Lana Giles- Writer Lana Giles-Graphics Designer

DRIVE THRU

oor bells jingle, timers go off, people chatter, registers ding. Customers sip their drinks, chairs squeak, wrappers crinkle, and children laugh. This is fast food. Before, hamburgers were viewed as a gross food, only eaten at carnivals and fairs. White Castle, one of the first fast food restaurants, changed America’s mind. They had a glass windowed kitchen so customers could see for themselves that there wasn’t anything wrong with burgers. From there, fast

food grew, conquered America, and evolved into assemblyline production and restaurant chains that have spread to thousands of locations around the world. “Anything that you can just grab in a few minutes, just drive through or walk in and be on your way. To me, that’s fast food,” Shannon Ehrhardt, dietician, said. Fast food can mean different things to different people. To some it’s a daily dinner or lunch, to some it’s work or business, and to others it’s scarcely eaten. In Austin, there are many

fast food restaurants, one popular one being P. Terry’s. Kyle Westervelt, director of training and development for the P. Terry’s brand, said, “P. Terry’s started 14 years ago, on July 5, 2005. The very first P. Terry’s … was a small drive-thru only short stop, that Patrick and Kathy Terry purchased. Along with a small crew, [the Terrys] worked every day at the stand to get the brand going.” Most brands have developed like this, originating with a small business, growing and expanding into larger and more widespread companies. “We source all our beef through a local company called Kavuagnus. Our buns come from a local bakery called Kurz... the Walker Family, a family that owns the over 2500 acres that grows all

the potatoes the P. Terry’s brand uses in a year,” Westervelt said. Sourcing from local farms and bakeries reduces cost and benefits customers so that they’re consuming healthy and delicious food that they know the origin of. “Other than that, our veggie burgers, chicken burgers, cookies and banana bread are all made at our local commissary kitchen and delivered to each of our restaurants every day. When Patrick and Kathy were starting the brand... they decided that serving really high quality products at a fair price was going to be one of the major core values of the P. Terry’s brand,” said Westervelt. “All fast food isn’t created equal,” Ehrhardt says, “there’s a spectrum of fast food restaurants. There’s a lot more healthier options coming up more and more, you can get a quick healthy meal,

but it’s still considered fast food. So it depends.” There are certain parts of people’s bodies that fast food directly and indirectly affects. Some foods can cause damage and some foods can heal or strengthen. “Within our bodies and within our blood vessels and our arteries, we have our own personal ‘medicine bottles’. These bottles are spraying medicine within our bodies to help our immune system fight any sort of disease that comes into our blood system,” Ehrhardt said. These bottles help to keep up your health throughout the body, working hard fighting off bad bacteria and sickness. Ehrhardt explained, “when we consume foods that are highly inflammatory, that have a lot of inflammatory fats in them, that can interfere with those medicine bottles, and overtime, if somebody is consuming those types of food frequently, then those medicine bottles just

A quarter pounder, fries, and a strawberry smoothie from McDonald’s. Photo by Lana Giles.

don’t work and that is what leads to chronic disease because our bodies aren’t internally fighting off disease.” While there are some things fast food restaurants can do to increase the health of their products, some brands and methods are still damaging to the body. Fats, oils, and greasy foods can harm the body, making it sick or slow. “Fast food restaurants use a lot of inflammatory fats. They are frying foods in vegetable oils, which is probably the number one worst fat you could use, plus they are using that fat in the fryer for probably a week at a time. So the more and more you expose that oil to heat, the more and more rancid and inflammatory and the more and more it’s gonna have negative impacts internally within our bodies.” Customers aren’t able to ask what oil the restaurants are using and how old it is, so they have to settle for being conscious of what they’re eating. More and more fast food places are becoming increasingly healthier and sustainable by purchasing better sourced ingredients and

working to change the ways they prepare food. At Whataburger, a Texasgrown and Texas-made fast food restaurant, Zack Pickard, General Manager, describes their step by step process in making a burger.

