This study presents techniques that can be applied to optimize the quality of coated fried chicken nuggets. / Heat and mass transfer during deep fat frying of breaded chicken nugget was simultaneously modeled using the moving boundary concept. Numerical software FEMLABRTM 3.0 was used to solve the proposed model. To validate the model, experiments were conducted. Chicken nuggets were made with wheat flour based batter and breading. The samples were fried in a fryer using oil temperatures at 160, 170 and 180°C. Total frying times ranged from 90 to 300 s. A good agreement was obtained between predicted and observed results. / During the deep-frying process, the chicken nuggets samples shrank because of moisture loss and protein denaturation. Particle density and bulk volume shrinkage were analyzed at 3 different frying temperatures (160, 170 and 180°C). Particle density and shrinkage of the samples was measured using the liquid displacement technique with water. A linear relation was found for particle densities with moisture loss. The relationship between volumetric shrinkage and moisture loss was also found to be linear and the linear equation may be useful in predicting the volumetric shrinkage during frying. / In order to reduce the oil absorption of chicken nuggets during the frying process, the influence of pretreatment in microwave on the moisture and oil transfer in the coating and core layers of coated chicken nuggets were studied. Chicken nuggets pretreated in a microwave oven for 1 or 2 min were fried at 160°C for times ranging from 90 to 300 s to evaluate oil transfer. Microwave pretreatment had an important effect on moisture loss and oil uptake of chicken nuggets during deep-fat frying.

In Adult Education-Restaurant students often have a negative attitude towards the subject of math. Often mathematics is associated with what experiences the students had of this subject in elementary school - experiences that many times reduce the motivation for the same that is so frequent in the catering industry, in different contexts. Mathematics more or less unconsciously permeates restaurant profession at large, and as a chef you must realize the importance of mathematics in your daily work in the kitchen.   The purpose of the work is to develop the mathematics lesson weight and volume by planning and designing more stimulating lessons accommodated in the kitchen - combining calculation problems with the work in a real kitchen environment. The aim is to help increase the students’ motivation for and understanding of the importance of mathematics in the kitchen work.   An action-oriented research method was used where students in a survey were asked to answer questions about their previous experiences with mathematics and how they themselves thought that motivating lessons on mathematics in cooking should be designed.   The survey revealed that the majority of the students thought that the mathematics lessons weight and volume preferably should take place in the kitchen. Based on the responses and previous experiences of lessons on mathematics in cooking, new lessons on mathematics in cooking were designed and held with real utensils, raw materials and recipes in the authentic cooking environment. The integration of the lessons weight and volume with the practical work in the kitchen area motivated the students. This can eventually give the students an increased understanding leaving them less negative to the subject. / Inom Vuxenutbildningen - Restaurang - visar eleverna ofta en negativ attityd till ämnet matematik, inte sällan är ämnet förknippat med hur eleverna upplevde lektionerna i grundskolan. Erfarenheter som hos eleverna många gånger bidrar till att minska motivationen för ett ämne och som är vanligt förkommande inom restaurangbranschen - i olika sammanhang. Matematiken genomsyrar mer eller mindre omedvetet restaurangyrket i stort och som kock måste du inse betydelsen av köksmatematik i det dagliga arbetet i köket. Syftet med arbetet var att utveckla matematiklektionen Vikt och volym genom att planera och skapa mer stimulerande lektioner förlagda i köket samt förena räkneuppgifter med arbete i den reella köksmiljön. Avsikten är att bidra till att öka elevernas motivation samt förståelse för matematikens betydelse i verksamheten i köket.   En aktionsinriktad forskningsmetod har använts där eleverna i en enkät fick besvara frågor om sina tidigare erfarenheter av matematik, samt hur eleverna själva ser hur motiverande köksmatematiklektioner torde vara utformade.   Undersökningen visade att flertalet av eleverna med fördel såg att matematiklektionerna Vikt och volym tog sin plats i köket. Utefter svaren samt tidigare erfarenheter från lektioner i ämnet köksmatematik, planerades och genomfördes köksmatematiklektioner integrerat med reella redskap, råvaror och recept i den autentiska köksmiljön. Integreringen av lektionen Vikt och volym till köket motiverade eleverna. Detta kan i en förlängning leda till ökad förståelse hos eleverna och därmed mindre negativitet till ämnet som sådant.

