Project Description
About the course:
The perception of food is determined not just by its basic tastes and aromas, but by its texture, temperature, appearance, the sounds it makes when eaten, the environment in which it is eaten, and the taster's physical and emotional state. This project examines how these factors interact and shape our perceptions of food, how we can better describe what we perceive, and how we can put this knowledge to use both to better understand our relationship with food and to prepare more enjoyable foods.
A key component of this project is a large number of comparative taste tests where we will strive to both distinguish tastes and describe these differences. To better develop communications skills, participants will maintain tasting journals. In addition to a wide range of other items, to help develop a frame of reference, we will have daily taste tests with both chocolate and cheese.
Students will take turns doing cooking demonstrations (with appropriate coaching), and we will have several longer (off-campus) cooking sessions with group meals or tastings. Additionally, each student will make a presentation on some aspect of taste.
Goals:
In this course we will
- examine the basics for the psychology, physiology, and chemistry of taste
- examine how this knowledge can be applied to cooking
- hone our culinary palates through extensives comparative tastings
- refine our ability to describe and discuss tastes, and,
- gain a greater understanding our relationship with food
Activities will include:
- daily chocolate taste tests
- daily cheese taste tests
- numerous other comparitive taste tests
- cooking demonstrations
- extended cooking session at a local kitchen
Be prepared to taste a lot of different foods as this course progresses.
Cooking:
We anticipate that each student will cook in the off-campus kitchen about four times or once each week. (In addition to these extended cooking sessions, we will prepare or demonstrate simple items in class.) Each of the extended cooking sessions will revolve around a common theme that emphasizes or reinforces the principles introduced in class.
To facilitate cooking and maximize student participation, we will likely divide students into two groups that will cook on alternate days. These groups will be further divided into small teams, usually with two students per team. Typically, each team will have a different recipe to prepare, but all the recipes on a given day will revolve around a common theme. At the end of the cooking session, students will meet to sample and discuss the recipes prepared that day. Depending on what is being prepared, students in the group that is not cooking may be expected to go to the off-campus kitchen at the end of the cooking session to sample what their fellow students have prepared.
Schedules will vary depending on what is being prepared and how the tasks are divided among the students. Typically, students should arrive at the kitchen by 9:00 AM. Cooking will be done in the usual stages: mise en place, cooking, plating, and cleanup. Stages may overlap so that one team will be preparing their ingredients while a second group is using the stove and a third cleaning.
We will often include guests at the tastings so you can show off what you have accomplished. These tasting sessions will be followed by a quick cleanup. In general, we will clean as we go, so this shouldn't take long. A general expectation of the course is that all students will do their share in cleaning.
We have used this cooking model in the past and it works well. It ensures that each student is able to actively participate. We will try to make all reasonable scheduling accommodations, but students taking this project should have fairly flexible schedules.
Classes:
A typical day in the classroom will begin with a chocolate tasting. If we cooked on the previous day, we will have a quick recap of the previous days cooking and the principles exemplified by that cooking. This will be followed by a lecture, discussions, videos, or presentations on the next topic or topics of interest. Demonstations and tastings will be interspersed throughout. If we are cooking the next day, we will go over the plans for that day. Finally, we will end the class with a cheese tasting.
Students in a group that isn't scheduled to cook may be expected to visit the kitchen at the end of the morning to sample what has been prepared. This will be determined on the day before. Otherwise, students will be expected to catch up, if necessary, on their reading and on their tasting journal/blog.
Of the days that we will not cook, one or two will be set aside at the start of the course so that we can cover cooking fundamentals including measurement, knife skills, kitchen safety, and sanitation before we actually go into the kitchen. We will probably use the last morning of Interim to wrap up the course and will probably not cook that day.
Costs:
The f$300 fee of for this course is a conservative estimate of the total costs. The actual cost is likely to be less. Funds not spent will be refunded to students after the completion of interim. Funds will be used to
- cover kitchen related costs,
- purchase any specialized cooking equipment or equipment we may need for demonstrations,
- pay for food and supplies that we will use during interim, and,
- cover miscellaneous expenses including DVD purchases, library acquisitions, photocopying, etc.
Equipment will be stored for use in future interims. (In this course, we will be using equipment purchased in previous interims.)
At this point, we do not anticipate requiring the purchase of a textbook for this course (but reserve the right to require a text). It is our expectation that we can meet the needs of the course through handouts, internet resources, and library resources.
Students may want to bring an apron to the cooking sessions.
General Requirements and Grading:
Attendance and participation will be required of all students. Required participation will include:
- Students are expected to attend every class and cooking session including the November 29 class. There will be no unexcused absences.
- All food we prepare will be shared.
- Students will help plan, cook, and clean up afterwards.
- Each student will maintain a blog describing Interim activities. We will make specific writing assignments for the blog.
- Students will be expected to do assigned readings and participate in the discussion. If a student seems unprepared in one class, they may be assigned to lead the next discussion session.
- Students are expected to check the class web page and their email accounts on a daily basis at a minimum.
- Students are expected to dress appropriately (i.e., safely) for cooking. This will be discussed in greater detail at the first class.
- Students are expected to observe appropriate sanitary and safety practices when cooking.
Students failing to meet one of these requirement may be given the option of a 5-6 page makeup research paper if there are mitigating circumstances. More than one infraction will result in a failing grade.
Please keep in mind, cooking-possibly several hours at a time-can be physically demanding.
Students will be graded Honors, Pass, Unsatisfactory. The primary criterion for Pass is active participation in the course in the areas listed above. Failure to adequately participate in any one of these areas will constitute grounds for an Unsatisfactory grade for the course. Students with excused absences may be required to do outside work to make-up missed classes. Students desiring a grade of Honors will be given the option of completing additional projects.
Come to class and participate and there shouldn't be any problems.