With the internet and digital age dictating the current student’s every move, universities worldwide have adapted their model of teaching by incorporating online courses and podcasts. Culinary and food courses are not exempt from this change as chefs and professors are collaborating to create a global classroom for food learning. What’s exciting is that you don’t always have to be an enrolled student to participate.
1. At The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Lam Lung Yeung and King L. Chow are offering an online class regarding the influence of scientific principles on cooking and cuisine. “The Science of Gastronomy” is a 6 week long class covering basic scientific principles of food including taste, flavor, aroma, coloring, and texture. The online instructional videos will cover cooking practices and encourage students to develop their own recipes after understanding ingredients. No former cooking experience is required. This class enables an enrollee to progress and learn at his or her own pace while discovering the science behind the cooking.
2. Sponsored by Coursera, “The New Nordic Diet - from Gastronomy to Health” tracts the world’s largest research project for health and well-being. Taught by Arne Astrup of the University of Copenhagen, this course focuses on gastronomy, health and environment. Conducted by the OPUS Centre at the University of Copenhagen and the people behind the award-winning restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, this class informs students on the opportunities of healthy living and new diets featuring regional based diet and food culture. Unique to Denmark and the U. of Copenhagen, the “Nordic diet” consists of local ingredients such as root vegetables, rye bread, fish, berries and seaweed. Professor Astrup goes beyond basic food knowledge and emphasizes how food practices can affect obesity and metabolism.This online course begins on September 2, 2013 and is 8 weeks long.
3. Sponsored by Open Culture, Harvard University presents a lecture series unlike any other university food related course. "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter“ combines the research of Harvard professors and expertise of world-class chefs to explore the dichotomy between food and science. Soft matter science is a field that looks at how thermal stresses and thermal fluctuations change the physical properties of everyday materials. In this case, those materials are pantry items like chocolate, bread, and olive oil. The classroom consists of a lecture hall complete with a professional kitchen serving as the lab station. All 64 current lectures are on YouTube and free to the public to view.
4. From the University of Minnesota, "Sustainability of Food Systems: A Global Life Cycle Perspective” is a timely class that is focused on the future of food consumption. This course explores every aspect of food preparation and the impact our food choices have on the environment, society, and health. It will prompt students to think in more sustainable and creative ways to create a more stable global food system. Taught by Professor Jason Hill, the curriculum will focus on broad topics ranging “What is food?” to “What challenges do we face in reforming the global food system?” Lectures will question the global impact of our dietary choices and show how future generations can improve the sustainability of our world’s food system. Participants will investigate these issues through case studies, readings, and online resources. The course is open to all, lasts 8 weeks long, and starts on June 14.
The latest publication from Michael Pollan, Cooked, “surveys how the four classical elements—fire, water, air and earth—transform plants and animals into food.“ Check out a write up, interview, and excerpt of the book at NPR.
http://www.npr.org/2013/04/21/177501735/fire-water-air-earth-michael-pollan-gets-elemental-in-cooked
We weren’t the only folks disappointed when Mark Bittman chose to stop writing The Minimalist last year, but luckily he’s back with another New York Times column. Behold: The Flexitarian.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/dining/healthy-meet-delicious.html
Just for fun: check out graphic designer David LeFerriere’s 1000+ unique drawings on his kids’ sandwich bags. Via the Kitchn.
http://www.thekitchn.com/look-5-years-of-handdrawn-sandwich-bags-by-a-dedicated-dad-188454
Whilst on Percocet, bedridden, recovering from a bruised sacrum and herniated disk, Lisa Birnbach made the mistake of asking her Facebook friends about which toaster oven she should buy; then took the liberty of creating a toast-joke-themed Facebook group in her honor, “Lisa’s New Toaster”; then Lisa Birnbach covered the story for The New Yorker, and here it is now for your enjoyment.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/04/toast-of-the-town.html