Chemistry of Food and Cooking: Avogadro's Toast Recipe Card:
Project Reflection:
How can food’s energy content, nutrition, texture, taste etc. be explained in terms of the atomic, molecular and macromolecular structure of the food? When many people look at a food they are most concerned with it’s taste or appearance first, then secondly it’s nutrition content; very few people look at a food item and begin to think directly about the molecular structure of it. The atoms that we find in something like bead are often hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. When these atoms come together they form a molecule, an example of this is amino acids. Amino acids are the molecules which make up the macromolecules that we know as proteins. Through the toasting of bread the maillard reaction takes place. As this reaction takes place in the bread the macromolecules, carbohydrates and proteins, break down and reform new compounds. These compounds are the difference between bread and toast. As they react initially they begin to form the golden, toasty layer on the toast. At this point in the reaction, the taste is nutty and the texture is crunchy. As the reaction progresses at a higher temperature, the new compounds become more carbon based than those before which gives the toast the charred appearance and bitter flavor., as well as a very brittle texture. Toast is overall, more nutritious than bread because of the molecular makeup after the maillard reaction. These new macromolecules are easier for our bodies to digest because of their makeup which allow us to draw the most nutrition out of the toast. Since toast is more easily chewed and digested, it conserves energy that would be expelled on a regular, raw piece of bread.
Energy and the environment:
My Infographic: geothermal energy in yellowstone National park