Marinating Meat, Proteins, acidicy, and the isoelectric point.

Marinating Meat, Proteins, acidicy, and the isoelectric point.

The science
Today we will seek an answer to the Question: Why does acid make meat tough and dry?
On page 132 of Cook’s Illustrated, “The Science of Good Cooking“ we find not only a great recipe for Chicken Fajitas but also an interesting paragraph on the isoelectric point of meat and the influences of acidity on protein.

   “A protein molecule normally contains many positive and negative charges. These electrical charges determine how proteins interact with each other. Often there are more positive or more negative charges, which cause the protein molecules to repel each other, keeping them far apart. But sometimes these electrical charges completely balance each other out. This moment of balance is called the isoelectric point. And while being in balance sounds like a good thing, when proteins hit the isoelectric point, they pack closer together squeezing out any excess liquid. And this squeezing, as we know, can make the meat tough and dry. But what causes proteins to reach to isoelectric point? You guessed it: Acid. Most chicken proteins, for example, are slightly acidic, with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. The isoelectric point of all muscle proteins however occurs at a pH of 5.2”. (132) 

The ingredients for the marinate

   

The experiment that I will conduct today will look at the effects of an acidic marinade on the chicken proteins.

“If there are a lot of acidic ingredients in a marinade, and it is left on a piece of chicken for a long time the risk is high that the pH of the chicken will drop to the isoelectric point, causing the proteins to pack together and the meat to become tough and dry” (132).

Experiment and Recipe
If exposure to acidity for a longer period of time makes chicken tough and dry than we should obviously examine this in a mini-experiment. The experiment will involve the chicken and the marinade, but the dish that I will be making is chicken fajitas as found on page 132 of “The Science of Good Cooking”.

The recipe for the Fajitas – Serves 4 to 6 (ingredients for marinate are in bold)
6 table spoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 Jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 ½ table spoons minced fresh cilantro

Grilling the chicken and vegetables

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons packed brown sugar
salt and pepper
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
1 large red onion
2 large bell peppers, quartered, stemmed and seeded.
8-12 flour tortillas

I marinated part of the chicken 3 hours prior to cooking. The original recipe only asked to only marinate the chicken for only 15 quick minutes. The key to this experiment is the difference in time of marinating the chicken. Will the 3 hour marinated chicken reach its isoelectric point due to exposure to acidic conditions and become dry and tough? A blind taste test will give us the answer.

My hypothesis for this experiment is that the chicken that is marinated 3 hours in an acidic marinate will be tougher and dryer than the chicken that is only marinated 15 minutes in the same marinate.  The independent variable is the length of exposure to marinate and the dependent variable is the dryness and toughness of the meat. I will standardize the meat, as I used pieces from the same chicken breast. I also will grill the two chicken groups (3 hour marinated and 15 minute marinated) on the same grill at the same time with the same temperature. 

The marinate affects the chicken 

The two test groups 

The data I collected was based on a blind taste test. I used 5 subjects who all blind tasted 4 pieces of chicken in pairs of 1 from each group. The subjects then determined which piece of chicken they found dryer and tougher.

Results
The blind taste test showed that out of 10 comparisons the subjects chose the longer marinated chicken to be dryer than the shorter marinated chicken. 8 times the 3 hour marinated chicken was picked to be dryer than the 15 minute marinated chicken and only 2 times it was the other way around. The table below shows the results and the subjects who participated in the blind taste test.

A = 3 hour marinated chicken
B = 15 minute marinated chicken

	1st taste	2nd taste
Tom	A	A
Jack	A	B
Madeline	A	A
Patrick	A	A
Tim	A	B

The 3 hour marinated chicken is picked 8 times,
while the 15 minute marinated chicken is only picked 2 times.

