Cooking is the oldest, most widespread, and most applicable form of chemical research. This decal is designed to be an experimental and hands-on look at applied chemistry as seen in cooking. This class is not necessarily to teach you how to cook, but rather to provide a deeper understanding of the chemistry involved in cooking and how that may affect your understanding of cooking as a whole.

This is a 2-unit decal which is designed to look at cooking from a scientific basis. Throughout the semester, you will perform an edible experiment in groups and look at the science behind how it all works. We will examine chemical, biological, microbiological, and physical principles using methods ranging from interactive lectures to hands-on cooking.

Objectives
1. Develop an understanding of how individual food components contribute to the overall
quality of foods.
2. Achieve an understanding of the chemical changes that take place with food components.
3. Recognize reactions and mechanisms that are important in food chemistry.
4. Reap the benefits, as you are satiated with delicious food.

You are allowed two absences in the class and you can use those for midterms, review sessions, etc. If you need to miss class more often, please email us, and we will deal with it accordingly. The class grade will be based on attendance and 4 total labs throughout the semester, so ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY!

We encourage participation and asking questions because it makes the classes more fun. We will try to have smaller group discussions or interactive lectures/games/demos to make it more interesting!

There are no quizzes or exams, but there will be labs in which students are put together in groups to cook a meal outside of class time. These will be opportunities to eat as well as to apply the chemistry learned in class to a real dish! There will be a final project in which students group together and cook a dish of their choice, then present a chemical aspect of that dish to the class and have a class-wide potluck!

We encourage anyone who is interested in this decal to apply and tell us a little bit about why you would like to enroll in this course. The first class will be on Tuesday, January 30th and you will hear back by January 24th if you have been enrolled in the class! We will email you with all enrollment details.