There is growing demand for functional foods and ingredients as a result of their health-promoting properties. In this work, the potential of common buckwheat flour (Supreme) and bran (Farinetta) in improving upon the phenolic and antioxidant properties of durum spaghetti was investigated. The effects of processing and cooking on these properties were also studied in addition to the cooking quality and carbohydrate digestibility of spaghetti products. Among uncooked spaghetti samples, there were huge increments of between 114 and 522% for TPC, 50 and 242% for TFC, 359 and 1000% for DPPH antioxidant activity, and 101 and 197% for ORAC values of the experimental spaghetti samples over the control. Farinetta contributed more phenolic and antioxidant compounds than Supreme flour. Processing resulted in losses ranging from 1.2 to 33.7% in TFC and 42.0 to 55.3% in DPPH antioxidant activity. Cooking also resulted in significant losses (p < 0.05) of up to 39% in TPC, 40% in DPPH antioxidant activity, 22% in rutin content, and 55% in TFC in experimental samples. Cooking losses of up to 8.82% were recorded for the experimental samples and were higher in Farinetta-substituted products. These were generally higher than that of the control (6.33%). The introduction of buckwheat increased carbohydrate digestibility of products, but at the same time resulted in an overall lower release of reducing sugars after of 120 min of in vitro hydrolysis. Results show that the phenolic and antioxidant properties of durum spaghetti fortified with buckwheat milling fractions can compare favourably with those of 100% whole buckwheat pasta, and at the same time, maintain a higher cooking quality due to the presence of semolina.

The management of the home has been a central component of Home Economics since the early 1900s. It is, however, an enigmatic behavior that has not yielded easily to research. Recognizing that meal provision and food consumption by families incorporate management processes and occur on a regular and frequent basis, it was thought that it would be possible to focus on meal management as a step toward understanding resource management. Using time diary and questionnaire data collected in Utah as a part of Regional Research Project S-206, the objectives of this study were (1) to identify variables which may predict the management strategies and time expenditures of meal preparation in two-parent, two-child Utah families, and (2) to assess any changes in current meal patterns in two-parent, two-child families with those reported by Peterson (1979) in a comparable 1977 study. Guided by the Deacon and Firebaugh (1988) family systems perspective, stepwise multiple regression was used to identify predictor variables. It was found that homemaker's education was a statistically significant predictor of shopping frequency(+), frequency of use of a microwave oven(+), number of meals eaten together(+), and homemaker's time in food preparation and dishwashing (-). Seven additional variables, including urban/rural residence, homemaker's hours of employment, age of oldest child, age of youngest child, homemaker's age and a mean score on homemaker's self-reported management skills, were statistically significant predictors of selected management strategies and time expenditures in meal preparation. Decade comparisons revealed few changes of practical significance in meal patterns. The findings of the study were used to suggest hypotheses for further research in family resource management. / Graduation date: 1992