Discussion
The results support my hypothesis, and I can safely say that the chicken that was marinated for 3 hours did taste dryer and tougher than the chicken that was only marinated for 15 minutes. We can only speculate however if the isoelectric point in the chicken  was actually reached.
Future research could take a closer look at how the isoelectric point can maybe be influenced without acid. It would also be interesting to compare the isoelectric point of other types of meat and other animals. It is good to note however that not all marinates are supposed to be used several hours before cooking. acidic conditions denature proteins and sometimes these influences actually makes the meat less juicy and tender.

Dinner time
The chicken fajitas with grilled vegetables and guacamole was delicious.
 

Chicken Fajitas for dinner

Sources: 

• Cook's illustrated, The Science of Good Cooking

Salted Veggies

Osmosis 

Mini experiment 4 – How to keep stuffed tomatoes from being soggy and runny?

Today and yesterday we discussed fruits and vegetables in class. A lot of vegetables consist of large amounts of water and they have unique characteristics that need to be considered before cooking them.
My last experiment explored the effects of salt on meat; today we will take a closer look at the effects of salt on vegetables. There will be two molecular processes that will be tested. The extraction of liquid from the vegetable through osmosis and the weakening of the pectin within the vegetable. 

Cook’s Illustrated explains that “When salt is applied to vegetables, it creates a higher ion concentration at the surface than exists deep within the cells. To equalize the concentration levels, the water within the cells is drawn out through the permeable cell walls. This is called osmosis, an important process in brining and marinating. (212).

Salt however, does not only extract water from vegetables. "Science of good cooking" also notes that, Much of the strength of pectin, the glue that holds the cells together, comes from the presence of calcium and magnesium ions within the molecules. These ions are part of the pectin structure, but they also act as links, holding the pectin molecules together. When raw vegetables are salted, or salt is added to the cooking water, the sodium ions in the salt replace the calcium and magnesium ions in the pectin. This causes the pectin - and therefore the cell walls  of vegetables - to weaken. 212

I decided to use a vegetable that consists of mostly water; the Tomato. Cook’s illustrated “The Science of Good Cooking” includes several recipes centered on tomatoes but the one that made my mouth water was the Stuffed Tomatoes with Goat cheese, olives and Oregano. Not only did this recipe sound delicious, it also required the tomatoes to be salted before they were stuffed and baked.  Stuffed tomatoes should not give off to much water to their filling as it takes away flavor.  The instructions of the recipe require the cored and seeded tomatoes to be salted on the inside and rest on paper towels for 30 minutes to drain the excess moisture. This process of the recipe is where I will perform my experiment.

Recipe
The recipe that I used can be found in Cook’s illustrated “The Science of Good Cooking”.
Some slight modifications that I made were using fresh Italian parsley instead of regular parsley and I

the ingredients 

used dried oregano leaves instead of fresh oregano.  The ingredients were:

- 3 Large Tomatoes, 1/8 inch sliced off stem end, cored, and seeded.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ slice of white sandwich bread
- 2 table spoons olive oil
- ½ cup of goat cheese
- 1 ½ table spoons minced fresh Italian parsley
- 1 Garlic clove minced
- salt

Salting the tomato 

- pepper

I salted 1 of the tomatoes 30 before hand and let it dry. I stuffed the tomatoes with the mixture of garlic, olive oil, chopped black olives, parsley, goat cheese, crumbled bread, salt, and pepper.  In a 375 F oven I placed tomatoes on a baking dish covered with aluminum foil. The tomatoes were baked for 20 minutes until the top turned golden brown.

Goat cheese stuffing

The Experiment
As I mentioned earlier I will be testing the effects of salt on vegetables. Cook's illustrated pointed out how salt should extract liquid from the vegetable (tomato) but also make the tomato less . My hypothesis is that the tomato that is salted will disperse less liquid to the stuffing but will also be less stable. My independent variable was whether the tomato was salted or not and the dependent variable is both the liquid the tomato disperses while cooking and the structure and firmness of the tomato.
I standardized the cooking temperature and filling of the tomato by using the same ingredients for both and placing both tomatoes in the same oven dish. I also made sure I bought similar sized tomatoes and used the same procedure to core and seed the tomatoes.

