Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream

For our final project, we decided to make ice cream with liquid nitrogen. During this experiment we demonstrated how to rapid freeze with liquid nitrogen. We made a vanilla ice cream mixture using 1 quart of half and half, 1 pint of milk, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 5 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla, then mixed it together until all sugar was dissolved. We then added liquid nitrogen. Liquid Nitrogen is a very cooled down version of the nitrogen in the atmosphere, being -320 degrees (F). Liquid nitrogen is beyond frostbite and is particularly used to freeze food because it’s odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Liquid nitrogen is not considered an ingredient when you are cooking, because it is a technique. This technique that we used is called molecular gastronomy which is the scientific discipline involving the study of physics and chemical process that occur during cooking. So, the first few trials we were unable to come out with a creamery texture, the mixture came out as a liquid. Then we finally figured out that since we were using low fat milk there was not enough fat to create the creamery texture and to avoid the ice crystals. So, we used whole milk, which has more fat in it.
During this reaction the liquid nitrogen causes the fat and the water molecules to stay very small, giving the ice cream a creamy look and taste. After you poor the liquid nitrogen let it sit for about a few minutes until the fog stops appearing and the sizzling sound stops. The liquid nitrogen will mix with the milky mixture and creates super small ice crystals that make the ice cream very smooth and creamy texture.

 As we poured in the liquid nitrogen we saw a fog that was cold when we touched it. You guys will also hear a sizzling sound, while the reaction occurs, but it is defined as crystalizing, which is the process of changing a liquid to a solid. When you see the fog burning off of the mixture it is the nitrogen burning off and water vapor that makes the nitrogen visible. The liquid Nitrogen changed the liquid mixture into a solid. Once we blended that together it became creamy but was still very liquid like, so we added liquid nitrogen and repeated the process. The mixture then became a very creamy texture and had a creamy ice cream taste.
By: Molly O'Brien and Ariana Feliz

Final Post, Kitchen Chem 2015

As the last day draws to a close, we look back on all of the experiences of the past two weeks.  The first day we had introductions and we split up into groups to make breakfast, which consisted of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pancakes, and bacon.  We then broke into groups for a lab in the afternoon. In this lab we calculated the calories in different food items.  On Tuesday, we blended the science and cooking together and began our academic adventure into molecular gastronomy.  We broke into new groups to make different courses revolving around molecular gastronomy: blueberry caviar, chocolate spaghetti, chocolate coffee mousse, yogurt spheres, maple syrup gel, and bacon foam.  That afternoon we did another lab where we tested the compositions of different food items; specifically sugars, proteins, fats, etc.  The next day we visited StudioKitchen, run by Shola Olunloyo.  He prepared a set course for us; each meal focused on a different aspect of his cooking with lab equipment.  For example he prepared steak for us, using a method called sous vide.  On Thursday we were welcomed to Avero, a restaurant of an Episcopal parent Mr. Morrison(father of Julia Morrison, junior).  At Avero, we were taught the restaurant business and a little bit of the science behind cooking. On Friday, we ventured into cheese making where we attempted to make mozzarella and lemon brie but ended up with lemon brie and string cheese. We then hosted the second grade in the afternoon to show them the molecular gastronomy we learned on Tuesday. 

Week two of kitchen chemistry began with a 2 hour delay, but it did not delay our spirits in creating incredible food for our final projects. We spent the short Monday going to a local Acme and buying all the ingredients for each groups' final project. Tuesday began bright and early at 7:30 A.M. to take a road trip to York, PA for some authentic Italian mozzarella. The two hour drive was well worth the delicious cheese we helped make as well as some incredible eggplant parm. Wednesday was the day dedicated to each groups'  final project's recipe and creation. The testing continued all day to perfect each project and to be ready for the practice presentations on Thursday. We also created homemade marshmallows on Wednesday morning. Thursday began with breakfast made by Mrs. Miklavcic and Mrs. Rheam as all the students continued on their final projects and presentations. The whole kitchen chemistry crew then went to Marigold kitchen on Thursday night for a 14 course meal fully exhibiting the wonders of molecular chemistry. The experience opened everyone's eyes to a new level of culinary cuisine. Friday was the day for each group to present to students from pre-K to 8th grade. They came to watch and taste the projects that the twelve kitchen chemistry students worked on all week. The final projects were bananas foster, carbonated ice cream and fruit, liquid nitrogen ice cream, hard candy, microwaved cookies and a deconstructed banana split. 

Kitchen Chemistry was an incredibly fun two week course that taught us a mix of science and cooking. Over the course of the two weeks, the twelve students and two teachers bonded and created unforgettable memories from backpacks to music videos. These past two weeks could not of been any better.

-Jack Brinker and Qays Ladha

 

For our Kitchen Chemistry presentation we decided to focus on pulled sugar. We chose specifically to work with swirled lollipops.  Our idea was drawn from a culinary show where the technique was used.  We emailed a former student of Mrs. Miklavcic's who had experience with the subject and she helped us out by informing us of the best recipe to use as well as several links to reference. First we mixed the water, sugar, and cream of tartar in a pot and proceeded too heat it to 320 degrees, the melting point of sugar. The cream of tartar is a acidic compound the helps to keep sugar syrups from crystalizing. We we then poured the syrup onto a silpat where we then began to mix in the food coloring. When the sugar had cooled enough to touch we began to pull and stretch the sugar which helped to facilitate the cooling process as well as introduce air which gave the sugar a more opaque, silvery look. While we worked on the sugar we had heat lamps to set up which kept the sugar melted enough to be malleable and workable. We then rolled the sugar into ropes and and then twisted the ropes around the sticks. We also created bite-sized candy which we made by cutting the ropes into chunks and sprinkling them with powdered sugar to keep them from sticking.

