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SPU 27x Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science This course will discuss concepts from the physical sciences that underpin both everyday cooking and haute cuisine. Each week we will visit a world-famous chef, who will show us the secrets of some of their remarkable creations. We will use these as inspiration to delve into the basic fundamental science behind food and cooking. The chefs include Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca), Bill Yosses (White House Pastry Chef), Enric Rovira (Master Chocolatier), Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau), Jos Andrs (ThinkFoodGroup, Minibar, Jaleo), Wylie Dufresne (wd-50),Joanne Chang (Flour Bakery, Myers and Chang), David Chang (Momofuku), Carles Tejedor (Restaurante Via Veneto), Dan Barber (Blue Hill) and Ferran Adri (El Bulli). There will also be demos and lectures by other leaders in the field, including Americas Test Kitchen, authors Harold McGee (On Food and Cooking, Keys to Good Cooking) and Nathan Myhrvold (Modernist Cuisine), and food scientist Dave Arnold (Cooking Issues). At the end of the course, students will be able to explain how a range of cooking techniques and recipes work, in terms of the physical and chemical transformations of food.

Instructors Michael P. Brenner Glover Professor of Applied Mathematics Harvard University Pia Srensen Preceptor in Science and Cooking Harvard University David Weitz Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Harvard University Prerequisites

Knowledge of high school physics and chemistry will be useful, but not required. We want everyone to be able to start and successfully complete this course without prior knowledge. Background material will be supplied in the form of review videos and practice problemsthough the course will be more challenging without a high school level knowledge of chemistry. Course Overview The course is divided into weekseach of which focuses on a single scientific topic related to cooking, and each of which involves a visit to the restaurant of a great chef. Every week includes interactive video sequences, as well as a problem set, and a lab. To complete the course you have to complete the problem sets and labs by the due dates. In addition, you will have to carry out a final project in which you conduct your own scientific study of some recipe or aspect of cooking. You will do both the labs and final project in your own kitchen. After carrying out the required experiments on a dish, you can eat the results of your lab and share them with your friends and family. This class has no exams. Interactive Lectures Each week we present two lectures as an interactive video sequence, interspersed with online exercises to help you test your learning as you watch the videos. Participation in these online exercises does not contribute to your grade. Textbook The textbook for this course is: On Food and Cooking, Harold McGee, Scribner, 2004 (2nd edition) Each week, recommended, but not required, readings will be drawn from this bookwhich will significantly enhance your understanding of this subject and serve as a truly invaluable resource and reference, both for this class and beyond. Harold McGee will join us throughout the class and give his insight into the subjects that we are studying. Another book that we will often refer to is:

The Science of Good Cooking, The Editors of Americas Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby, 2012 Homework This class has 10 homeworks that will be posted over the course of 10 weeks. A new homework is posted every Tuesday and is due on the Tuesday two weeks later. You can drop your lowest homework when calculating your final grade. Labs We will post a new lab exercise every Tuesday for the first 7 weeks of the semester, allowing you to experiment with the scientific concept of the week in your own kitchen. As part of the lab you will make measurements and observations, and you will then be asked to submit these for credit. You have two weeks to complete the exercises from the day they are posted. For more information about the labs please see the right panel on the Course Updates page. Final Projects The last three weeks of the course will have no labs, but will instead be devoted to final projects. You will carry out your own scientific study of some recipe or aspect of cooking in your own kitchen. Guidelines and further information about the final projects will become available on the Course Updates page a few weeks into the course. Discussion Forum We encourage students to actively participate in the discussion forum offered on the SPU27x website. You should use the discussion forum to ask questions about concepts from lectures, lecture exercises and labsbut should not directly discuss answers to homeworks. The course staff moderates the forum but we encourage students to answer each others questions and upvote helpful answers. For some useful tips on how to navigate the discussion forum, please see the Forum Guidelines on the Course Updates page. Grading A passing grade in this class corresponds to successful completion of 60% of the material. The grade break down is as follows: Homework (10 total, drop lowest score) 35%

