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Experiments in cooking: Testing for pectin
Ribes rubrum. From Wikipedia. Cooking is chemistry writ large. You start by learning how to measure volumes, mass and ratios, but end up talking about polymers and stoichiometry. It can get very...
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Seeing history through food
Spices in a Moroccan market. Image by Donar Reiskoffer, found on Wikipedia Commons. Montessori elementary programs approach history from the perspective of the basic needs of human beings. They look at...
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Osmosis and strawberry shortcakes
Osmosis in action. Osmosis is the movement of liquids through a membrane, from areas of high to regions of low concentration. So, if you sprinkle sugar onto ripe strawberries, the concentration of...
View ArticleLambert’s of Sikeston
Lambert’s Cafe is an interesting cultural icon. Seriously small-town and farm-country, the staff all wear red suspenders and bow ties. Seating in long wooden benches, and the drinks in enormous,...
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Omnivore’s dilemma for kids
The Omnivore’s dilemma has a version for young readers. The full version is a good read, but is a bit long. One of my student read the first chapter and did not get too excited, so maybe this one will...
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Jam tectonics
Boiling jam will often create a froth that floats on top, much like the granitic continental crust floats on the Earth’s mantle. Also like the boiling jam, the mantle convects (even though the mantle...
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Jam algebra
I’d like to minimize the sugar content of the jam in order to see the most of the currant’s tartness. According to the FAO, you need to have about 60% sugar concentration in the final jam for good...
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Food and Nutrition
Darya Pino from Summer Tomato has a cute little flow chart to help you identify “Real Food” in the supermarket. It takes the conservative approach to eating shared by Michael Pollan, who recommends...
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Milking Goats
Learning how to milk goats. Part of the afternoon chores at the Heifer Ranch was milking the goats. It was not something required of the students, but since our barn was located right next to the...
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Foraging for Food
The Splendid Table has an enticing interview with Hank Shaw who just wrote a book on foraging for food in the woods and how to cook what you find. The book’s called, “Hunt, Gather, Cook“. Shaw’s...
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Community Supported Agriculture
Popcorn on the stalk at the CSA. This year we signed up for a CSA – Lee Farms in Truxton, Missouri – and we had the chance to visit this Sunday. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and the...
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Dandelion Season
Preparing the flowers for frying. The last two weeks have been peak dandelion season here in eastern Missouri, so I’ve been experimenting with the culinary uses of the flowers. Dipped in batter and...
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