Results

Tomatoes before they went in the oven (375 F)

The results of the tomatoes after 20 minutes of baking show that the unsalted tomato contained much more liquid than the salted tomato, but also that the salted tomato was less firm and more unstable.
I was able to support my two sided hypothesis through this experiment.

Unstable salted tomato on the left and
watery unsalted tomato on the right after 20 min. of cooking 

After 20 minutes of baking -	Salted	Unsalted
Most Liquid dispersed		X
Most unstable structure	X

  

Discussion
Both reactions that were predicted by "The Science of Good Cooking" did indeed happen. Some vegetables might react differently to salt than others, but for those vegetables that consist mostly of water salt has a duel effect on the structure of the fruit. More research can be done as to the question how to salt a vegetable without breaking down the pectin so it can remain its firm structure. It was clear however that the unsalted tomato was less flavorful as the water dulled the spices and the sharp taste of the goat cheese.

Dinner time The tomato was obviously only part of the main course. I decided to complement the sharp taste of the goat cheese with a piece of honey glazed, bacon wrapped, turkey tenderloin and some spanikopata.

Goat cheese stuffed tomato with bacon wrapped turkey tenderloin and spanikopata

More information on vegetables and  recipes can be found at Cook's Illustrated, The Science of Good cooking. 

Seasoning meat, what are the effects of salt and seasoning.

Mini-Experiment 3: Seasoning meat, what are the effects of salt and seasoning.

Harold McGee, Author of “On Food and Cooking the Science and Lore of the Kitchen”, addresses the effects of salt on meat. He notes, “High salt concentration cause the normally tightly bunched protein filaments in the muscle cells to separate into individual filaments, which are too small to scatter light: so the normally opaque muscle tissue becomes translucent. The same unbunching also weakens the muscle fibers, while at the same time dehydration makes the tissue denser and more concentrated: hence the close but tender texture.   - McGee (1984)

Why do we season our meats? Most dry-rub seasonings that are used on beef, pork, poultry, and even some fish, have salt at their base. Does the salt indeed influence the juiciness of a particular meat?
Today's experiment will take a closer look at the effects of salt on pork meat. I decided to do some work with a the loin area which is supposed to be the most tender part of the animal. I got myself a cut Pork Loin Rib eye chops. Cook's Illustrates, The Science of Good cooking, explains the different types of pork cuts and comments that " Rib and loin chops are cut from this area, as are pork loin roasts and tenderloin roasts. These cuts will be dry if overcooked  (149)". Juiciness, tenderness, structure are key elements to a well prepared meat dish.  My experiment might provide some more thought on seasoning meat prior to cooking it.   

The Experiment

To test the juiciness of the pork chops i decided to apply a seasoning on one of the pork chops and cook it simultaneously next to a pork chop with no added spices to it. My hypothesis that was based on some research and discussion online was that the Pork chop that was processed with a seasoning prior to cooking would be juicier than the pork chop that was not seasoned.The independent variable for this experiment is the seasoning and the dependent variable is the amount of liquid/juices that is produced by the pork chop after cooking. My standardized variables are the exposure to temperature as both chops are cooking in the same oven. The cut and thickness of  the meat is standardized because both meats were bought at the same meat department of a grocery store and showed similar thickness. Lastly, both pork chops will be cooked for the same amount of time.

Thyme, Ground Black Pepper,
Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, and Salt

For the seasoning I used some of the spices that I found in our cupboard. 

• 1 tsp of salt,
• 1 tsp of pepper, 
• 1 tsp of onion powder, 
• a pinch of thyme and 
• a pinch of chili powder.
  
  These ingredients are commonly found in several seasoning recipe's found online. I seasoned the meat by slowly rubbing in the spices. 

Pork Chop before seasoning and after seasoning.