Lab score) Final project

(10

total, 35%

drop

lowest

30%

Certification Online learners who demonstrate mastery of SPU27x course materials with a passing grade may earn a certificate of completion. EdX will issue the certificate under the name of HarvardX for free. The certificates will not include a final grade. Other books and resources The following books cover various aspects of the science contained in the course: The Science of Good Cooking, Americas Test Kitchen The Science of Cooking, Peter Barham The Science of Chocolate, Stephen T. Beckett The Science of Ice Cream, C. Clarke Cookwise, Shirley Corriher Keys to Good Cooking, Harold McGee The Curious Cook, Harold McGee Modernist Cuisine, Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Billet Ratio, Michael Ruhlman Several of the guest lecturers have written cookbooks, which may be of interest: A Day at El Bulli, Ferran Adri Sous vide Cuisine, Joan Roca Made in Spain, Jos Andrs A Perfect Finish, Bill Yosses CR20: 20 Years of Sant Pau, Carme Ruscalleda Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Bostons Flour Bakery + Caf, Joanne Chang Momofuku, David Chang For a more advanced discussion of the scientific topics in the course: Physical Chemistry of Foods, Pieter Walstra 1. (3/4 points) The pressure cooker was invented in:

1823

1864

1904

1681 Status: correct

In 1847, the scientist Liebig thought that the most important thing to do when cooking meat was to ____________.
sear the meat to seal in juices

Status: correct

Liebig's advice turned out to be: correct Status: incorrect incorrect

The great French chef Escoffier _____ with the German scientist Liebig, about the most important thing in cooking meat.
agreed

Status: correct

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1. (3/3 points) Who invented the pressure cooker? Ferran Adria correct Baking powder is a natural ingredient? True False Status: correct J. Willard Gibbs Robert Hooke Denis Papin Status:

Searing meat seals in the juices? True False Status: correct

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1. HISTORY II: QUESTIONS

(2/2 points) Who invented molten chocolate cake? Julia Childs Hervet This Michel Bras Status: correct Ferran Adria

Fill in the blank: To be creative means not _______ (quotation by Jacques Maximan) thinking doing copying Status: correct entertaining

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1. SPHERIFICATION: QUESTIONS
(3/3 points) Fill in the blank. Spherification causes a liquid droplet to have a ______ shell. liquid solid Status: correct gaseous

Fill in the blank. Spherification involves the reaction of Sodium Alginate with __________. calcium Status: correct sodium

Sodium Alginate that is used for speherification comes from: chemical companies who fabricate it animals Show Answer(s)(for question(s) above - adjacent to each field) plants sea weed Status: correct

2. (5/5 points) Direct spherification takes a droplet containing __________ and places it in a __________ solution.
Sodium Alginate Calcium

Status: correct Status: correct

Indirect spherification takes a droplet containing __________ and places it in a __________ solution.
Calcium Sodium Alginate

Status: correct Status: correct

The spherification of yogurt is an example of Direct speherification Indirect Spherification Status: correct

Show Answer(s)(for question(s) above - adjacent to each field) Previous Next 1. FATS, CARBOHYDRATES, AND PROTEINS: IDENTIFY THE MYSTERY MOLECULES

The video you just watched discussed three important macromolecules of cooking: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. The questions below are designed not only to reinforce what we discussed in the video, but also teach you additional concepts important in this course. Please work through the questions and attempt your best answer (you get credit for both right and wrong answers) , then click on the "show answer" button and read the accompanying solutions carefully. In the following movies, the standard color conventions are used for elements:

Black atoms: Carbon Red atoms: Oxygen Blue atoms: Nitrogen

Yellow atoms: Sulfur Orange atoms: Phosphorus Hydrogen atoms are not shown in the second movie for simplicity. Three mystery molecules are depicted below. Indicate which type of macromolecule is depicted in each movie.

