Food Archives - Page 3 of 8

16Apr 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

The Improbable Making and Chemistry of Chocolate

[caption id="attachment_23742" align="alignright" width="480"] Cacao pods contain the makings of chocolate, but the contents must first go through a fermentation and drying process. Image by Medicaster.[/caption] Some years ago, some made the claim that genuine chocolate isn’t ‘good for you’. They made the claim that artificial chocolate made from carob beans is superior. Curiously, so-called dog chocolate was already made from carob... Thank goodness, science now concedes that chocolate is not all that bad; most of us can eat and enjoy at least some chocolate. And now that we know it’s OK to eat chocolate – and it may even be good for us – did you ever wonder: How do we make cocoa from cacao, and what is the chemistry behind this treat? Chocolate Chemistry: The Cacao Bean The…

15Apr 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Do the Acids in Coffee Bother You? Chlorogenic Acid and Derivatives

Chemistry, Food

Although there are a host of organic acids found in coffee, and a variety of factors, such as brew temperature and grind size, affect these acids, the chlorogenic acids and their roasting derivatives, the caffeic and quinic acids, stand out. What are these acids, and how do they play a definitive role in the coffee we drink? Coffee Chemistry: Chlorogenic Acid Chlorogenic acid (CGA) is a combination ester and acid derived from two acids: caffeic acid and quinic acid. These two acids each contain not only an acid group, but alcohol groups as well. A carbon atom plus two oxygen atoms and a hydrogen atom makes up the carboxylic acid group – we often write this as –COOH or –CO₂H. An alcohol group consists of an oxygen and a hydrogen…

13Apr 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Amino Acids and Proteins: Major Components of Meat

Chemistry, Food

[caption id="attachment_23573" align="alignright" width="480"] Image by LifeisGood[/caption] The meat we eat largely consists of proteins, which are made up of amino acids. Proteins may be broken down into amino acids – and, amino acids may be built up into proteins. Consider the basic structure of amino acids and proteins. Amino Acid = Amine + Carboxylic Acid Amino acids contain an amino group, an acid group, and an alkyl group. In an amino group, there is one trivalent nitrogen atom, which is attached to two hydrogen atoms. We write out an amino group as –NH2. An amino acid also contains a carboxylic acid group. It is written –COOH, that is, it contains one tetravalent carbon atom that is double-bonded to an oxygen atom, and also it is single-bonded to one hydroxyl…

01Apr 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Chocolate Ice Box Cake – My Early 1900’s Favorite

Food

Grandmother passed on her favorite cookbook to Mom. It was a lovely old volume, a brown-covered hardback more than two inches thick, with topical indents and brown-speckled page edges. The book was dated about 1905 to 1907 and it was not a first printing, so the book probably was penned during the late 1800's. As a youngster, I couldn't believe the breakfast listings. Some of them had as many as 6 courses! But times were different and work was harder. Then, too, women were considered "healthy" if they were just a mite plump! But my favorite entry in the book was Ice Box Cake. We now identify an icebox as a non-electrical refrigerator designed to hold ice (delivered by the iceman) for the purpose of preserving perishables. Lost! When Mom…

20Mar 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Is Lard Public Enemy No. 1? Not in Your Sweet Life

Food, Health

[caption id="attachment_23419" align="alignright" width="369"] Copyright © 2014-2015 Renderings Natural Fats, LLC. All rights reserved.[/caption] I am 70. During just my lifetime, there have been many changes in viewpoint as to what it is healthful to eat. Among the changes were controversies concerning Butter Chocolate Eggs Organ meats Lard The first three foods have regained acceptance, at least to a degree. The fourth item, organ meats, includes livers, kidneys, sweet breads, and hearts. As a result, how many of us today include kidneys or 'sweet breads' in our menu? Once removed from the dinner table, children are not exposed to such foods, so they are reluctant to try them later. But What About Lard? Just as butter was largely replaced by a manufactured product, margarine, lard was replaced by products such…

14Feb 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Was Mom Right? Is Eating Carrots Good for the Eyes?