I seasoned one of the pork chops 4 hours before I started cooking them and placed it in a Zip-Lock bag in the fridge. 

Pork chops as placed in the oven

The Pork Chops were prepared in a small oven that was preheated at 350 F. I decided on baking the chops so I am not adding any fats or liquids to the product during the cooking process. By baking the chops I applied more convective heat rather than conductive heat which allowed me to standardize the external environment of the pork chops during the cooking process. I placed the chops on some aluminum foil to catch juices from the meat. There are some do's and don't of cooking with aluminum foil that can be found at this helpful link. The pork chops were cooked for 10 minutes until I flipped them and then I cooked them for another 15 minutes. After 25 minutes of baking I took both pork chops and held them above a small bowl for 2 minutes. I counted the drops of fluid that would fall of the baked pork chops for a comparison of liquid dispersed from the meat between the seasoned chop and the unseasoned chop.

Pork chops 10 minutes in and after 25 minutes.
Left is unseasoned right is seasoned. The Maillard reaction is clearly visible.  

Results 
After 2 minutes of holding the chops above a bowl the unseasoned pork chop showed 41 drops of fluid while the seasoned pork chop only saw 24 drops of fluid. 

	Unseasoned Pork Chop	Seasoned Pork Chop
Amount of drops of liquid after baking (timed 2 minutes)	41	24

Holding both pork chops above the bowl for 2 minutes.
Left is unseasoned (41 drops of liquid). Right is seasoned (24 drops of liquid)

The Graph below visualizes the observations made after baking the Pork Chops for 25 minutes. 

Counted drops of liquid after 2 minutes. The unseasoned pork chop appeared to disperse more juices. 

With this data I disproved my hypothesis that a seasoning several hours before baking pork would make the meat more juicy. 

Discussion
Although the actual fluid count of the seasoned meat was lower than the unseasoned meat it did have a better taste and the meat appeared to be more tender. future experiments could compare a brine with a dry-rub seasoning to see the different effects of the seasoning methods. Also different cooking methods such as grilling or broiling could be used to perform similar experiments. Other experiments could focus on the exact diffusion and  osmosis processes that occur during brining. The

for more information on seasoning and meats visit these sources:

• http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-juicy-secret-to-seasoning-meat
• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee, 1984.
• Cook's illustrated, The Science of Good Cooking
• http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/the-juicy-secret-to-seasoning-meat

The enzymatic browning of my Avocado.

Mini-experiment 2 – The enzymatic browning of my Avocado.

Today we are going to take a closer look at one of my fruits, the avocado. The Avocado is a rich source of 

mono-unsaturated fat, which according to the American Heart Association, can reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower risk of heart disease. Besides being healthy Avocados are also delicious and 

I have been eating Guacamole since I was  young

especially when eaten fresh.  Avocados unfortunately have the tendency to turn brown after sometime they are cut open. Harold McGee explains in his book "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" that avocados have a naturally high metabolism and deteriorate fast than lethargic fruits.  The brown pigmentation  is the work of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase.  Straightdope.com explains that this enzyme works on phenolic compounds in the flesh of the avocado, changing their chemical structure and thus their color.  My mini experiment today will test if exposure to air influences the browning process and thus the enzymatic activity in the avocado.  I hypothesized that avocado that is exposed to more direct air will brown more than avocado that is exposed to less air. The independent variable is air exposure and the dependent variable is the browning process. 

The experiment
For this experiment I decided to use one avocado and cut it in half. I then used the two halves and placed one half in a Zip-lock bag. Both halves were placed on a yellow plate and I timed how long it took for the 

avocados to turn brown. Since I used the same avocado for both subjects is was able to standardize the flesh and presence of approximately the same amount of enzymes in the avocado. 

Initial experiment

Both halves were exposed to the same temperature (68 F) and other influences such as light. After several hours the browning process was not as significant as we expected so we decided to take the avocado out of its skin so the fruit can be exposed to air from top to bottom. I photographed the avocados at the start of the exposure to air as shown on the right. 

