Mexican Chefs Cook Up a Soy Celebration

May 28, 2010

Soy ceviche, soy chorizo and refried edamame were just a few of the recipes that dazzled everyone on Tuesday as fifteen chefs and ten food buyers and brokers from Mexico created delicious dishes using Solae soy ingredients in the University of Illinois kitchens.

The day began with NSRL presentations by Bridget Owen, associate director; Karl Weingartner, food technologist; and Stacey Krawczyk, research dietitian. Solae then presented their new soy products and the chefs had the opportunity to taste test food samples created with the innovative soy ingredients. Using fresh vegetables and herbs, alluring textured soy and vibrant colored chiles, the chefs then created mouthwatering and delectable dishes that rivaled the best episode of Chopped or Iron Chef. The cameras clicked and the chefs cheered each other as they declared themselves winners of the Soy Sensational Cookoff! Business cards were exchanged and the event wrapped up with the sharing of email addresses, business cards, handshakes and even hugs. We're already thinking ahead to the next group we'd like to invite to NSRL to create new soy recipes using innovative soy ingredients.

Resting on our laurels was short lived as preparation continues for INTSOY 2010 that begins June 6th. Over 62 participants from 18 countries are anticipated to attend the week long short course about processing, utilization and marketing of soybeans for meat, dairy and baking applications. Final touches are underway in the ABL kitchen renovation project which will be showcased during day three of the short course when participants roll up their sleeves and cook with soy.

We were pleased to welcome Rita from Kilgali, Rwanda this week. She is a government official interested in learning more about soy production, nutrition and international programs. She had the opportunity to tour our pilot plant facility and she shared information with us about Rwanda and current programs and projects.

Other activities at NSRL this week included meetings about future Managed Research Areas, the taping of six PowerPoint presentations about soy nutrition, international nutrition programs, NSRL work in Haiti, VIPS, Japanese Beetles and their impact on soy and INTSOY 2011. You'll be able to access these presentations and many others in the coming months, when they will be posted on our website: http://www.nsrl.illinois.edu/

As we celebrate Memorial Day this weekend and participate in backyard barbeques and gatherings with family and friends, we want to take a moment to express our gratitude to our veterans and military - - all those who served and are serving still. We pause and pay tribute to the brave Americans who have given so much in the name of freedom. Thank you.

Regards,

Bridget

NSRL: This week at a glance

It was a fast and furious week at NSRL and it was also an anxious week for soybean farmers who
were busy getting soybeans planted before the rains hit. For many fields planted before the rain, farmers are keeping close eye on germination and emerging seeds. We hope this fast paced planting season leads to outstanding yields when it's all said and done.

On Monday we had the opportunity to learn the latest and greatest regarding livestock genome mapping and sequencing. The research will pinpoint genes that are useful to the livestock industry or are involved in immunity or other important physiological processes in livestock. It will enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict livestock. The mapping of genomes holds the potential for research breakthroughs in the areas of agriculture, medicine, and even conservation. It will also be important for the study of human health because certain aspects of livestock production including physiology, behavior and nutritional needs can provide insight into human disease and health. Lyle Roberts and Craig Ratajczyk from Illinois Soybean Association were in attendance to hear Dr. Jozef Kokini, Dean of Research, College of ACES give updates on genome mapping.

The Illinois Center for Soy Foods held their monthly meeting on Tuesday to discuss soy nutrition. The Soy Solutions for School Webinar was an overwhelming success. Over 250 participants learned more about incorporating soy in their school lunch menu. NSRL's own Stacey Krawczyk moderated the webinar and the featured speakers included a representative from the USDA, several school districts that include soy on their menu and a spokesperson from the Soyfoods Association of North America.

NSRL staff enjoyed a tour and interactive discussion about soy processing at Incobrasa Industries in Gilman, Illinois on Wednesday. We had the chance to view their bottling and packaging facility that processes over 24,000 bottles of soybean oil per hour. We also learned more about their meal, pellet and biodiesel operations. We then headed north to the Chicago Board of Trade and were touring the facility when the markets closed and traders scurried to make last minute deals. We were fascinated by the brightly colored jackets worn by traders and inquired about membership, electronic trading and the intracacies of the pits. It rained most of the day, but we didn't let the weather damper our spirits.

