Learning+Continuously

**Learning Continuously

While looking at the news online, an article about cooking and chemistry caught my eye. I decided to read it as the subject interested me since food and chemistry are things that I really like. The link to the article is: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2009/0112-chemistry_of_cooking.htm

The first part of the article contains a video enlightening the audience on why certain things happen in the kitchen. For example, the scientist explains how a certain chemical inside red cabbage is acidic which causes the red color. However, cooking it increases the alkalinity causes it to turn purple instead. Also, asparagus turns a bright green as plunging it in boiling water causes the cells to pop. However, prolonged immersion in water causes the cell walls to shrink and release acid, which gives it a grotesque yellow/brown color.**


 * [[image:cook.jpg]][[image:cook2.jpg]]

Then the second part of the article then clarifies some of the terms that Ms. Corriher used such as acidity and basicity.The article explains that acids are low on the pH scale and bases are high. The pH number states the ratio of hydrogen ions to the solution which determines its acidity/basicity. The article also explains why food spoils. It states that food spoils due to oxygen and heat which causes the food to deteriorate.

I believe this highlights the habit of learning continuously as reading this was not something i was required to do; it was something I did out of my own curiosity. I am glad I looked into it too as the article taught me a lot about the chemistry of cooking. I've always liked cooking but I never really understood some of the concepts that underlied the process. This article introduced me to some of the chemical reactions that take place in certain foods when cooked and it's a good starting point to further extend my knowledge. It reminds me a lot of the chemical reaction experiments we do in class, especially that first one on the Reactions packet. In that experience, we produced a warm yellow substance and we had to figure out which chemicals caused the heat and the color change.**