Avocados without the skin to have
a better look at the browning (3 hours in) 

The avocados did not brown as fast as I anticipated, however. Some online research had me belief that the browning would be clearly visible after a couple hours but even after 7 hours of exposure the browning was minimal. I decided to leave the avocado on the counter over night to add some time to the experiment and hopefully provide stronger support for my hypothesis.
As the picture on the right shows the avocado that remained in the Zip-Lock bag over night did in fact brown less than the avocado directly exposed to air. I can thus support my hypothesis with the observations I made this morning. Less exposure to air does slow down the enzymatic browning process, so to avoid the pigmentation of your avocados you should store them in some sort of closed vacuum environment. 

The difference in browning after 17 hours.
The avocado in the Zip-Lock bag
 (right) showed less enzymatic browning

Discussion
If we will look at the enzymatic browning of guacamole under certain circumstances for our group project the information gained from this project is helpful. the working enzymes in the avocado can be stimulated depending on some variables that we will carefully have to standardize. We will have to decide how we are going to make the guacamole and with what ingredients. There are special guacamole mixes than can simply be added to avocados which might provide preservatives. Today's experiment showed that it is important to consider how exposure to air can be promoted by simply removing the avocado from its skin. Our group experiment will provide more statistical data and a more detailed overview of enzymatic browning of avocados.
 


Dinner time
After the experiment I decided that is was time to actually eat the avocadoes.  I made some guacamole which will be the center of our group project later this month. Guacamole goes great with burgers, so I decided to make a salsa burger with guacamole, sour cream, pineapple salsa, and a bacon cheddar ground beef patty. Yummy!

Salsa burger I made 

Home-made Guacamole

For some more information on enzymatic browning and the health benefits of monounsaturated fats visit these sources. 

• http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2210/does-leaving-the-avocado-pit-in-the-guacamole-keep-the-stuff-from-turning-brown
• http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/Fats101/Monounsaturated-Fats_UCM_301460_Article.jsp
• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee, 1984.

Pictures and Memes

EMULSION - Suspension of two substances within each other that normally would not mix

It is always important to cook in a clean kitchen!

Before and After

Raw Milk - Where Do We Draw The Line?

Essay #1 – Food Safety
   
                                                      Raw Milk Where Do We Draw The Line?
      As food and drinks are something that we consume every day it is important to consider the risks of that what we put into our bodies. Biological design and years of evolution has presented us with a body that is able to digest and process a large variety of products. Food safety is not limited to the distinction between what we can and cannot eat or drink but also addresses the safety issues related to some of the most commonly consumed foods or beverages. This essay reflects on the ethics involved with selling raw milk. Recent outbreaks of E. Coli amongst several children in Tennessee has refueled the debate on raw milk. The health complications associated with the dangers of raw milk are severe and frequent enough to firmly take a stance against the sale of raw milk by dairy farms.
      Some might say that the deliberate consumption of raw milk, while aware of the dangers, is a right to all. Yet many drinks and foods are regulated or even banned based on health reasons. Think about the legal drinking age of alcohol or the illegal status of “Magic Mushrooms”. It is clear that the government or our collective consciousness is somewhat feeling responsible for the produce that is available to the public. By making the sale of raw milk illegal we protect the public from the significant health dangers that drinking raw milk can cause. Much research points towards these dangers of raw milk and the process of pasteurization can easily provide milk that possesses little to no harmful pathogens.
      The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that “From 1998 to 2009, consumption of raw milk products in the U.S. resulted in 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations, 93 illness outbreaks, and two deaths”. Although two deaths in 11 years harshly sound alarming it is the amount of hospitalizations and illnesses that demands our attention. The problem with raw milk and dangerous pathogens such as E. Coli, Salmonella, and Listeria is that there are no visible signs of these bacteria in the milk, the cow, or the dairy farm environment.  TDH State Epidemiologist Tim Jones, M.D Reports, “Milk from the healthiest-appearing cows in the cleanest dairy operations can still contain deadly microorganisms.”. he only way to ensure safe milk is thus by killing the harmful pathogens through pasteurization, a process that with today’s technology does not require too much effort and leaves the healthy nutrients that milk provides. The ethical questions that 

