Week one: Working on Presentation and Making Whipped Cream.

I was cooking a meal every single day, and I have made Strawberry Shortcake, lemon salmon with cilantro lime rice and melon salsa, a crepe, homemade hand-

whipped lemon whipped cream, chocolate-covered strawberries, sweet potatoes with a banana cream cheese/goat cheese sauce, and herb chicken with greek potatoes.

But, I have to say, through my whole week, I feel the most accomplished by my strawberry shortcake. It was super fun and pretty easy to make the biscuits, macerated strawberries, and whipped cream. I made my own whipped cream for this dessert because I wanted regular whipped cream. Since my mom and brother are lactose intolerant, my mom has a rule that I have to hand whip it if she buys whipping cream. (Also, in my mind, it helps me "burn" some of the calories; it can be tiring) but when making homemade whipped cream, it can be sort of complicated for people who haven't made it before. So, I have a few tips.

First, cool the equipment (bowl and whisk); I put it in the freezer while getting my ingredients. It helps whip it better and faster. That is, assuming I can fit it there. This isn't always the case (especially after we go to Trader Joe's and raid their food supply).

Then, I get my ingredients; heavy whipping cream. Heavy whipping cream makes the whipped cream stiffer and creamier than just whipping cream, which may have less fat; powdered sugar, cream of tartar (it works with or without it. If it's not in your recipe, don't stress*), and flavoring; I use vanilla paste, but extract works too. Also, the chocolate powder works, but I put lemon zest for my strawberry shortcake (because, when using the juice, you can risk it curdling).

*I don't use a recipe, but I would advise it to get the best ingredient ratios if it's your first time.

Next, Put in the Cream and start whisking. What works best for me is to pick it up, whisk in a folding motion in a circle, and switch arms when I get tired. When it gets foamy, add in the flavoring and sugar**. I don't use a recipe, so I add it a little until it tastes sweet enough. Pay Attention; this is the most important part. It would be best if you didn't over whip it, or soon it will turn into clumpy butter (it still tastes good, but not what you're looking for). It will start to get stiffer; you are looking for medium peaks. When you lift your whisk/beaters out, it will make a slightly sturdy peak, but the top with droop. A fun test I like to do that they did on Master Chef is lifting it above your head; if it's not stiff enough, then it wasn't ready, and you have all of your whipped cream on the floor. So, it would help if you were fairly certain when you try it. Also, because we have dogs, it would be gone in seconds.

**Note: some people put all the ingredients in first. However, I put them in later.

Finally, eat it! You can put it on pie, bagels, chocolate milk, cake, and in this case, strawberry shortcake.

But, for this dessert, I really wanted to focus on the presentation; I have been inspired by scrolling through Pinterest; the food presentation there is very precise and beautiful. Pinterest can be quite addicting... In restaurants, the presentation can sometimes be more important than taste because social media is a big part of our society and marketing. They can't taste the food through the phone. But, if it looks appealing, you would want to try it (because you eat with your eyes before you even get to try it).

There was an experiment on how even color changes our perspective on food because your brain is programmed to choose foods that will give your body the greatest nutrients. To get a balanced diet, you need a mixture of different colors (and we stay away from foods that our eyes perceive as dangerous, like moldy fruit). Also, the different colors make you perceive different flavors. The color red makes things taste 11% sweeter (tomato, apples), and the color green is connected to healthier foods. I think it is so interesting because when I learn the science behind what makes food delicious, you can use that information in your cooking to color your icing the right color or why you want the smoke rings in barbeque.

What helped me the most when making my presentation was the music; It helps me get inspired and creative. I'll try different things and experiment with them. It also just brings my family together; On a nice day, I'll open the back door, jam out with mom helping me (the dogs that are always in the wrong places at the wrong times), and finish with sitting outside and enjoying time together; the whole family.