Thursday included planning meetings in Bloomington at the Illinois Soybean Association regarding the upcoming ISA Summer Tour being held at the University of Illinois on July 20th. Production research will be highlighted and tours of research plots are at the top of the priority list, weather permitting.

Representatives from the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) and the World Soy Foundation (WSF) were at NSRL on Friday for a strategy and planning meeting regarding international soy projects and programs for the coming year. Malnutrition continues to be the gravest single threat to the world's public health and improving nutrition is widely regarded as the most effective form of aid. WISHH, WSF and NSRL continue to look for soy solutions in the areas of school lunch programs, early childhood nutrition, nutrition support for devasting diseases and microenterprise program development. The need for soy protein solutions around the world is significant. NSRL international programs have a common theme - - provide nutrition support in the areas around the world that face extreme challenges of malnutrition and chronic disease.

Thanks to all those who contributed time, talent and tenacity to get the international grant proposal out the door and on its way for review this week. This proposal is truly a multi-faceted collaboration between other University of Illinois faculty and staff, other universities and many international partners.

Sarah Cervantes - Pahm, University of Illinois graduate student under Dr. Hans Stein in the Monogastric Nutrition Laboratory, spent time this week in the NSRL pilot plant working with the hammer mill. Scott Buchanan assisted Sarah working with equipment and processing procedures.

Remodeling of the ABL kitchen is well underway and completion is on schedule. We look forward to using the new and improved kitchen facilities for the upcoming INTSOY Short Course that begins June 6th.

We bid farewell to our graduating senior, Brittany Small this week. Brittany has been a student worker for NSRL for over a year and her positive attitude and infectious smile will be missed in the halls of NSRL. We wish Brittany the best as she enters the world of U of I Alumnus.

Regards,

Bridget

Colorful banners line the streets of Santa Cruz de Yojoa, Honduras

Dear Honduras Trip Blog Followers,



It's Friday, May 7th and another warm, well really hot, day in San Pedro Sula. We began the day with the drive to Santa Cruz de Yojoa. It is a beautiful time in the country as many flowering trees are in bloom and as we drive we see bright yellow, pink, and fuchsia flowers on tree branches stretching over the roadway. It is really quite lovely.



The CARE team had done another outstanding job of locating a fantastic space for the trainng session. This time we worked in the Centro Basico School which is the same school we have been working to incorporate TSP into the meals with the support of Cargill.



There is a local fair in Santa Cruz de Yojoa this weekend and the town is in the midst of preparation with colorful banners, street vendor stands and much activity everywhere. A dance is planned for the school and the students will be decked out in historical costumes that depict local culture and highlight times gone by. I love a fair and this is such a unexpected, yet welcomed treat.



Over thirty people gathered for today's training. Viji and I feel a little bit like Bill Murray

in the 1993 movie Groundhog Day. The lines from the movie go: "Do you know what today is?"
"No what?" "Today, is tomorrow." "Do you ever have deja vu Mrs. Lancaster?" "No, I don't think so, but I can check with the kitchen." We presented the same information as yesterday and even with that repetitive scenario, the audience is unique and very interested in what we have to share. They are focused on the presentations and participate in a lively discussion about school nutrition and the importance of nutritional needs at various life stages.



Our team returned to San Pedro Sula to have a very productive meeting with Miguel Lopez from CARE. It was an excellent way to complete our time in Honduras.



Hasta luegos were shared all around because it is not good bye to Honduras and our friends and associates, only a see you later as we will continue to work on the challenges of malnutrition through soy solutions in a country that has come to feel like our home away from home.



Viji and I are wrapping things up tonight as we prepare for an early trip home tomorrow morning.