“I’ll start with the most important thing which would be the burger. So we have our cook, they place meat on the grill, they sanitize their hands afterwards because they are touching raw food, then they season and score the meat.” Cleanliness and safety is

key when making fast food, so many people eat it, so that if a restaurant were to not follow the rules, then customers could suffer. “Then they hit timers because we have to make sure that food is cooked to a proper temperature. After that, the timer goes off and we turn the meat. After turning the meat and cooking it on the second side, we place it into what is called a transfer zone. The transfer zone person, a separate person, they are in charge of placing buns in the toaster, dressing the burger or buns, placing cheese or no cheese,” said Pickard. This is only a small part of the process that happens when a burger is made. Fast food restaurants strive for speed and quality, so it’s a wonder how they do all this so fast. “So [the transfer zone person is] the one in charge of putting those items on the toasted bun, adding the cheese to the meat patties from the transfer zone, and that’s where they transfer the meat and the other part of the bun onto the made burger. We also have someone incharge of wrapping and placing them in the right packaging and putting the receipt and onward it goes to the customer.” A long process all for a burger that people can eat anywhere, at any time, and however long.

Soda machine from Taco Ranch. Photo by Lana Giles Pickard said, “there’s a lot of ways to make a Whataburger. I believe there’s 38,864 different ways that you can customize a Whataburger...So our most basic one would be mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. And from there you can mix and match and do whatever you want.” Fast food is accommodating, toppings are chosen to be removed or added to the customer’s wishes. This variety of combinations is a part of the draw to fast food. That, and the convenience. “If somebody is going to McDonalds, Burger King, fast food restaurants like that, I mean that’s not even something I would recommend,” Ehrhardt said, “If it’s something like Chipotle

Inside of a McDonald’s bag. Photo by Lana Giles. or some other healthier option where they are using sustainable ingredients and

Fry in sauce from Whataburger. Photo by Lana Giles

things like that, that can be a little more frequent. But everyone’s going to be a little different and putting a number on it may not be one to two times a week or once a month. The least amount of times that you can go fast food, the better.” The effects of fast food consumption differ based on body types, styles of living, and amount of consumption. Depending on these factors, people should wisely decide for themselves how much they eat. “Just thinking twice about what [you’re] choosing. I’m not saying that you should never eat a burger from McDonalds, but [eating] it should definitely be minimal to help mitigate any negative health impacts that those foods can have on the body so your body has time to repair from the ingredients going in,” Ehrhardt said. Sometimes, fast food is the only food available, but if there are other options accessible, then people should choose to eat food that they know what goes into it. “You can replicate any

meal that you’re going to buy at a fast food restaurant at home and that way you know exactly what’s going into that meal. I can have a burger from McDonalds or I can make a burger at home and the one I make at home is going to be a million times healthier than what I’m gonna pick up at Burger King...

“You can still have those foods, but its just now you know what’s going into them”. -Shannon Ehrhardt, Dietician This style of food iconic to American culture is not as simple as a burger. The choices involved include the hard work of employees, the choice of what to order, the owners, managers, businessmen, and consumers that run the industry, and the evolution of that first simple burger sizzling on a grill.

welcome to...

Lana Giles-Designer

DID YOU KNOW... -Around 7% of all of the potatoes grown in the US are made into french fries for McDonaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

MAIN

-National Lemonade day is August 20th. Hamburger--------------------24%

DID YOU KNOW... -In 2000, Ida Freehof made the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest milkshake. It was 6,000 gallons-equal to 50,000 medium milkshakes.

DID YOU KNOW... -Lemonade can be traced back to 500 AD in ancient Egypt, where lemon juice and sugar were mixed to create a drink called qatarmizat.

Hot Dog-----------------------1%

Chicken Sandwich------------12% DID YOU KNOW... -Salsa first originated with the Inca people. -Mustard is the most popular hot dog topping.

Chicken Nuggets--------------24%

DID YOU KNOW... -F. & J. Heinz Company first started selling ketchup in 1876. -Other names for soda are pop or fizzy drink

Taco --------------------------20%

DRINKS

100 people were asked what their favorite drinks, sauces, and foods were. Here are the results... Milkshake ---------------------23%

Soda --------------------------29%

Ice Tea ------------------------9%

Lemonade--------------------18% Water ------------------------21%

SIDES French Fries ------------------19%

Salsa --------------------------19%

Ranch -------------------------7%

Mayo --------------------------8%

Ketchup -----------------------62%

Mustard -----------------------4%

MyPlate is the latest in a line of USDA diet recomendations.

Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cooper Roalson - Designer

at e

According to the NPD Group, on average, MyPlate is followed less than 2% of the time.

This plate shows how many Americans eat healthily in each major food group. Information from Time Labs.

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These are USDA diet recommendations. They began as farmer notices, but quickly grew in popularity.

Diet

1992

MyPyramid

The food pyramids were this programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first large success. becoming well known across America.