Chemistry, Food

From childhood, Mom admonished me, "Eat your carrots! They're good for your eyes." Now, I wore glasses. Later, with Mom's approval, I became an organic chemist. Since I listened to Mom, I eat my carrots. In fact, with lots of butter and salt, I rather enjoy them! But throughout my youth, I always wondered if they really are good for our vision. Here's what I learned. Carrot Chemistry Carrots contain the organic compound β-carotene. It's chemical structure is seen in the image below. The chemical formula of β-carotene is C40H56. In addition to imparting the orange color to a carrot, if a molecule is split down the middle and the cleaved double bond is hydrated for both halves, the result is two molecules of retinol, C20H30O. See the image. Carrots…

12Feb 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

The Peculiar Origin of the Graham Cracker

Food, History

[caption id="attachment_23324" align="alignright" width="480"] Available circa 1915[/caption] Crackers come in every shape and size. One of the most famous cracker varieties is not served with fish or olives. Rather, it is a sweet treat, often eaten stand-alone, or with butter, peanut butter, honey, or perhaps jam. It can be crumbled to make pie crust. We know it as the Graham cracker. The Flour behind the Cracker The Graham cracker is generally dark tan and has a somewhat gritty texture. This is because it is made from unsifted coarse-grind whole wheat flour. This namesake cracker was inspired by the preaching of the somewhat eccentric Sylvester Graham (1794-1851).1 As a young man, Sylvester tried many occupations, eventually deciding to be a clergyman. However, the message he preached was swayed by personal belief,…

05Jan 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Fermentation Adds Pleasure to Our Diet

Chemistry, Food

[caption id="attachment_23185" align="alignright" width="480"] Sausages, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut.[/caption] When most people think of fermentation, they think of fruits rich in sugar, or of potatoes or other starches. In most cases, they are thinking in terms of alcoholic beverages, Grog! But it is not limited alcoholic beverages. For instance, did you know sauerkraut, coffee and chocolate are made utilizing fermentation? Let's Define Fermentation When yeast converts sugar, it yields alcohol plus carbon dioxide gas. When yeast is used to bake bread, the alcohol and the gas cause the bread to rise. But alcohol in beverages, involves no cooking. The alcohol must be "disposed of" in a different way! Now yeast is a budding, single-cell fungus. So fungus can serve a useful purpose. And what about sauerkraut?1 The fermentation of sauerkraut…

25Nov 2018 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Beets for Baby? If So, You Might Want to Read This

Chemistry, Food

When I was a young child, my mom fed me a variety of foods. And that is great! Kids today are asked what they would like to eat, rather than being told this is what we are eating tonight... Well, I was served, among whatever else Mom gave me, beets. Delicious beets. Beets are tender, sweet, and if served as they were served to me, buttery and salty. A really marvelous food. Well, the next day, Mom called the Doctor in a panic... "Doctor," she cried, "my baby has blood in his stool!" The Doctor's Response: Beets "What did he eat yesterday?" Well, you get the point. I'd been given some of these delicious red orbs to eat. So if you choose to feed your little child beets, just remember…

23Nov 2018 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Microwave Cooking Hot and Cold Spots – Why?

Food, Technology

You place your dinner of leftovers in a bowl in the microwave oven, loosely cover it, shut the door and set the timer for 6 minutes. You picked that time from experience. When the timer beeps, you pick up the plate with your oven mitt and set it on the table. Then you gingerly remove the covering to avoid a steam burn. You salt and pepper your food, let it set two minutes or so, and begin eating. You taste the first mouthful and it is perfect. However, the second mouthful much hotter! Stirring the food half-way through the cooking process would have helped prevent this. Why the Hot Spots? The oven is a microwave oven. The heat results from absorbed invisible waves, specifically microwave standing waves, produced by a…