Kitchen Chemistry

Related Resources

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.
• 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:
  • 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
• 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
• 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.
• 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.