Spring Break
It's science for your stomach
Second lecture in 'Food for Thought' series breaks down significance of gastronomy
Lisa Riordan
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News
Rachel Alkeny of Australia's University of Adelaide visited Corvallis Thursday afternoon as part of the "Food for Thought: History, Technology, Gastronomy" lecture series sponsored by Outreach in Biotechnology and the OSU Horning Endowment in the Humanities.
The second lecture of the "Food for Thought" series, "How to Cook an Egg and Other Lessons from the Kitchen-Lab: A History of Molecular Gastronomy," was held at 4 p.m. in the main lounge in the Memorial Union. As senior lecturer and acting program manager of University of Adelaide's graduate program in gastronomy, Alkeny explained the definition of gastronomy and demonstrated practical applications for the concept.
"Molecular gastronomy links chemistry to culinary science," Alkeny said. "And cookery and cuisine is in fact a science."
Alkeny explained that the term "molecular gastronomy," first coined in the late 1980s, is the application of scientific tools and techniques to explain tried-and-true culinary methods or to improve food quality or production.
"The word 'molecular' was actually added to the term 'gastronomy' to make the term seem more reputable," Alkeny said. "It was during the whole molecular craze, when the word was incorporated into everything."
The lecture addressed the scientific rationale behind long-held cooking traditions, including the popular method of first searing meat "to seal in the juices." According to Alkeny, this practice actually dehydrates the meat and results in a firm and dry product.
"Studies have shown that the meat is actually drier with searing than with controlled, even cooking. People are wrong," said Alkeny. "They think searing helps retain moisture in meat when in fact it does the opposite."
Laura Hopkins, a junior in animal sciences and Jesse Fairbanks, a junior pre-therapy major, attended the lecture after learning about it through a class.
"I have a real interest in nutrition and health sciences," Fairbanks said. "I attended the first lecture [in the series] and I really enjoyed it. I thought they were both very informative."
Hopkins also believed the event was interesting, but felt the lecture was lacking in practicality.
"It could have brought up more significant points about why all this money should go into this research," Hopkins said. "I guess it seems like there hasn't been any scientific discoveries in years, and as it turns out the old methods were best after all. It looks like they have room for more discoveries in the future, I guess."
Other speakers recruited as a part of the "Food for Thought" series include law experts, noted researchers and scientists. "The Role and Rule of Law in the Global Development of Food Biotechnology" features Gary Marchant of Arizona State University and will be held Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center.
Lisa Riordan, new writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2232
The second lecture of the "Food for Thought" series, "How to Cook an Egg and Other Lessons from the Kitchen-Lab: A History of Molecular Gastronomy," was held at 4 p.m. in the main lounge in the Memorial Union. As senior lecturer and acting program manager of University of Adelaide's graduate program in gastronomy, Alkeny explained the definition of gastronomy and demonstrated practical applications for the concept.
"Molecular gastronomy links chemistry to culinary science," Alkeny said. "And cookery and cuisine is in fact a science."
Alkeny explained that the term "molecular gastronomy," first coined in the late 1980s, is the application of scientific tools and techniques to explain tried-and-true culinary methods or to improve food quality or production.
"The word 'molecular' was actually added to the term 'gastronomy' to make the term seem more reputable," Alkeny said. "It was during the whole molecular craze, when the word was incorporated into everything."
The lecture addressed the scientific rationale behind long-held cooking traditions, including the popular method of first searing meat "to seal in the juices." According to Alkeny, this practice actually dehydrates the meat and results in a firm and dry product.
"Studies have shown that the meat is actually drier with searing than with controlled, even cooking. People are wrong," said Alkeny. "They think searing helps retain moisture in meat when in fact it does the opposite."
Laura Hopkins, a junior in animal sciences and Jesse Fairbanks, a junior pre-therapy major, attended the lecture after learning about it through a class.
"I have a real interest in nutrition and health sciences," Fairbanks said. "I attended the first lecture [in the series] and I really enjoyed it. I thought they were both very informative."
Hopkins also believed the event was interesting, but felt the lecture was lacking in practicality.
"It could have brought up more significant points about why all this money should go into this research," Hopkins said. "I guess it seems like there hasn't been any scientific discoveries in years, and as it turns out the old methods were best after all. It looks like they have room for more discoveries in the future, I guess."
Other speakers recruited as a part of the "Food for Thought" series include law experts, noted researchers and scientists. "The Role and Rule of Law in the Global Development of Food Biotechnology" features Gary Marchant of Arizona State University and will be held Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in LaSells Stewart Center.
Lisa Riordan, new writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2232
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