1. Molecular Gastronomy: or how a little science makes better food Tríona O'Connell Tog 18/11/11 scienceisdelicious.net @triploidtree

2. What's coming up ● Protein ● Eggs ● Steak ● Bread ● Carbohydrates ● Caramel ● Steak ● Lipids ● Mayo

3. What is protein ● Strings of amino acids ● Can curl up into balls (globular) ● Can be long and stringy (fibre)

4. Proteins and acid ● Amino acids are sensitive to changes in their environment ● Can destabilise bonds and cause new ones to form ● Changing pH with acid – eg pickled eggs, lemon on raw fish

5. Proteins and heat ● Denatures the proteins ● Changes the amino acid bonds ● Different proteins are sensitive to different temperatures

6. Proteins and heat ● Eggs! ● Two main parts – yolk and white ● Average temperature for denaturing ● Yolk = 65-70ºC ● White = 62-65ºC ● Perfect softish boiled eggs @ 62.7ºC for 60mins

7. Proteins and heat ● Steak!! or stewing cuts ● Muscle fibres – actin and myosin ● 50ºC – myosin denatures (intially tender/juicy) ● 60ºC – myoglobin denatures (red -> brown) ● 70ºC – collagen denatures (becomes gelatine) ● 80ºC – actin denatures (no longer steak :( )

8. Proteins and baking ● Makes the mesh that holds bread and cakes up ● Denatures at the high baking temperatures ● Gluten is a protein – higher gluten content stronger structural network in bread ● Gluten-free breads ● use other protein ● replacements

9. What are carbohydrates ● Made from sugar components ● Can be simple sugars – usually sweet ● Can be complex – chains and branches of smaller sugars joined up ● Can be long release energy stores ● Can be structural – cellulose/fibre

10. Carbohydrates and heat ● Sugar heated to high temperatures (180ºC+) ● Caramels, toffees, fudges – cream and sugar ● Main difference is temperature ● Also caramelisation of biscuits and cakes ● YUM!

11. Carbohydrates and heat ● Maillard reaction (Famous!) ● Breakdown and reaction of amino acids and (reducing) sugars ● Glucose in muscle and abundant proteins ● About 154ºC

13. What are lipids ● Fats and oils ● Don't mix well with water ● Can be made to disperse ● with soaps/detergents ● or emulsifiers

14. Lipids - Mayonaise ● Vinegar (mostly water) and oil ● Can just shake – vinegarette ● Use some egg yolk – mayo ● Mix vinegar ● and egg yolk, ● then beat in oil

15. Lipids - Mayonaise ● The egg yolk contains lecithin which is an emulsifier

16. Books Tríona Recommends ● Molecular Gastronomy – Hervé This ● Cooking for Geeks – Jeff Potter ● McGee on Food & Cooking – Harold McGee ● Bread Matters – Andrew Whitley