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Why Your Food Is Healthy

estaurant customers order their food expecting a flavorful and satisfying meal. What they don’t expect is a bacteria-infested breeding ground that will make them sick. These dangers are everywhere, and have been around since the beginning of humanity. Food safety and disease prevention is a topic that many people don’t fully consider. Since the advent of refrigeration and reforms in sanitation, it has lost relevance in many settings. However, it remains a major topic for those in the food industry, where there are many rules to prevent the various issues associated with contamination. Numerous organizations exist to manage these

Cooper Roalson - Writer

problems, and have structures inspect their services to verify in place to protect the that they are being safe and population. not exposing consumers to any “The way that the system risks. There are many risks that is set up in the U.S. is the can be associated with culinary food safety is handled by products, and the inspections the government agencies to look at a variety of factors ensure that the food is safe,” that could lead to health said Dave Siebold, an concerns. “It’s employee at Kala’s “They’re Kuisine, a food going to be challenging ... distributor checking in Austin. things because unless you “ W h e n like your go out and look for the a store coolers wants to n d information, it’s not just amaking carry a product, there waiting for you. ... s u r e they check t h a t You have to go figure it and make they’re sure that at the out on your own.” ... you’re a r i g h t legitimate -Sam Moffett company and temperature that’s all being and not taken care of.” just setting a The job of these agencies is thermostat,” Siebold said. “If to visit with food providers and you have things that are in

A three-bin sink such as this one is a requirement in any professional kitchen. Cooks must use a three-step process to clean dishes, avoiding germs at all costs. Photo courtesy of the Texas Department of State Health Services.

rules regarding meat and eggs that he and his coworkers had to learn to run a safe and successful farm. “We had to get an egg license and we actually took a class at Texas A&M about egg grading,” Moffett said. Major cities including Austin have health departments to handle inspections and legislation. However, these organizations usually follow rules that a r e

created by the state, which follows a framework laid out by the Food and Drug Administration. Jaime Sepulveda, a quality assurance officer for the Texas government, said,

the process of being prepared, Health will actually come and like say for example, we make inspect us, and they’ll check wraps. We have a big tray of the temperature of our meats the filling that is made ahead and eggs.” Moffett is required to follow of time. We need to have a many of the same guidelines as date code on when that was store owners in regard to food initially made.” These regulations apply to safety. There are additional more than just This food truck has a freezer in the back to meet regulations and keep food cold enough to food stores and prevent disease. Photo courtesy of the Texas Department of State Health Services. restaurants. The farmers that produce the raw plants and meat are also subject to legislation. Sam Moffett, a farmer who sells meat and eggs, products that are particularly susceptible to dangers, said, “The Department of

“The job of the Department of departments do inspect them Reheating a food requires State Health Services (DSHS) more frequently than that. it to traverse the temperature is to promote and protect We try to inspect them once a range that is neither cold or the health of people.” year, once a year and a half, or hot enough, exposing it to However, this broad every two years, depending on contamination. This can also agency is broken up into the risk of that establishment.” occur if food is not stored at many subsections to handle The frequency of inspections the correct temperature. the large number of concerns is determined by what foods “If you’re not holding cold they deal with. Sepulveda the vendor produces, as well foods at 41 degrees or below or is a part of the Public as which processes they use holding foods at 135 or above Sanitation and Retail Food to craft them. The primary for hot holds, you cause a food Safety Unit, which deals with way to induce susceptibility to borne illness,” Sepulveda said. restaurants and other retail illnesses is through methods These principles of food providers. of cooking that involve a lot temperature apply to all steps “Here in our department of changes in temperature, of a meal’s supply chain, they come up with the such as reheating meat that including the farmers that ... Texas Food Establishment Rules,” Sepulveda said. “That is the minimum requirement, basically the rule s e t that t h e state of Texas follows for food safety.” This set of rules precisely lists out everything that food vendors are required to be aware of, all of which contribute to having a safe and healthy business. It covers topics Open salad bars like this one are at risk of disease because it is hard to keep them properly ranging from refrigerated. Photo by Cooper Roalson. proper cooking temperatures to what has already been cooked. supply the raw ingredients. equipment is necessary in This is because temperature “We actually have a great a kitchen, and terminates is a common way to prevent big walk-in freezer on the farm with information about how diseases from taking hold. where we keep everything,” establishments should be “Extreme cold and extreme Moffett said. “We also have a inspected. heat are the areas that you’re refrigerated van that can get Sepulveda explained, “Our going to be using to control bad below freezing for transporting minimum requirement is bacteria and molds,” Siebold frozen meats. We always need every six months, but some said. to avoid an issue where our

