An Appleless Apple Pie, Brought to You by Science

[HuckleB]

http://www.newsweek.com/appleless-apple-pie-brought-you-science-398401

"Nearly every great chef will say that cooking is an artform. But many fail to mention the craft also relies on some pretty well-established hard science. Few know this better than Jeff Potter, author of Cooking for Geeks, a book for those looking to improve their culinary skills through a richer understanding of exactly how stuff works in the kitchen.

This is why Potter, a self-proclaimed food and science geek, will be the first to report that a pie isn’t just a pie. The dessert you’re about to eat is chock-full of lessons in chemistry, physics and neurobiology. And whether or not your holiday guests ask for second slice depends on how well you master the basics of science.

...

The only thing better than a slice of warm pie is one accompanied by ice cream. “Ice cream is actually really complicated,” says Potter. “You could teach an entire lesson on ice cream.” One thing to know about the sweet creamy stuff, says Potter, is the role of colloidal dispersion, when a compound of certain substances, in this case individual ingredients, are evenly distributed as fine particles. “Colloids are a combination of different types of matter,” says Potter. “Foods are almost never one state of matter. There's usually something in them that causes them to be multiple states of matter—solid, liquid and gas.” To the naked eye and your mouth, that ice cream may seem like a perfectly blended mixture, but it’s not. “Ice cream is a complex colloid—multiples types of colloids at once—being water-based liquid containing pockets of air (foam), chunks of ice crystals (suspensions) and fats (emulsions) all at the same time,” Potter wrote in his book.

...

Once you understand how science plays on the palate, you can work all sorts of magic. Take one of Potter’s favorites: A mock apple pie doesn’t contain any apples. Instead, it uses crackers—and a keen sense of science—to manipulate the mind of anyone who reaches for a slice.

..."


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This story wins the Internet today, at least it gets my award!

[MagickMuffin]

1. That's Why I Refer to Myself As An Alchemist

There is definitely a science to cooking and turning raw ingredients into rich food!

[HuckleB]

6. The Alchemist is a good book, too!

[ryan_cats]

2. My mom

My mom used to make one based, on I think, Ritz crackers and their recipe. It was surprisingly good as I despise apples.

[TexasProgresive]

4. I think that one has been around since the great depression.

To make mock apple pie using crackers, bring to a boil 2 cups of water, 3/4 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar in a medium pan. Add 30 Ritz crackers, and cook for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a pie crust, and bake the pie.
more:
http://get.smarter.com/qa/food/make-mock-apple-pie-using-crackers-13a75ab7d47d4a50?ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=broad&o=32806#

[Hekate]

5. Yes it has. Its a Depression/WW II economizing recipe.

Also scientific!

[HuckleB]

9. Wow! Awesome!

I'm going to have to try it!

[hifiguy]

3. I love to cook and I am a total geek.

This is right up my alley!

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. I hate cream of tartar!

[restorefreedom]

8. is this the guy who did the recipe breakdown?

someone broke the "code" of restaurant foods, big macs, applebees mac and cheese, etc and wrote a recipe book so people can duplicate it at home.

apparently people say they can't tell the difference.

[JanMichael]

10. hell i made a vegan filet mignon. mock apple pie? childsplay. pfft. nt

[MrScorpio]

11. I'd rather have apples in my apple pie. nt