Griffin Kearney and Leigh Lacy

Flambé

Dylan Higgins & Bella Echevarria

For our final project, we chose to explore the chemical process and effects of flambé. Flambé is a cooking procedure that was first discovered in Monte Carlo in 1895 when a waiter named Henri Charpentier accidentally set fire to a pan of crepes. In fact, flambé means "flamed" in French. However, simply lighting food on fire is not flambéing in and of itself. Flambé implies that alcohol is added to a hot pan and burned off to create a burst of flames. Although flambé is sometimes only  associated with table side presentation, the process is actually a complex chemical reaction that enhances the aroma and flavor of the dish. 

For example, the dish that we prepared banana's foster. Our recipe for banana's foster consisted of butter, brown sugar, banana liqueur, bananas, dark rum, and cinnamon and served over vanilla ice cream. Because some of our bananas were still very green, we put them in a paper bag overnight to speed up the ripening process. The bag retains the ripening agent of ethylene gas which bananas naturally release. In the final steps of preparing the banana's foster, we pour banana liqueur and dark rum over the caramelizing bananas. Carmelization is the browning of sugar in which the volatile chemicals are released to produce a caramel flavor. By heating the alcohol, the vapor pressure increases, releasing enough vapors to catch fire from the lighter. The ignition of the flame evaporates the alcohol and helps the flavor of the liqueur to blend into the bananas. The term "flash point" represents the lowest temperature at which the liquid, in this case the banana liqueur and the dark rum, gives off enough vapor to ignite on exposure to a flame. The flammable ingredient in the alcohol is ethanol, which has a flash point of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. To make the flame spark, we added a pinch of cinnamon. Cinnamon is made from dried bark, making it very flammable. 

After a few trials, we believe we mastered the process and flare of creating banana's foster. 

Banana Split




After several failed attempts at a deconstructed banana split we finally achieved our goal. Although banana foam and ice cream spheres did not work out, we still were able to capture the essence of a banana split. The banana foam was unsuccessful due to the low content of juice in the banana fruit. The ice cream spheres were unsuccessful due to their high viscosity and gum content. When we realized these ideas were no longer possible to create we decided to make some changes, but maintain the ingredients we originally started with. We decided to instead make cherry juice spheres, because of their low viscosity, and ice cream foam as an alternative to banana foam. The cherry juice spheres in basic specification did not cohere because they were too acidic, the pH was 5 when the necessary pH needed to be above 5. We discovered, however, that the cherry juice mixed with calcium lactate produced a gelatin that tasted like a cherry gel. We decided we would use this as our cherry portion. When making the ice cream foam we needed a puree texture. To achieve this we melted down the ice cream and added milk. We then boiled the mixture with water and sugar, a technique which would allow the sugar to dissolve and enhance the taste. When the sugar had dissolved we mixed in gelatin to make the mixture cohere. We then used an iSi foam whipper to give the foam it's airy texture, because foam is mostly air. The nitrous oxide cartridges we used allowed this to be possible by pressurizing the mixture with the gas they emitted. This gave the foam it's shape and texture. Our final touch was a frozen banana with melted chocolate adorning the top. The melted chocolate was heated on a double boiler to ensure it did not burn, but melted with a smooth texture.


-Zach and Claudia

Carbonated Fruit and Ice Cream Final Project

For our Kitchen Chemistry presentation we decided to focus on carbonation. We chose specifically to work with fruits and ice cream.  Our first idea was drawn from a cookbook called Molecular Gastronomy at Home; it had a recipe for making carbonated grapes.  We built off of this and attempted to carbonate grapes, strawberries, and clementines.  We carbonated the grapes with an iSi Whipper and carbon dioxide cartridges.  We also ended up using this method to carbonate the strawberries.  The other method we used was putting clementines and strawberries in a sealed plastic container with dry ice.  This worked out for the strawberries, but the clementines weren't carbonated.  Along the with grapes and strawberries, we made carbonated ice cream with dry ice.  For that recipe we used 1 cup of whole milk, 2 cups of heavy cream, 2/3 cup of sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla extract.  We put all of our ingredients in a stirring bowl and slowly added pellets of dry ice and stirred.  It was important to slowly add the dry ice so it could carbonate the ice cream before it actually froze it.  We served a scoop of ice cream in dixie cups with a couple of the carbonated strawberries on top, finished with lime zest mixed with sugar.  The fizzy grapes were served before we made the ice cream.  Throughout the presentation, we explained sublimation and how the iSi Whipper carbonated the fruit.  Overall the kids enjoyed it, and we had the opportunity to learn about the science behind carbonation.

-Jack and Qays

Dinner at Marigold Kitchen last night was definitely considered a success! After 14 bite sized meals everyone left the restaurant feeling very full and craving to return again! The meals were tiny, but every bite was a new experience of chemistry in food. The presentation of each meal was exquisite and some of the favorites were: blood orange sorbet with vanilla cream, pumpkin sushi, and a decorative arrangement of flexible banana, caramelized banana, a dollop of dulce leche ice cream, and banana bread. Not only did everyone enjoy the food, but the entire group was keeling over in laughter at the many stories told. The J-term even decided to create a band called: Brinker and the Bad Eggs! After dinner the chefs departed from the kitchen and joined us for a few questions on the chemistry involved in their cooking as well as some questions on their lives as cooks. We even discovered one of the chefs had attended EA! The dinner was a great way to wrap up the two weeks of J-term the group had all spent together.






-Claudia and Zach