This thesis presents the results of experimental and archaeological investigations of microscopic plant residues on Lapita pottery from the western Pacific Islands. Lapita is a critical phase in the culture history of the Pacific region and has been associated with the development and spread of a subsistence system based on the cultivation of tropical starch crops, particularly those in the taro-yam complex. However, few archaeobotanical remains been recovered from Lapita sites to lend empirical support to this model. This study explores whether microscopic starch granules, calcium oxalate crystals and other plant microremains on Lapita potsherds can provide direct evidence for the preparation and consumption of staple plant foods, as well as important clues to the function and use of pottery in Lapita society, matters which remain the subject of some debate. This research was undertaken in two main phases. The first involved a series of technical studies aimed at developing methods for recovering and identifying starch and raphide residues on archaeological pottery. Changes to starch during cooking and charring under different heat and moisture conditions were examined to understand how granules survive differentially depending on cooking method and food type. Various methods used to extract native starch granules from charred residues were then tested and a procedure based on a weak oxidising treatment was developed for use on the archaeological residues. The reliability of calcium oxalate raphide analysis, which is much less developed than that of starch, was also critically assessed. Issues with previous identifications of raphides in Pacific microfossil assemblages were highlighted. Morphological criteria were presented for identifying aroid raphides more accurately and chemical tests were developed to differentiate them from naturally-occurring calcite crystals, which were abundant in the sites analysed. The second phase of research analysed microscopic residues on Lapita and post-Lapita potsherds from archaeological sites in the Mussau and Anir Islands (PNG), the Reef Islands (Solomon Islands), New Caledonia, and the Samoan Archipelago. Despite the generally small quantities of residue recovered from the archaeological samples, several sherds with possible use-related starch residues were identified. These initial results indicate that ceramic vessels, including both plain and dentate-decorated Lapita wares, were employed in a variety of tasks involving the cooking and/or consumption, and storage or preparation of starch-based foods. It was also found that these were among the activities performed at the ‘special purpose’ stilt house structure at the ECA site, which raises questions about the possible social or ritual status of staple starch resources in Lapita society. One of the most significant findings to emerge from this study was of taro (Colocasia esculenta) starch granules on sherds from the ERA Lapita site (Anir, New Ireland), and granules identified tentatively as taro on sherds from RF-2 (Reef Islands) and Mulifanua (Samoa). A number of unidentified morphotypes were also present on the Lapita and post-Lapita sherds, suggesting that a variety of plants not among the key root crops were also exploited. These may include some of the many fruits and nuts attested in archaeobotanical assemblages from Pacific sites. The ceramic residue data complement starch and phytolith evidence recovered from cultural sediments from RF-2, which demonstrate the presence and probable exploitation of a suite of crop plants typically associated with the Lapita ‘economic package’. In addition to taro, these include at least one cultivated species of Eumusa banana, non-domesticated (seeded) Australimusa bananas, bamboo, and possibly also Canarium, coconut, and sago. These data support models suggesting that Lapita groups were cultivating and transporting subsistence plants, including at least one of the major root crop complexes, and associated knowledge of their production and preparation across the western Pacific from the mid-late Holocene. This study demonstrated that analyses of microscopic starch residues on archaeological ceramics from the Pacific region can yield significant insights into vessel use and plant exploitation. Further methodological refinements should aim to increase starch yields, which will enable stronger associations between residues and vessel uses to be established. Expansion of reference collections is also required so that more precise identifications of the specific plant foods involved can be achieved.

This thesis presents the results of experimental and archaeological investigations of microscopic plant residues on Lapita pottery from the western Pacific Islands. Lapita is a critical phase in the culture history of the Pacific region and has been associated with the development and spread of a subsistence system based on the cultivation of tropical starch crops, particularly those in the taro-yam complex. However, few archaeobotanical remains been recovered from Lapita sites to lend empirical support to this model. This study explores whether microscopic starch granules, calcium oxalate crystals and other plant microremains on Lapita potsherds can provide direct evidence for the preparation and consumption of staple plant foods, as well as important clues to the function and use of pottery in Lapita society, matters which remain the subject of some debate. This research was undertaken in two main phases. The first involved a series of technical studies aimed at developing methods for recovering and identifying starch and raphide residues on archaeological pottery. Changes to starch during cooking and charring under different heat and moisture conditions were examined to understand how granules survive differentially depending on cooking method and food type. Various methods used to extract native starch granules from charred residues were then tested and a procedure based on a weak oxidising treatment was developed for use on the archaeological residues. The reliability of calcium oxalate raphide analysis, which is much less developed than that of starch, was also critically assessed. Issues with previous identifications of raphides in Pacific microfossil assemblages were highlighted. Morphological criteria were presented for identifying aroid raphides more accurately and chemical tests were developed to differentiate them from naturally-occurring calcite crystals, which were abundant in the sites analysed. The second phase of research analysed microscopic residues on Lapita and post-Lapita potsherds from archaeological sites in the Mussau and Anir Islands (PNG), the Reef Islands (Solomon Islands), New Caledonia, and the Samoan Archipelago. Despite the generally small quantities of residue recovered from the archaeological samples, several sherds with possible use-related starch residues were identified. These initial results indicate that ceramic vessels, including both plain and dentate-decorated Lapita wares, were employed in a variety of tasks involving the cooking and/or consumption, and storage or preparation of starch-based foods. It was also found that these were among the activities performed at the ‘special purpose’ stilt house structure at the ECA site, which raises questions about the possible social or ritual status of staple starch resources in Lapita society. One of the most significant findings to emerge from this study was of taro (Colocasia esculenta) starch granules on sherds from the ERA Lapita site (Anir, New Ireland), and granules identified tentatively as taro on sherds from RF-2 (Reef Islands) and Mulifanua (Samoa). A number of unidentified morphotypes were also present on the Lapita and post-Lapita sherds, suggesting that a variety of plants not among the key root crops were also exploited. These may include some of the many fruits and nuts attested in archaeobotanical assemblages from Pacific sites. The ceramic residue data complement starch and phytolith evidence recovered from cultural sediments from RF-2, which demonstrate the presence and probable exploitation of a suite of crop plants typically associated with the Lapita ‘economic package’. In addition to taro, these include at least one cultivated species of Eumusa banana, non-domesticated (seeded) Australimusa bananas, bamboo, and possibly also Canarium, coconut, and sago. These data support models suggesting that Lapita groups were cultivating and transporting subsistence plants, including at least one of the major root crop complexes, and associated knowledge of their production and preparation across the western Pacific from the mid-late Holocene. This study demonstrated that analyses of microscopic starch residues on archaeological ceramics from the Pacific region can yield significant insights into vessel use and plant exploitation. Further methodological refinements should aim to increase starch yields, which will enable stronger associations between residues and vessel uses to be established. Expansion of reference collections is also required so that more precise identifications of the specific plant foods involved can be achieved.

