SP.287 / 5.S15 / ESG.SP287 Kitchen Chemistry

Welcome to the seminar entitled Kitchen Chemistry. This is a Pass/Fail, 6-unit seminar (2 hours of class and 4 hours of reading and homework per week). This seminar is designed to look at cooking from a scientific basis. Each week we will do an edible experiment and look at the science behind how it all works. Not only will chemical principles be examined, but also biochemical, biological, microbiological, and maybe even a little physics. Students are required to attend at least 80% of the classes.




http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Special-Programs/SP-287Spring-2009/Syllabus/index.htm


SES # TOPICS
1 Guacamole, salsa, make your own hot sauce, and quesadillas
2 Cookie - death by chocolate
3 Pancakes
4 Bread
5 Scones and coffee
6 Meringue
7 Jams and jellies
8 Three bean chili and corn bread
9 Cheese
10 Molecular gastronomy
11 Wacky cake
12 Ice cream
13 Peer teaching
14 Pasta, meatballs, and crème brulee



Additional readings, organized by topic:

Guacamole, Salsa, and Quesadillas

How do we rate chili peppers?
How do you make tortillas?
Instructions on ripening and peeling avocados.
Why should we eat avocados?
History of the avocado
Cookie – Death by Chocolate

Shopping for Chocolate
Chocolate is being made in Hawaii. Learn some fun facts about vintage chocolate
Processing the cocoa bean
Where does chocolate come from?
Botanical classification of the cocoa plant
How are the cocoa beans processed to make chocolate?
Chocolate Classifications
Do you know the differences between the types of chocolate?
What is the difference between natural and dutch processed cocoa?
Chocolate and the Brain
Why do we crave chocolate?
Receptor in the brain that interacts with chocolate
Chocolate and Health
Health benefits of chocolate
Chocolate as a drug for Diabetes
Chocolate Science
Here's an actual chemical article about chocolate
There is a traveling exhibit from the Field Museum that is all about chocolate. Click here for more information.
Fun Sites
Homepage for the Laboratory for Chocolate Science at MIT
You can take a class at the University of Georgia called Chocolate Science
Pancakes

Additional Reading:
Pancakes as viewed from a chemical engineering perspective
Everything you did not really want to know about harvesting maple syrup
Instructions to go out and tap a maple tree yourself
Fun Sites
Three pancake math problem
IHOP
Bread and Salt

Yeast
Learn what exactly yeast does in the bread
Explore the science of yeast
History of yeast
Bread chemistry
Hints on braiding bread
Bread science 101
The purpose of each of the ingredients in bread
All About Gluten
Did you know that there is an International Gluten Workshop?
Information on Salt
Salt facts
This is what people who watch too much Food Network dream about!
Instructions for the salt tasting:
Onto a slice of bread (we will be using a baguette or unsalted soda cracker), put some unsalted butter.
Sprinkle your salt of choice
Describe how it tastes
Rinse mouth with water
Repeat steps 1 to 4 with a different salt
Scones and Coffee

What exactly is a scone suppose to be?
Coffee
Learn all about the science of coffee (growing, harvesting, processing, etc) at the coffeeresearch.org site
You should look at how to taste the coffee (called cupping)
We bought our green coffee from Sweet Maria's
The "primary objective is to bring balance to the coffee and health debate" Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee's
Leavening agents
Baking soda Vs. baking powder
Composition of baking powder
Fun sites:
Look at the University of Guelph's Dairy Chemistry and Physics site. Do you know the pH of milk?
Meringues

Meringue making
Why is a copper bowl the best?
A chemist's explanation of the use of copper bowls
Tips for whipping egg whites
More tips on meringues
All about eggs
Fun sites
Did you know there is an American Egg Board?
Jams and Jellies

Step by step procedures of canning
History of jam
Why does this recipe have so much sugar?
Scientific writings on jam making
Short history of jam making
Chili and Cornbread

Chili
The difference between Hot and sweet peppers
History of chili
What's Beano?
Asparagus, beets, and artichokes
We will also be tasting beets, asparagus and artichokes. For these experiments we need to drink a glass of water, then eat either beets or asparagus. For the artichokes, drink some water, eat the artichoke and then drink some more water. Do you notice any difference in the water?
Medical case study (everything you did not want to know about your water output)
Asparagus board of Michigan
Cheese

Why should I eat cheese?
Want to buy cheese making supplies yourself?
Want to buy cheese online?
Making cheese - a short course
Still want more dairy courses? Go here.
Fun Sites
Want to learn about Cabot Cheese (the Vermont cheese maker)?
Molecular Gastronomy

What exactly is molecular gastronomy - one definition is here another definition is here.
Kitchen equipment for chemistry
Link on the web that demonstrates the caviar experiment
For a link to a slide show of cool molecular gastronomy experiments by Chef Wylie Dufresne go here.
Interested in learning more about experimental cuisine, go here.
Ice Cream

Getting the right texture in the ice cream
Ice cream FAQ from the University of Guelph.
Science and ice cream
Sign up for the ice cream school.
Step by step directions for making liquid nitrogen ice cream
Spaghetti, Meatballs, and Creme brulee

Even small children perform creme brulee as an experiment!
Want to eat pasta without making a mess? Here is a Physicist's explanation.