School, homework, work, occasionally running and even less often sleeping seem to take up SO MUCH TIME. I've found it really difficult to fit in creative projects like fun cooking or sewing. It's gotten to the point where I actually put hot dogs in our dinner last night. (I'm embarrassed...nay, appalled...but it's true).
So I've come up with at least a partial solution:
 |
| (Chemistry Baking!) |
Sometimes I'm so clever that it surprises even me.
I'm taking an "Honors" Chemistry course, which means very little except that we have longer and more advanced labs. This semester we were told to choose an independent study project for the majority of our lab time (Yea, the lab is from 1-5 every Wednesday. Brutal). When the independent study was announced I think we were all a little hesitant, our prof gave examples from previous years of growing algaes and doing little chem demos for kids, which is fun, but not thrilling.
That's when I happened to discover this:
I happened upon this book entirely by chance when I was doing research for my croissant paper, and I decided right then and there that I would clearly be doing a chemistry project revolving around baking. This may not sound so exciting, but when other groups in my class have chosen to do water purification experiments (I just use a brita, ha!), baking sounds pretty awesome.
The book is laid out like a chemistry course. There are textual explanations and then questions for thought, and then...the best part: Experiments!
This week I learned about the different processes that the dough undergoes, from the addition of fluid, through the order of mixing, and up through baking. The experiment then was to make the same recipe, using the same ingredients and quantities, but using two different mixing techniques- the muffin technique, and the creaming technique. The two are baked for the same amount of time and at the same temperature and then you test them. They taste COMPLETELY different, it's crazy! both texture and taste were affected by only changing the way we added the ingredients together. I would get into the technicalities of why...but I'm procrastinating, and a deadline is coming up, so that will be in the next post.
The point of all this was simply to say: I have found a way to get some baking into my life again, which is so exciting, especially since it means that Wednesday afternoons can be spent in my kitchen...and not in a lab (we also have a really awful lab director guy- who will find any reason to tell us off, so this is a nice escape! he must be turning purple thinking of us baking for our project- his big thing is no eating or drinking anywhere CLOSE TO the chem lab, he will tell you to throw out your lunch if he catches you in the hallway eating... aw poor guy.)
c'est tout!
alina
This post is dedicated to my lab partner, who thinks I am crazy, but goes along with it. Thanks!
That's when I happened to discover this:
 |
| (you clicked to look inside, didn't you) |
The book is laid out like a chemistry course. There are textual explanations and then questions for thought, and then...the best part: Experiments!
This week I learned about the different processes that the dough undergoes, from the addition of fluid, through the order of mixing, and up through baking. The experiment then was to make the same recipe, using the same ingredients and quantities, but using two different mixing techniques- the muffin technique, and the creaming technique. The two are baked for the same amount of time and at the same temperature and then you test them. They taste COMPLETELY different, it's crazy! both texture and taste were affected by only changing the way we added the ingredients together. I would get into the technicalities of why...but I'm procrastinating, and a deadline is coming up, so that will be in the next post.
 |
| (sorry for the messy kitchen and crummy photography- I have limited counter space, and a very dark kitchen) |
 |
| (in order to be experimental we had to weight the amount of dough in each muffin, 2.00 oz) |
 |
| (I also bought an oven thermometer so I would find out just how wonky my oven is...again, experimental accuracy, etc) |
 |
| (Checking the differences in: Height, crust, texture, color, and taste. Very technical, very scientific) |
The point of all this was simply to say: I have found a way to get some baking into my life again, which is so exciting, especially since it means that Wednesday afternoons can be spent in my kitchen...and not in a lab (we also have a really awful lab director guy- who will find any reason to tell us off, so this is a nice escape! he must be turning purple thinking of us baking for our project- his big thing is no eating or drinking anywhere CLOSE TO the chem lab, he will tell you to throw out your lunch if he catches you in the hallway eating... aw poor guy.)
c'est tout!
alina
This post is dedicated to my lab partner, who thinks I am crazy, but goes along with it. Thanks!
Science at its best!!
ReplyDeleteProud of you for being an independent thinker and adventurer.
I will actually recommend this to our Chem people.
(hot dogs for dinner??!! well... they can be a treat, of a sort, once in a blue moon when combined with fried mushed potatoes and Toronto pickles)
dr.k, sadly (very, very sadly) the hot dogs were eaten without fried potatoes OR toronto pickles. it was truly just a pathetic dinner, and not a fantastic treat.
Delete