Lentils, one of the cool-season pulses, are consumed as a staple food in most developing countries. The demand for pulses in western societies is increasing because of its valuable nutritional quality and an increased awareness of health issues. Australia has a good reputation for producing clean low moisture legume products and could increase as market share of lentil production by identifying, developing and promoting good quality varieties.Lentils which are graded as good quality varieties must have a short and uniform cooking time, without 'hard to cook' seed, have the hull stay attached to the seed during cooking, and have a final acceptable taste, texture, flavour and appearance after cooking (Bhatty 1990). Cooking quality in this study is defined as the maximum force (N) that is required to compress the whole seed cooked product after cooking for a standard period of time. This study aims to develop an objective measurement to determine the cooking quality of lentils and thereby evaluates the relationships between lentil cooking quality and some of its physical and biochemical properties. Four cultivars used (Cassab, Digger, ILL 7180 and Matilda) were grown during 1999 at Mullewa and Pingaring, Western Australia. The relationship between the cooking quality of lentil and water absorption, seed size, seed coat thickness, phytic acid, mineral composition and initial moisture content was investigated.Texture measurement was carried out using the TA.XT2i meter as an alternative to the subjective method "Cooking time test". By comparing the cooking time determined by 'Cooking time test, 220 N was established and suggested as an optimal peak compression force to determine the adequate cooking time for lentils. Both methods showed that 35 minutes cooking time was adequate for red lentils (Cassab, Digger, and ILL 7180), and 45 minutes for green lentils ++ / (Matilda).Cooking significantly reduced the hardness of the seeds (R= - 0.752 to - 0.89) and promoted mineral leaching (P < 0.05). The interaction between environment and genotype had a significant effect on seed size, seed coat thickness, mineral composition (Phytic acid, Ne, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+ M+, Fe2+ and CU2+) and hardness (P< 0.05). Seed coat thickness did not correlated with this rate of water uptake and cooking quality. Growing environments had a greater influence on the cooking quality than genotypes. Lentils grown at Pingaring are generally had a higher in Phyti acid content, better mineral retention and were harder in texture than those grown at Mullewa.The results of this study implicated that the peak compression force (220 N) was identified as an indicator to determine the cooking time of lentil cultivars. Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) is a useful method to evaluate various texture characteristics (hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, springiness, gumminess and adhesiveness) of lentil cultivars. Cooking quality of lentil is significantly affected by the effect of varieties and growing locations. However, not the various biochemical compositions (phytic acid and minerals) and the thickness of seed coat have no significant effect on the cooking quality of lentil.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Adelaide, Master of Arts in Gastonomy, 2004. / "August 2004" Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-73).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 42-44).

Thesis equivalent (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1948.