Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Science Extra Credit! (T.V. Show Connected to Science)

Recently, I've watched the show Top Chef Las Vegas on BravoTV. This is a show about the competitive and pressure-loaded environment of world-class cookery and the highest level of restaurant business. Each season there are seventeen competitors who battle their way through all sorts of cooking challenges to claim the title of "Top Chef". This show clearly has connections to science, due to the topics covered.



To begin, there is the portion of the show that involves cooking. Each episode has two challenges, one quick-fire and one elimination, which involve cooking a dish that will be superior to all, following the rules of the game. There are many ways that cooking these dishes can relate to science. For example, Brian Voltaggio, a contestant on the show, used dry ice to create his dish for the quick-fire challenge. Dry ice is an example of a solid going directly into a gas. Therefore, his use of the ingredient in the dish had much to do with science. Also, contestant Ash Fulk found out that his coffee custards weren't setting at all. This could possibly have had to deal with the heat of the room or the atmosphere. Thus, another factor related to the wonderful science field. In addition, when the judges came around to taste what the contestants had created, there were several different ways they cut certain ingredients in their dishes. The different forms of cuts are examples of physical change because an ingredient starts out a certain shape, but after dicing, slicing, chopping, julienning, and so on, it is no longer what it used to be. Furthermore, Michael Isabella, another participant of the show, made a cucumber yogurt soup and rack of lamb kabob style. The soup represented a liquid and the lamb represented a solid. Liquids are substances that have particles close together, but can still move freely, while solids are substances that have particles that are packed tightly together and cannot move freely. These foods clearly have a connection to science. Lastly, Tom Colicchio, a judge on Top Chef Las Vegas, commented on one of the dishes in the elimination challenge, saying the fish was too dry. This may have had to do with some science related issues such as whatever the person used to cook the fish was too hot. Subsequently tracing back to the issues that Ash had in dealing with scientific factors with his custards.


Overall, Top Chef Las Vegas on BravoTV is related to science mostly by what the contestants cook. Food is a part of science that has a copious amount of elements connected to the subject. Such as, making physical and chemical changes by cutting, burning, boiling, and searing all types of food. Plus, creating liquid and solid dishes to present to a floor of judges is a way that science is related to food. Basically, Top Chef Las Vegas is purely associated with the science field and can better educate you on different ways to cook, prepare, and reactions foods have together.



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