tin can ice cream

bizarre Foods

22/5/2019

Bizarre Foods Activity

Inspired by Andrew Zimmer

What is a Bizarre food? That is a great question. What is bizarre to one person is run of the mill to the next. For most children their list of bizarre is much longer than their adult counterparts. For example: My son was watching “Zombie Land” the other day, Woody Harrelson and Bill Murray are magic, and he asked, “What is a Twinkie? He is tearing places apart for something I have never tried.” If you were facing the end of times, what food would you be desperately searching for, and would someone in the world consider it Bizarre.

If you are looking for a fun party concept, for adults and children a like, I highly suggest the bizarre foods theme. You can take it in so many different directions: bizarre ice cream, bizarre fruits, bizarre vegetables, bizarre processed foods, etc… the list seems endless.

Let’s take a minute and I will walk you through just one of the bizarre foods classes I have had the pleasure of hosting.

I took a trip to my local Asian market. A place that is filled with fresh produce, strange creatures, and amazing fish flavored snacks. If you are looking for bizarre this place is right up most American’s Alley. I filled my cart full of items I was familiar with, but had not yet had the pleasure of preparing myself. This is a win/win for my students and me, as I am a self taught chef.

Class Set up

Before class began we laid our bounty on the table. Displaying items for the kids to walk around, touch, and explore while we waited for everyone to arrive.

We passed each bizarre food around and discussed where it came from, how it is prepared, and allowed the children to ask questions.

Sugar Cane

Some of the items were familiar like sugar. Sugar in it's raw cane form is bizarre to many.

Taro root and Oroblanco

We sliced and fried taro root, a native of Southeast Asia and India, a food staple in places like Hawaii and the Caribbean .We peeled and divided up an oroblanco. An oroblanco is a sweet seedless citrus hybrid fruit similar to grapefruit.

Durian

The Durian, also known as jack fruit, looks like a dinosaur egg and when the kids found out that it was actually a smelly fruit, their little minds were blown.

Quail Eggs

The quail eggs were a favorite. They are cute, tiny, and the kids were impressed with the fact that they tasted just like any egg, but better because of their size!

Dried Anchovies

Dried fish is a huge part of Asian food cultures and I was proud that every kid was brave enough to take a nibble.

Balut

The most bizarre food on the table that day was balut. We explored this food first by cracking open the fetal duck egg and taking a look at it in its raw form. This was a science class for sure. So many questions came from this one food. Why would someone eat this? Where does this come from? What is that sac

Then we cooked the egg and the questions just came pouring on in.

Questions are how we learn! Inspiring people to ask questions and learn helps us evolve and grow. Even if the question is, “What is a Twinkie?”

This activity is sure to impress and will be remember by all involved!

1 Comment

tin can ice cream dreams

20/5/2019

1 Comment

Tin Can ICe Cream

Ice cream is such a simple and delicious treat that many of us take for granted. We pop into our local shops, reach into the freezer, and voilà… ICE CREAM! Well that is good and all, but making ice cream made the old fashion way tastes so much sweeter. It also happens to be the perfect activity for birthday parties, summer BBQs, and camps.
You start with your favorite Ice cream recipe. I have included a simple recipe that uses only four ingredients.

2 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean scraped
Pinch of salt
Rock salt or ice cream salt
ice cubes
4 large can 12 small cans
Duct tape

I start with the vanilla bean, which the kids always seem to be amazed by. You will need to slice it down the middle and scape out the insides.

Take a medium sized pot and add the milk, sugar, vanilla bean, and pinch of salt into it. Place the pot onto the stove over medium low heat until the sugar melts and the aroma of vanilla fills the air. This process is simply melting the sugar for a smoother consistency.

Once your mixture is ready you will need to cool it. Submerge the pot into a large ice bath. Once the mixture has cooled you may either place in the refrigerator for later or start the freezing process.

The Tin-Can Process

Now that you have your ice cream mixture ready you will need to place it into the small container. I ordered small 4oz food quality tins from amazon. This is the perfect portion for each child at the event. Fill the 4oz containers 3/4 of the way full. Then seal the lids with duct tape to prevent them from leaking.

Once the 4oz tins are secured, you will need to grab your larger vessels. I went to the hardware store and was able to buy empty paint cans, but a large coffee can will do just as well. Start by filling the bottom of the container with a 1/10 ratio of salt/ice.

Then place three of the 4oz containers on top of the ice. Next fill the container to the top with the same ratio of salt/ice mixture . Seal the tin with a rubber mallet, rock, or whatever you use to seal a paint can. If it is a coffee can I suggest duct taping the lid to prevent leaks.

Now it is time to play. The kids will need to shake the cans. This can be done by rolling them on the ground or shaking them in the air. You can make up relay races or simply pass it back and forth between friends. What ever your process, make it fun!

The can will start to collect frost on the outside and the ice inside will begin to melt. You may need to drain the cans and add more salt ice mixture. It took our crew approximately 15 min to 20 min for a soft serve dish of awesomeness to be created.