Elisabeth

Critical Reflection 2

4/21/20

This week I was trying out that trendy whipped coffee recipe seperate from my project, just for fun. After I made it I realized it was way too sweet. As I was brainstorming ways to remove sugar from the recipe and achieve the same result, I realized I was using the science of cooking in real time, and that I was utilizing concepts I had learned through my project and applying it to a real random recipe. In this case I knew that the sugar was important for creating not just a foam, but a stable foam, because it creates many, very small air pockets. Unfortunately this meant it was going to be really hard to find a non-sugar or sweetener replacement for the sugar in the recipe, but I still felt proud that I was able to recall and use what I had learned in real time. 

This was not an isolated event either. A few days later I was thinking about what recipes I should try for the upcoming weeks. I realized I should probably make at least one cake recipe, but I was a little hesitant because it seemed so plain and boring. Then, I realized that using what I was learning I could design a scientific process for creating the perfect cake. Through this I could look at each property of the cake as a variable, and search out the things that affected them most. For example, I wanted to create a really light, fluffy-feeling cake. Therefore I knew I would have to experiment with various levels and concentrations of baking soda and baking powder, and other things like egg whites and sugar. Aside from feeling kind of like a mad scientist for cake, I also felt really excited because by including the science into a recipe and turning it into a science experiment I was able to transform the activity from a boring, everyday recipe, into something really fun and kind of mysterious.