cooking and chemistry

I think it is more typical for people to garner an interest in chemistry from their interest in cooking. I, on the other hand can confidently say that I was never really interested in cooking before I studied chemistry. It is only since I got married and more interested in domestic matters that my interest in cooking has really piqued.

Today I made a french lamb stew that I found several weeks ago in the Wall Street Journal. Often on weekends WSJ has a food section- most notably I've seen this stew recipe as well as  whole section about how to cook artichokes. (Artichokes are hands down the best vegetable out there.)

After I browned the lamb in hot oil and then carmelized it with sugar followed by a heating in the oven I felt like I was in chem lab. Heating, cooling, thickening, wetting.......it took me all day to prepare the lamb to combine it with a few fresh veggies for a complete stew.

For the first time I used my joint frying pan/casserole pan to cook part of the stew on then burner and then bake it for a bit in the oven. The broth was made with whole garlic, chicken broth, flour, drippings from the lamb, fresh sage and, of course, salt and pepper.

All the vegetables were fresh except the peas and the pearl onions- I parboiled them in water and then plunged them into an ice bath. If that doesn't sound like something straight out of organic chem lab then I don't know what does! The "plunging" in the ice bath is supposed to prevent them from overcooking before they are neatly tucked with the lamb in the thick, bubbly, richly-smelling lamb base.

I love cooking and I love its relationship to science. I wish I realized this a long time ago.

The Psychological Effects of Eating

Bravo for researchers! I'm happy to see research delve into the greatest threat to our American life- obesity.

An article in the Wall Street Journal today called "Stomach vs Brain: Discovering Why Some People Can Resist Dessert While Others Can't" describes work being done by neuroscientists on the chemical reactions going on in the body while people eat. Specifically, they compare the chemistry of obese people while eating to the chemistry of normal-weight people. And. there is a striking difference between the two.

While you might expect a different reaction in the body chemistry of these different groups while they are actually eating, surprisingly, their bodys' chemical reactions are different if you even show them pictures of dessert foods.

One thing is for sure: Obesity is a medical condition that affects the way your brain and your entire body chemistry functions. Once you become obese you are now vulnerable to a whole new set of chemical reactions in your body that can be the beginning of the end. Moral of the story? Eat right, exercise and take care of your body.