surround the issue or raw milk are related to the intersection of choice and safety and severity of the health dangers resulting from the milk. Marcie McBee, the owner of the dairy farm from which the E. Coli outbreak spread, defends the position of choice and states, “My customers and I feel that we are well-informed and able to make our own decisions about the food we consume,”. With her position she reiterates the argument that what we put on our bodies is our decision and we are free to consume the raw milk if we like to. This argument is supported by the correct claim that no living food is 100 percent protected from containing harmful pathogens. Although McBee and other supporters of free-choice concerning food consumption have a good point they fail to see the context in which the health dangers of raw milk have manifested.  Jatinder Bhatia, MD, a member of the Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics notes that, “Consumption of 

raw milk products is especially risky for pregnant women, infants, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly, and the evidence overwhelmingly establishes the benefits of pasteurization on food safety.” Especially those who do not experience the freedom of choice to the fullest, such as (unborn)children and the elderly seem to be at high risk for raw milk consumption. It is especially these people that need to be protected from the dangers of raw milk that a complete ban of its sale could realize. Additional research on raw milk consumption in Minnesota reveals the prevalence of health issues association with raw milk consumption. The study results reported that out of all the Minnesotans who drank raw milk from 2001 to 2010, up to 17 percent may have fallen ill with an intestinal infection from doing so. 

      The ethical approach to these results would be to establish where on the spectrum of safety do we draw the line? Considering the United States has already outlawed several foods and beverages due to health reasons it is time to discuss the same options for raw milk. As of today, it is still legal to sell raw milk in 30 states. The health issues associated with raw milk however are more severe and significant than many people assume. With strong recommendation from several health organization such as the American Academy of Pediatrics to no longer sell raw milk it is time to re-consider raw-milk legislation.  

Sources:

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/11/raw-milk-dairy-linked-to-e-coli-outbreak-through-tests/#.Us8nnNJdWSr

http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/raw-milk-news/story/american-academy-of-pediatrics-advises-pregnant-women-and-children-not-to-c/

http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/raw-milk-news/story/mn-study-raw-milk-illnesses-greatly-underreported/

Mini-experiment: An American Classic

Mini-experiment: An American Classic - How long does it take for a Hot-Dog to split open? 

