Do any physicists switch to cooking?

[Pengwuino]

Man am i tempted to start cooking now! but no no, ill stay a physics major... The one thing i really hate about cooking for some reason is that it takes so much more time to make food then it takes to actually sit down and eat it. Like I've told 3 people, "30 minutes to make, 3 minutes to eat, utter inefficiency" even though there's nothing 'inefficient' about it!

I want to make some chimichangas but i don't think we have any of hte ingredients. I'd make the greatest food though, id bust out my scales and timers and do everything to the gram and to the second and to the ml.

 

[z-component]

Well, ZapperZ sort of became a baker on the side at graduate school I believe. He discovered he liked to make bread as a good stress-reliever. Does that count?

 

[Moonbear]

Well, ZapperZ sort of became a baker on the side at graduate school I believe. He discovered he liked to make bread as a good stress-reliever. Does that count?

I bake for the same reason. There's no reason not to learn to cook along with whatever else you do. Of course, if you're going to wolf down your meals in 3 minutes without even tasting the food, there's not much point in learning to cook well. The idea of good food is you take your time enjoying it and savoring all the flavors.

 

[Evo]

This is a great website for engineers that cook. "Have an analytical mind? Like to cook? This is the site to read!"

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/

Maybe there is a "cooking for physicists" site?

 

[Pengwuino]

hahaha there's 'bacon cooking tests'

hilarious

 

[zoobyshoe]

Could someone explain the term "cook" to me?

 

[Moonbear]

Could someone explain the term "cook" to me?

The verb or noun?

 

[Pengwuino]

Could someone explain the term "cook" to me?

It's what women do in their spare time. It involves various rituals and prayers where small children are normally sacrificed. Sometimes it is done on a mountain to appease the Food Network Gods.

 

[Moonbear]

It's what women do in their spare time. It involves various rituals and prayers where small children are normally sacrificed. Sometimes it is done on a mountain to appease the Food Network Gods.

No way! We don't sacrifice small children, only penguins. Tastes like chicken.

 

[dduardo]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/

OMG! The charts and pictures, they're beautiful! Cooking Makes Sense!

*Runs to kitchen*

 

[Moonbear]

OMG! The charts and pictures, they're beautiful! Cooking Makes Sense!
*Runs to kitchen*

Hmm...I wonder if it will work for Enigma too. Nah, he's a lost cause in the kitchen.

 

[Pengwuino]

Wheres all the charts and pictures?!??! TELL ME!

 

[Evo]

He actually references "cooking for physicists"!

Equipment & Gear: Common Materials of Cookware

Over the last year, I've received several requests to write an article on cookware. This is a huge subject, and I've been struggling to figure out a way to present the information accurately and concisely. I decided to divide the information up into separate articles and focus this one on some common materials used in the construction of cookware. I also had to decide how much science and math to include. After some thought on the subject, since this site is called "Cooking For Engineers" and not "Cooking for Physicists", I've decided to include enough information that my readers will grasp the concepts without actually doing any derivations (perhaps this could be a future article).

Cool page http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article_2004.php?id=120

 

[Pengwuino]

I've decided to include enough information that my readers will grasp the concepts without actually doing any derivations (perhaps this could be a future article).

GO PHYSICS!

 

[Pengwuino]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=152

Something doesn't make sense there. It wants 1 quart... yet it uses 8 cups in the recipe.

 

[Moonbear]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=152

Something doesn't make sense there. It wants 1 quart... yet it uses 8 cups in the recipe.

Uh oh...I guess they forgot their calculator.

 

[Pengwuino]

Uh oh...I guess they forgot their calculator.

typical engineers

 

[Evo]

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=152

Something doesn't make sense there. It wants 1 quart... yet it uses 8 cups in the recipe.

Yep I see that! Let's e-mail him and rip him to shreds!

 

[Pengwuino]

So what do you suggest all mighty Evo, 4 or 8 cups!

 

[Evo]

4 cups milk, 4 cups bourbon

except the bourbon doesn't go into the eggnog, if you know what I mean

 

[dduardo]

I'm going to break out my chemistry set and use a pipette to get accurate volumes of fluid. This way I can create a similar test all the time.

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm going to break out my chemistry set and use a pipette to get accurate volumes of fluid. This way I can create a similar test all the time.

haha yah that's what i always say, if i hada lab/kitchen, id be set

 

[dduardo]

Professional cooks tend to do everything by eye. As an engineer I want reproducible results. If it means using various chemistry equipment to find the perfect ratios so be it.

Test 1: 500ml of milk => Too Dry
Test 2: 520ml of milk => Too Watery
Test 3: 510ml of milk => Just right

 

[Evo]

Professional cooks tend to do everything by eye. As an engineer I want reproducible results. If it means using various chemistry equipment to find the perfect ratios so be it.

Test 1: 500ml of milk => Too Dry
Test 2: 520ml of milk => Too Watery
Test 3: 510ml of milk => Just right

 

[Pengwuino]

Professional cooks tend to do everything by eye. As an engineer I want reproducible results. If it means using various chemistry equipment to find the perfect ratios so be it.

Really? I was told professional chefs have setups that practically resembles laboratories when they 'design' dishes.

 

[Moonbear]

Professional cooks tend to do everything by eye. As an engineer I want reproducible results. If it means using various chemistry equipment to find the perfect ratios so be it.

Test 1: 500ml of milk => Too Dry
Test 2: 520ml of milk => Too Watery
Test 3: 510ml of milk => Just right

Actually, part of the difficulty of being a professional chef is making sure the dishes are reproducible. If someone orders a dish they like, they expect to get the same thing next time too. I think even what they do "by eye" is done fairly accurately...it's just that they have learned to judge amounts quite well by eye.

I can't recall who it was, because it was years ago, but I watched one cooking show where the chef was measuring stuff in the palm of his hand, and at some point stopped and decided to show the audience that when he measures a teaspoon in his hand, it really is a teaspoon, and poured the contents of his hand into a measuring spoon...it was exactly a teaspoon.

 

[Pengwuino]

I can't recall who it was, because it was years ago, but I watched one cooking show where the chef was measuring stuff in the palm of his hand, and at some point stopped and decided to show the audience that when he measures a teaspoon in his hand, it really is a teaspoon, and poured the contents of his hand into a measuring spoon...it was exactly a teaspoon.

Yah I guess when that's all you do for a living, "expert" just doesn't cut it as a description anymore. I remember from time to time seeing cooking shows where the guy would just toss something into his hand and toss it into a pot. I guess now I realize that they're probably not off by more then 10mg every time they do it.

 

[ZapperZ]

One usually does not have to be too exact when doing regular cooking. None of my spaghetti sauces or beef strogonoff ever tastes the same, mainly because I make variations to each one every time, but also because I never make any detailed measure of any ingredients. I usually go by feel and tastes.

Where you do have to pay attention to the amount is in baking. Here, accurate measurement is important if you want your souffle not to collapse before you even take it out of the oven.

Zz.

 

[Pengwuino]

I'm still a bit confused when it comes to ratios in cooking. If you have to say, simmer 1lb of meat for an hour, does that mean you would need 10 hours to do 10lb of meat?

 

[Moonbear]

I'm still a bit confused when it comes to ratios in cooking. If you have to say, simmer 1lb of meat for an hour, does that mean you would need 10 hours to do 10lb of meat?

It would depend on the shape. If you're talking about a thick, roughly spherical roast, it might take 3 or 4 hours, but if it's a flat piece or cut into smaller pieces, it might not take any additional time at all. That might make a fun physics thread for the holiday season to discuss the thermal conduction through a piece of meat.