meat would thaw, because if it it, and they found that if you This especially applies does thaw, we don’t sell it at ate it you didn’t die,” Siebold to people who are starting that point.” said. a business or a farm, The issue of food Now, in our modern world, where it can be difficult to preservation has been around we are able to constantly learn learn what’s required to be for thousands of years, and new things about microbiology successful. until the 20th century, people and similar topics, and have “It’s challenging when who didn’t live in cold climates learned a lot about how you’re a farmer getting didn’t have the ability to freeze to protect ourselves from into this because unless their meals. Instead, a variety infection. Another job of the you go out and look for of techniques were developed Department of Health is to the information, it’s not to ward off illnesses, some of spread this information to just there waiting for you,” which are still used today. restaurants. Moffett said. “There’s not “In the olden times ... “Our inspectors are primarily somebody that’s like, ‘Oh, people would salt meat to educators,” said Sepulveda. here’s a pamphlet, here’s cure it, and make it “They go and make what you need to do’. You last that way,” sure that they have to go figure it out on M o f f e t t follow the rules. your own.” “Extreme said. “They If they’re not Some people new to w o u l d f o l l o w i n g the world of food consider cold and just put the rules, these regulations to be extreme heat are the so much then we pointless or detrimental, but s a l t try to have those that have been in the areas that you’re going on the s o m e field for a while m e a t to be using to control bad corrective understand the that it a c t i o n s reason behind made it and let these laws. bacteria and molds” t h e m Siebold said, “It’s -Dave Siebold know.” really about protecting the uninhabitable S o m e public to make sure the food for bacteria.” businesses are is gonna be produced in a This is a reliable more compliant safe manner.” and tested process, and curing than others, and follow the meat is still a common way to requirements with ease. protect it without the need for Others, however, do not give constant refrigeration. this issue priority, and the “Typically things like mold DSHS has and a lot of these bad things to help These beans are awaiting being served or used in a meal. need liquid, something to live them in They have been cooled down for storage, and may have off of,” Siebold said. “Another reaching a to be reheated. Photo courtesy of the Texas Department big preservation way of doing reasonable of State Health Services. things was drying things. Leave standard of it out in the sun, let it dry.” safety. These procedures originated “I think in ancient civilizations, long that we do before modern technology and struggle as far science. They were discovered as educating by chance, and developed them and principally through trial and showing them error. what to do,” “Somebody would do S e p u l v e d a something, and they would try said.

A comparison of 3d printed food to regular food d

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Pink Inside 3d printing food is a way to create foods in a simple way, with the filament being made of various grains and vegetables. It has come a long way, and is even being used by NASA to find a way to have a renewable food source in space.

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Ryan Le - Designer

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Sustenance

A Simple Guide to Eating in Space

he first astronauts spent a lot of time preparing for their missions. They spent hours each day conditioning and learning, yet once they got into space all they get to eat was dry, distasteful cubes, or mushy, semi-liquid lunches out of a tube. Fortunately,

Courtesy of NASA

Ryan Le - Writer

astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) get to eat a variety of different foods, including pizzas, chicken, tortillas, and candy, as food in space has developed greatly since the first astronauts. Food in space has developed a lot since 1965. There is no gravity in space, so the main limiting factor for food is that it can not have a lot of crumbs or be a free-flowing liquid since it could get inside of a piece

of technology and damage it. Scientists must be careful, as they have to make sure each meal is balanced, to make sure each astronaut gets the nutrition they need to stay healthy. Gregory Chamitoff is an astronaut who enjoys the food and mealtimes in space. “Things don’t taste as flavourful in space, and we believe this is because of a fluid shift that happens with zero gravity.” Chamitoff said.

