The Chemistry of Cooking
Curriculum guideline
Lecture: 4 hours/week
and
Lab: 2 hours/week
- lectures
- classroom demonstrations
- problem sessions
- videos
- guest lectures, where possible
- class discussions
- labs
Introduction
- basic nutrition
- the chemical structures and properties of water, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals
- types of heat transfer during different cooking methods
- taste and smell
- units and measurement
- scaling recipes up and down
Eggs and Meats
- amino acids
- protein denaturation during cooking
- Maillard reactions
- egg foams
- emulsions
Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs and Spices
- chemicals that give plants colours (chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanins)
- essential oils
- starch
- pectin gels
- processing tea and coffee
- caramelization reactions
- enzymatic browning
Legumes and Grains
- cooking beans
- oligosaccharides and flatulence
- flour production and types
- gluten formation in bread
- chemical leavening agents
Chocolate
- production
- tempering
Alcohol and Vinegar
- production of beer, distilled spirits and vinegar
Laboratory Content
Experiments will be selected from:
- Introduction to measurement
- Unit conversion
- Basic calorimetry: determining the heat produced by burning food
- Emulsions: mayonnaise
- Egg foams
- Boiling point elevation: making lollipops
- Quick breads: effects of leavening agents on pancakes
- Quick breads: effects of flour protein level on muffin texture
- Fermentation: making alcohol and reductions
- Fermentation: making vinegar and vinaigrettes
- Determination of the effect of cooking on vitamin C levels in peppers
- Diffusion and spherification
- Carminic acid
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- calculate the required daily calorie intake for a person, given their mass and activity level;
- identify a molecule as a saturated fat, unsaturated fat, carbohydrate or amino acid, given its chemical structure;
- explain the relationship between chemical structure and solubility in water and oils;
- explain the consequences of vitamin deficiency to overall health;
- explain how conduction, convection and radiation are involved in various cooking processes;
- convert between units and use density to convert between mass and volume;
- scale a recipe up or down when using metric or non-metric units;
- explain how proteins are denatured by high temperatures;
- describe the Maillard reaction and its connection to the flavor of browned meat;
- describe the structure of micelles, lipid bilayers and egg foams;
- describe the effect of heat on collagen and its transformation into gelatin;
- explain how cooking changes the colour of green vegetables;
- explain how pH changes the colour of some foods;
- describe the structure of a pectin gel;
- discuss how essential oils in herbs and spices contribute to taste and smell;
- identify how and why processing changes the taste and smell of tea and coffee;
- explain the connection between oligosaccharides and flatulence;
- describe the production of flour, including chemical aging;
- describe gluten formation in producing bread and relate protein structure to the plasticity and elasticity of breads;
- explain how and why chemical leavening agents are used to produce quick breads and batters;
- describe the process used to produce chocolate;
- explain how chocolate's crystal structure relates to its glossy appearance and brittleness;
- discuss the caramelization reactions that carbohydrates undergo when cooked;
- explain how and why grain is malted to make beer;
- discuss how ethanol content is increased by distillation using pot or column stills;
- calculate the amount of ethanol in a particular sample of beer, wine or spirits;
- describe the negative effects of both short and long term over consumption of ethanol;
- explain how vinegar is made from ethanol;
Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:
Minimum of two tests: 20-30%
Homework and/or in class activities: 20-30%
Final exam: 30%
Laboratory: 20%
Total: 100%
Notes:
A student who misses three or more laboratory experiments will earn a maximum of a D grade. A student may be subject to a mark penalty and/or may not be allowed to perform the experiment at the discretion of the instructor if they arrive late, unprepared, impaired, unsafely attired or for similar reasons. If a student is not permitted to perform the experiment, this is considered a missed lab.
A student who achieves less than 50% in either the lecture or laboratory portion of the course will earn a maximum of a D grade.
Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Example textbooks and materials may include:
McGee, H. (current edition). On Food and Cooking. Scribner: Toronto.
Douglas College, Chemistry 1100 Laboratory Manual.
One of:
MATU 0410 with a grade of C or better
or
Precalculus 11 with a grade of C- or better
or
Precalculus 12 with a grade of C- or better
or
Foundations of Math 11 with a grade of C- or better
or
Foundations of Math 12 with a grade of C- or better
None
None
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