The warm Hot-Dogs are split open first 

For the first mini-experiment of this J-term I decided to work with an American Classic, the Hot-Dog. A Hot-Dog is a cooked sausage that is often grilled or steamed that is served in between a bun. Cooking the perfect Hot-dog is not as easy as it sounds and one of the major complication of the grilling process is the splitting of the Hot-dog. When the Hot-dog splits open valuable juices, aroma, and heat gets lost. Today’s experiment thus examined variables that influence the splitting of the Hot-dog. When using a grill meat is exposed to direct contact with extreme heat and fire.  The splitting of a Hot-dog or sausage is likely due to the internal structure of the meat. Build-up steam that attempts to leave the Hot-Dog will eventually break the outer layer to release the pressure that is built up inside. Temperature is thus crucial to preparing the perfect Hot-Dog. For the mini-experiment I examined the time it takes for a Hot-Dog to split depending on the initial temperature of the Hot-Dog.  The hypothesis of the experiment is that Hot-Dogs with a high initial temperature will split before Hot-dogs with a low initial temperature, because the Hot-Dogs with a higher initial heat will reach the splitting temperature sooner. The Null-hypothesis would thus be that there is no difference in time of splitting open between the warm and the cold Hot-Dogs. The independent variable will be the initial temperature of the Hot-Dog and the dependent variable will be the time it takes for the Hot-Dog to split. For the sake of the experiment I have placed one set of sausages in the freezer for 10 minutes and left the other sausages on the kitchen counter at room temperature. The Hot-Dogs will be categorized as either warm (room temperature) or cold (freezer). It is important to consider several standardized variables as the grilling-process largely influences the state of the Hot-Dogs. The Standardized variables that were taken into consideration were; the type and size of the meat/sausage, placement of the sausages on the grill, temperature of the grill and handling of the sausages while on the grill. I used an 8-pack of beef Hot-dogs and placed half the package in the freezer and left the other half on the counter. The size and type of the sausages is thus exactly the same for both testing groups. To ensure a controlled application of heat I alternated warm and cold sausages on the grill, making sure that none of the sausages were deliberately exposed to higher temperatures or fire conditions. The grill’s temperature is the same for all sausages as they were all placed on the grill at the same time. Lastly I made sure not to turn or touch any of the sausages until they split open. As (most) Hot-Dogs are already cooked when you buy them and you could theoretically eat them raw there were no instruction as how long to grill the sausages. After only 2.27 minutes the first warm Hot-Dog split open and shortly after the other warm Hot-Dogs followed. It wasn't until all the warm Hot-Dogs had split open that the cold Hot-Dogs split open as well. 

Results
With a stopwatch I timed how long it took for the Hot-Dogs to split open and I entered the results into the table below. I labeled the Hot-Dogs according to their initial temperature and place on the grill. The Warm Hot-Dogs are labeled with the letter W followed by the number 1 through 3 and the Cold Hot-Dogs are labeled with the letter C followed by the number 1 through 3.
                         

W  Warm Hot-Dogs	Cold Hot-Dogs
W1 -    3.14	C1 -   6.14
W2 -    2.27	C2 -   5.25
W3 -    2.38	C3 -   3.52

The Hot-Dogs are labeled according to their initial temperature; Warm/Cold

The average time until the warm Hot-Dogs split open was 2.59 minutes and 4.97 minutes for the cold Hot-Dogs.I portrayed the results of the average times into this graph to visualize the time it took for the Hot-Dogs to split open.

Yummy!

Conclusion
My hypothesis and prediction was correct. Although the sample size was small the results were accurate and consistent within the variable groups. More research could point towards actual temperatures of specific Hot-Dog and when they split. This experiment could be extended by looking at Standard Deviation Data and by using more Hot-Dogs to get a more detailed and deep set of data.

Even though all Hot-Dogs split open at one point they still tasted delicious!

 

Introduction

Love Guacamole

Hello, my name is Tim van den Bergh I am currently learning about the science of food and cooking. I was born and raised in The Netherlands and graduated high school there in 2008. Upon my high school graduation I participated in a foreign exchange program which placed me in Des Moines, Iowa for a year at an American high school. I started my college experience in Los Angeles, California, at California State University Los Angeles. After my freshmen year I transferred to Loras College where I am currently pursuing a Bachelor degree in Criminal Justice. I enjoy playing soccer, making music, cycling,  and traveling. On top of that  I LOVE FOOD. through food, flavors, and taste people can express culture. Cooking interests me because food never tastes the same. The details in the process of cooking create unique flavors and even home-cooked meals that you have eaten so many times can taste different every time. As I enjoy traveling I also enjoy authentic foreign food. My mother is very skilled in the Indian cuisine and both of my parents have a passion for cooking that they passed on to me and my sister. Making something delicious out of simple ingredients is enjoyable and trying new recipes and dishes opens my eyes to the endless opportunities that the world of cooking provides. This January I hope to become familiar with new methods of cooking and ingredients. I also hope to receive a deeper understanding of the processes that transform certain ingredients into dishes and by doing so become more able to use those ingredients in future cooking. Lastly I would like to learn how science explains certain cooking mysteries and use this knowledge to create unique new recipes and dishes. 

Who's doing these dishes?