2. MYSTERY MOLECULE 1
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3. (1/1 points) Which type of macromolecule is shown in the movie above? Protein Fat Status: correct Carbohydrate

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4. MYSTERY MOLECULE 2
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5. (1/1 points) Which type of macromolecule is shown above? Protein Status: correct Fat Carbohydrate

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6. MYSTERY MOLECULE 3
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7. (1/1 points) Which type of macromolecule is shown above? Protein Carbohydrate Status: correct Fat

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8. OVALBUMIN
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9. (2/2 points) The video above shows what the ovalbumin protein would look like if you unfolded it and stretched it out in a long line. The molecular weight of ovalbumin is 42,000 amu. How many grams does one mole of ovalbumin weigh? 2.53 x 1028 g 42,000 g Status: correct 6.98 x 1020 g

The average amino acid is 3 Angstroms across and weighs 110 g/mol. How long would ovalbumin be if you stretched it out end to end? How does this compare to ovalbumin's folded radius (about 45 )? 6.9 x 1026 Angstroms Angstroms 1100 Angstroms Status: correct 380

1.9 x 1021 Angstroms

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1. MOLES: QUESTIONS
(3/3 points) One mole of any chemical has the same weight as one mole of water. True False Status: correct

One mole of any chemical has the same volume as one mole of water. True False Status: correct

One liter of any chemical has the same weight as one liter of water. True False Status: correct

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1. MOLES 2: QUESTIONS
(4/4 points) OLEIC ACID Like many ingredients used in cooking, olive oil is a mixture of many different molecules. However, the major component of olive oil is oleic acid, C18H34O2, in free form or bound to glycerol. What type of macromolecules are most abundant in olive oil? Carbohydrates Proteins Fats Status: correct

Using periodic table (http://www.ptable.com/), determine the molecular mass of oleic acid. Give your answer in amu.
282

282
Estimate the molar molecular mass of triglycerides made up of oleic acid: feel free to ignore the contribution of glycerol. Give your answer in g/mol.
884

884

Olive oil has a density of 0.91 g/mL. Assume that it is made up entirely of triglycerides with the molar molecular mass you estimated above. What is the molarity of triglycerides in olive oil?
1.02

1.02

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1. PRE-QUESTION: CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

(1/1 points) What is the advantage of measuring out dry ingredients like flour or powdered sugar by weight instead of by volume? North American and Australian recipes traditionally specify weights for these ingredients by manufacturer Show Answer(s)(for question(s) above - adjacent to each field)

These ingredients can be compacted, changing their The composition of these ingredients varies wildly

density Status: correct

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1. PH: QUESTIONS
(1 point possible) Which of the following are alternative names for H+? Status: incorrect Positrons Protons Hydrogen ions Helium ions

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2. PH BASICS
(4/4 points) What is the pH of a neutral solution?
7

7
An acidic drink like orange juice has more hydrogen ions per liter than a neutral one. True Status: correct False

The lower the pH of a drink, the more acidic it is. True Status: correct coffee (pH 5). True False Status: correct False

Tomato juice (pH 4) has twice as many hydrogen ions per liter than black

Show Answer(s)(for question(s) above - adjacent to each field) 3. (1/1 points) Lye (NaOH) is a strong base used to encourage browning on pretzels and bagels. (Lye powder is dissolved in water to make a basic solution: shaped pretzel and bagel dough is briefly submerged in this solution before being baked in the oven.) What happens when lye dissolves in water to make the solution basic?

Lye dissolves, releasing H+ ions that decrease the pH of the solution. Lye dissolves, releasing H+ ions that increase the pH of the solution. Lye dissolves into Na+ and OH ions: Na+ ions decrease the pH of the solution. Lye dissolves into Na+ and OH ions: some OH ions bind H+ ions to form water, increasing the pH of the solution. Status: correct Show Answer(s)(for question(s) above - adjacent to each field)

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