Sources

Book: Food Chemistry 

Fennema, Owen R. Food Chemistry. Third ed., e-book ed., CRC Press, 1996. Google Books. 

In Owen Fennema’s book, he offers step-by-step explanations of the overall field of food chemistry; ranging from simple to more complicated systems, this book provides coverage of the chemical characteristics of major and minor food ingredients, dairy products, and food tissues of plant and animal origin. Proteins, dispersions, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, animal tissue, toxicants, and colors are all covered in detail in the third edition. Towards the end, it has a focus on technology, but I will not be reading that section.

I will be using the beginning section of this book to kick off my project and get foundational knowledge on what type of science I will researching for the next six weeks. From the small section that I’ve already read, it seems Fennemma does a really good job of making it easy to understand, even though some of the terms used are ones I haven’t heard since 9th grade. I believe it will be like dipping my toe in the water before I get into the specifics of baking chemistry. 

 

Documentary: Nigel Slater’s Icing on the Cake

“Nigel Slater’s Icing on the Cake.” Youtube, 27 Nov. 2014, youtu.be/PFesO-iexgU. Accessed 6 Apr. 2022.

Cake has come a long way from its beginnings, as Nigel brings this most delectable of culinary tales to life. He learns about the historical traditions surrounding the creation and consumption of cake, as well as how buns were once deemed too risqué for the general public and hence forbidden. He returns to school to learn about the science behind a good bake, considers if our desire to consume cake is truly a matter of mind over matter, investigates the growth and popularity of the cupcake, and confronts some gruesome cakes created by bakers seeking to redefine what a cake is. Nigel uses this experience to recall and compare the cakes of his adolescence and childhood to the more modern ones we see today. 

This documentary would be a good visual for me, as half of my project will be research-based. It is an interesting documentary that coincidentally touches a little bit of everything I’m focusing on with my project: the history, the science, and the variability. However, the part I am most interested in about this documentary is how Nigel somehow gets into the psychology behind eating cake, and the term indulgence, all extra information that is important. 

 

Book: How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science

Figoni, Paula I. How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science. 3rd ed., e-book ed., John Wiley and Sons, 2010. Google Books.

Paula Figoni is a food scientist and associate professor at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts’ International Baking and Pastry Institute in Providence, Rhode Island.  In her book, she emphasizes that baking is chemistry at its core, and anyone who aspires to be a skilled pastry chef must understand the concepts and science behind it. This book reveals the complex mysteries of bread loaves, pastries, and everything in between by explaining the whys and hows of every chemical reaction, experiment, and technique. How Baking Works, Third Edition includes chapters on baking for health and wellbeing, which includes thorough information on whole grains, allergy-free baking, and decreasing salt, sugar, and fat in a variety of baked goods, among other things. Other things it includes are photos that show the science of baking, and experiments that show how different ingredients work in different recipes. 

I believe this book is my senior project at its core. With what is included, I will have a guide on what exercises, and experiments I will need to conduct to show my audience the difference in ingredients. And all the same time, it includes explanations of why these chemical reactions happen. 

 

Reference Work – The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook

Roney, Carley, and Editors Of The Knot. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook: More than 1,000 Cakes, Centerpieces, Bouquets, Dresses, Decorations, and Ideas For the Perfect Day. Unabridged. ed., e-book ed., New York City, Clarkson Potter, 2013.

The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook was developed by Carley Roney, founder of the world’s most famous wedding destination, The Knot, to make the entire wedding-planning experience easier. With over 1,000 color photographs, it was made to give couples inspiration for their big day, along with tips and hacks for the bakers themselves to pull each cake off. 

Each chapter is full of innovative and timeless ideas for making the couple’s day as memorable as it is beautiful. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Lookbook is chock-full of budget-friendly ideas that don’t skimp on flair. Experts give their advice and beautiful photographs complete this book to produce an indispensable resource to help make their day as special as possible. 

I sought out this specific type of source inspired by my time in 3D art. Shauna would tell us to go through the collection of look books on the shelves and I found that they always helped spark some ideas of what my next project would be. I believe I will do the same when I am finding inspiration for the decoration of my cakes, I will not be replicating a cake in this book, but looking at the different wedding cakes, and pulling from each one of them to make my own. 

 

Podcast: Barrio Chef 

Barrio Chef. Hosted by Mike Gonzalez, produced by Hispanic Food Network. Spotify, open.spotify.com/show/77UBQMetasFrRwMwiRyGfA?si=33c484cc83504c86. Accessed 6 Apr. 2022.

Barrio Chef is a podcast produced by the Hispanic Food Network and hosted by Mike Gonzalez. In this podcast, Mike goes to different restaurants and speaks with different professionals in the food industry to explore Hispanic culture. He tries different foods, delves deep into Latino history, and even gives his listeners some recipes and tips to make their food special.

Sometimes, I am an auditory learner, so a podcast is exactly what I need! It would give me yet another break from all the reading/writing I’m doing and listen to the work someone else has done. Interviews with chefs and others in the field are super helpful too, as they can give advice to bakers and cooks that could help with my project.