Bridget

Soy on the Menu in San Pedro Sula Honduras

We are serving up soy in Honduras this week as our morning begins with a short car ride to the CEPUDO Warehouse in San Pedro Sula. We are welcomed by the CEPUDO Team who will be working with us to conduct training sessions on soy nutrition and cooking with soy.

We've learned from previous workshops that incorporating soy into local recipes is an excellent option for easily including soy. During our cooking demonstrations, we add TSP to Spanish Rice or Corn Soy Blend to Tamale Pie. Our workshop participants get to enjoy their creations when they're done cooking and are pleasantly surprised by how delicious and nutritious the recipes turn out.

CEPUDO is a local, non-governmental organization (NGO), that has been making a significant difference in Honduras for over six years. They provide support for daycare centers, run vocational training centers, assist with clothing and supply donations form Food for the Poor, build new homes and community centers and even (my favorite), teach people how to culture fish in their aquaculture programs. I highly recommend getting a first hand look at the tilipia farm next time you are in Honduras at CEPUDO in San Pedro Sula.

The weather in San Pedro Sula is above 80 degrees today and a bit cloudy, but that isn't impacting our training as we've got a very enthusiastic group of people from local daycare centers (called Guaderias), some Cargill volunteers and mothers and caregivers of students from local schools. In Honduras, many parents have responsibilty for meal preparation at their children's schools, so they are intrigued and eager to learn about soy and the important role it can play in their children's overall health and well being.

We are fortunate to also have representatives from La Lima Nursery School and entreprenuers from a vegetarian restaurant involved in the training. The women of Casa Aurora are also participants in the workshop. Casa Aurora is a local NGO that supports families living with HIV/AIDS. The women of Casa Aurora are genuinely creative chefs when it comes to using soy and will probably some day be featured on a Food Network Show that highlights their kitchen prowness. NSRL and the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health have partnered with Casa Aurora for several years and have worked with them to market small packages of Textured Soy Protein (TSP) that can be sold locally. The women of Casa Aurora have also created some finished food stuffs containing TSP that have hit the market by storm and are visually appealing and quite delicious! Continued growth in sales of soy is highly anticipated in the coming year.

We are impressed by the level of interest of the workshop participants and their passion to cook and find new and innovative ways to use soy and boost the protein level of local dishes. The diversity of the group adds to lively conversation about ingredients, spices and tips and techniques for meal preparation. We'd like to bottle their eagerness to learn and it is our hope that our local partner, CEPUDO, will be able to harness the interest that's been generated and find more recipes that can easily incorporate soy.

The local daycare centers are participating in the training sessions, so they can use soy ingredients when preparing meals for the young children who attend their schools. La Lima Nursery School got involved with soy through a representative from Fruit of the Loom who had attended the Nutrition Solutions for Central America- A Corporate Social Repsonsibility Conference held in February and sponsored by Cargill, Fundarhse, World Soy Foundation, WISHH and NSRL.

CEPUDO operates a bakery microenterprise where they use soy flour in their recipes to increase the protein content. They've found that using soy flour also makes their final products brown nicely and gives them an appealing texture and consistency.

CEPUDO is a recent recipient of a SoyCow. Now this cow is different than most, as it doesn't moo, doesn't have a bell around it's neck and requires no hay to produce milk. Rotary Usula and the World Soy Foundation were instrumental in helping aquire a SoyCow for CEPUDO to use in their microenterprise efforts. The SoyCow is mechanical and is fed with whole soybeans and processes the beans into nutritional soymilk and okara. CEPUDO is operating the SoyCow, also called Vaca Mechanica. The soymilk program brings to market soymilk, tofu and soy yogurt to the community and a portion of the products are donated to local schools.

It's been a whirlwind workshop with the end result being good soy food, new found friends, and a hands-on cooking class that gave participants the opportunity to become comfortable using soy to improve the nutrition and increase the protein while maintaining the taste and flavor of local food favorites.

As Viji and I return to our home away from home - the hotel - and I put my feet up for just a moment before getting back to grant writing, I reflect on what has turned out to be a worthwhile trip and outstanding training session. I'll end here for the day as it has been a SOY SUCCESS!

Bridget