“Things taste a little bit bland when you first taste in space, so we put a lot of spices on things up there.” When entering space, one of the most noticeable things is a sense of taste is lost. This is because there is a fluid shift, which gives the astronauts a stuffy nose. A stuffy nose inhibits the ability to smell, and since smell is directly involved with tasting it causes things to taste bland. Joseph Vick is a museum education manager at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center “Astronaut nutrition needs are based on sex, age, cultural or religious dietary restrictions, and personal preference,” Vick said. Astronauts get a lot of choices and food when they

pick what to eat. They get to test different items and decide what they want to eat in space. “We taste-test everything on the ground, so we know what it tastes like, and we rank it, and we make menus out of it,” Chamitoff said. Food scientists have to make sure each astronaut’s diet is balanced. Malnourishment from an imbalanced diet can lead to a lot of health problems which would add to an already complicated life in space. Matthew Melton is an Adjunct Nutrition Professor at Austin Community College. “Common results [of an imbalanced diet] can be low energy, upset stomach, constipation or diarrhea… there are plenty of medical conditions

caused by malnutrition, from diabetes, to anemia, to osteoporosis, to heart disease, and so on,” Melton said. Since food in space is commonly pre-packaged and made quickly with boiling water, it may seem unhealthy as microwave meals and other pre-packaged meals on Earth are usually unhealthy. “The major difference [between pre-packaged meals and regular meals] would be preservatives used to keep the food fresh. So some prepackaged foods will be higher in sodium or sugar,” Melton said. However, the food in space is very well balanced and healthy for each astronaut. The meals for each astronaut.

Small metal trays allowed for quicker preparation & ditribution of space meals and held food in place. Photo taken in 1983 Courtesy of NASA

The meals are made specifically for them, to make sure they benefit from it. Vick said, “The food given to astronauts is balanced to meet their work needs. It’s a very healthy and balanced diet for the astronaut.” Although the food in space is very healthy and easily stored, it comes with a lot of problems. One of the bigger problems is that a lot of waste is generated from food in space. Chamitoff said, “Right now the packaging is all trash, and the packaging is very important ‘cause the way we have to store it, and the way things are heated up, or re-hydrated, but the packaging right now is all waste,” Chamitoff said NASA needs “to make it [plastic waste] useable by itself

or for some purpose, or recycle isn’t the only thing wasted. it for a 3D printed material, or Sometimes food is wasted too. Chamitoff said, “it’s very hard to accommodate everybody and have stuff that everybody likes, so you run out of things, and other things nobody wants, or not enough people want, so stuff gets wasted.” Eliminating waste would be a big step for NASA, as it would mean reuse more resources, and have to waste less. Another large inconvenience is that people on board the ISS have to rely on NASA to send them -Gregory Chamitoff food. Vick said, “the biggest make other things.” struggle or better yet stated Even on Earth, we are having lack of convenience is not being issues with too much plastic able to get food from a store. trash. Recycling or reusing the They have to rely on NASA to plastic could lead to cheaper prepare, package, and ship all materials, and would also help their foods.” benefit the environment. Plastic The reliance on NASA to

‘It’s also a big part of the comradery of the crew, getting to know each other, you’re like a family there.”

Special food lockers are designed to store food in space, these lockers are on the Space Shuttle Discovery. Photo courtesy of NASA

receive food causes a lot more resources to be spent, they have to spend more time making the meals, use more plastic waste, and power rockets to the ISS. NASA has been working on a new solution to this problem. They have been working on growing food in space. Vick said, “food and plant life is grown with artificial light sources on the ISS on a regular basis. Lettuce has even been grown, harvested, and eaten by ISS crews.” Using a renewable food source like agriculture could help solve a lot of problems. If we could grow food in space astronauts wouldn’t need to rely on NASA to send them food and a lot of plastic waste would

be eliminated. Chamitoff has eaten lettuce grown in space, and said, “It’s also critical we learn how to grow food, we don’t want to just keep taking food from Earth for these long missions, we want to be able Peanut butter and tortilla floating in space. to grow food, for Photo courtesy of NASA greenhouses, and grow have community, and people food in space.” Even with all of these get together, and those are problems, food in space is enjoyable times, and food is a important because it brings big part of that, it’s also a big people together, and causes part of the comradery of the bonds to be made and promotes crew, getting to know each other, you’re like a family there. friendships. Chamitoff said “the You’re going to know each other mealtimes are when you for a long time.”

39 A system named Veg-01 uses red, green, and blue LED lights to grow lettuce in space. The first lettuce in space took 15 months to grow, and was harvested on Aug 10, 2015. Photo courtesy of NASA

Favorite Pizza Toppings 35 Students at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy in Austin, Texas were asked what their favorite pizza toppings were... Nithin Reddy-Designer

A total of 6 people chose cheese pizza, 7 people chose pineapple pizza, twelve people chose meat (either chicken, pepporoni, sausage, or bacon), and ten people chose veggie pizza (either spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, or jalepenos).