Science and Cooking
by Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science
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Description
This public lecture series discusses concepts from the physical sciences that underpin both everyday cooking and haute cuisine. Each lecture features a world-class chef who visited and presented their remarkable culinary designs: Ferran Adria presented spherification; Jose Andres discussed both the basic components of food and gelation; Joan Roca demonstrated sous vide; Enric Rovira showed his chocolate delicacies; Wylie Dufresne presented inventions with transglutaminase. The lectures then use these culinary creations as inspiration to delve into understanding how and why cooking techniques and recipes work, focusing on the physical transformations of foods and material properties.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VideoMark Ladner: Al Dente: When Plastic Meets Elastic, Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series 2014 | Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa. | 6/10/2015 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 2 | VideoDominique Crenn: The Metamorphosis of Taste, Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series 2014 | Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa. | 6/10/2015 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 3 | VideoJoanne Chang: The Science of Sugar, Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series 2014 | Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa. | 6/10/2015 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 4 | VideoMartin Breslin: The History of Culinary Thickeners, Science and Cooking Public Lecture Series 2014 | Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa. | 6/10/2015 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 5 | VideoFood and Science | Lecture 1 (2012) | Dave Arnold, Food Arts Harold McGee, New York Times September 4, 2012 | 9/10/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 6 | VideoFood and Science | Lecture 2 (2012) | Joan Roca and Jordi Roca, El Celler de Can Roca Salvador Brugués, Sous-Vide Cuisine September 10, 2012 | 9/17/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 7 | VideoHow Phase Changes Cause: Deliciousness | Lecture 3 (2012) | Bill Yosses, White House Pastry Chef, September 17, 2012 | 9/25/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 8 | VideoExplorations of Chocolate Texture | Lecture 4 (2012) | Enric Rovira, Master Chocolatier, Ingrid Farre, Alicia Foundation September 24, 2012 | 10/5/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 9 | VideoWorking with Modern Thickeners | Lecture 5 (2012) | Fina Puigdevall, Les Cols Pere Planagumà, Les Cols Paco Perez, Miramar Monday, October 1, 2012 | 10/11/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 10 | VideoThe Science of Paella | Lecture 6 (2012) | Raül Balam Ruscalleda, Moments | 10/18/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 11 | VideoGelation and Heat Transfer | Lecture 7 (2012) | Jose Andres, ThinkFood Group, minibar, Jaleo October 15, 2012 | 11/2/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 12 | VideoWater, water everywhere: A Study in Texture | Lecture 8 (2012) | Wylie Dufresne, wd~50 Ted Russin, The Culinary Institute of America October 22, 2012 | 11/2/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 13 | VideoBakistry: The Science of Sweets | Lecture 9 (2012) | Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery | 11/14/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 14 | VideoThe Science of Good Cooking | Lecture 10 (2012) | Jack Bishop, Editorial Director at Cook's Illustrated and an Editor on The Science of Good Cooking Dan Souza, Associate Editor of Cook's Illustrated | 11/26/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 15 | VideoModernist Cuisine at Home | Lecture 11 (2012) | Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO; co-founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures; and author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking | 11/26/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 16 | VideoMicrobes, Misos, and Olives | Lecture 12 (2012) | David Chang, momfuku Carles Tejedor, Via Veneto | 12/4/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 17 | VideoHistorical Context and Demos Illustrating the Relationship of Food and Science | Lecture 1 (2011) | Dave Arnold (Food Arts magazine's Contributing Editor for Equipment & Food Science) Harold McGee (author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen and columnist for The New York Times) David Weitz (Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics at Harvard) | 9/8/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 18 | VideoPrecision cooking: enabling new textures and flavors | Lecture 2 (2011) | Speaker: Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca) Location: Science Center C | 9/14/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 19 | VideoThe Many Faces of Chocolate | Lecture 3 (2011) | Ramon Morató (Barry Callebaut) | 9/26/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 20 | VideoExploring thickeners to manipulate mouthfeel | Lecture 4 (2011) | Carles Tejedor (Via Veneto), Fina Puigdevall and Pere Planagumà (les Cols) | 9/30/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 21 | VideoFood Texture and Mouth Feel | Lecture 5 (2011) | Grant Achatz (Alinea) October 3, 2011 | 10/19/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 22 | VideoGelation | Lecture 6 (2011) | José Andrés (ThinkFoodGroup, minibar, Jaleo) October 10, 2011 | 10/19/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 23 | VideoMixing the Unmixable | Lecture 7 (2011) | Nandu Jubany (Can Jubany) and Carles Gaig (Fonda Gaig) October 17, 2011 | 10/21/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 24 | VideoProteins & Enzymes: Transglutaminase | Lecture 8 (2011) | Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) | 10/26/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 25 | VideoPlaying with Taste through Browning | Lecture 9 (2011) | Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau, Sant Pau de Tòquio) October 31, 2011 | 11/2/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 26 | VideoMolecular Differences Between Production Methods | Lecture 10 (2011) | Dan Barber (Blue Hill) November 7, 2011 | 11/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 27 | VideoFood Microbiology: An Overlooked Frontier | Lecture 11 (2011) | Speaker: David Chang (momofuku) | 11/28/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 28 | VideoScience in the Kitchen | Lecture 12 (2011) | Nathan Myhrvold (former Microsoft CTO; co-founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures; and author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking) | 11/29/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 29 | VideoLip Smackin' Science: Crystals, Emulsions, Foams, and Pink Vanilla Cupcakes | Lecture 13 | Bill Yosses (White House) November 28, 2011 | 12/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 30 | VideoThe New Culinary Think Tank - el bulli 2.0 | Lecture 14 (2011) | Ferran Adrià (elBulli) December 4, 2011 | 12/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 31 | VideoScience and Cooking: A Dialogue | Lecture 1 (2010) | Harold McGee, Ferran Adria (elBulli), José Andrés (minibar by josé andrés, Jaleo, The Bazaar) with commentary/moderation from Professors David Weitz and Michael Brenner (Harvard) | 10/26/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 32 | VideoSous-vide Cooking: a State of Matter | Lecture 2 (2010) | Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca) | 10/28/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 33 | VideoBrain Candy: How Desserts Slow the Passage of Time | Lecture 3 (2010) | Bill Yosses (White House Pastry Chef) | 10/28/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 34 | VideoOlive Oil and Viscosity | Lecture 4 (2010) | Carles Tejedor (Via Veneto) | 11/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 35 | VideoHeat, Temperature and Chocolate | Lecture 5 (2010) | Enric Rovira | 11/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 36 | VideoReinventing Food Texture & Flavor | Lecture 6 (2010) | Grant Achatz (Alinea) | 11/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 37 | VideoEmulsions: Concept of Stabilizing Oil & Water | Lecture 7 (2010) | Nandu Jubany (Can Jubany) | 11/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 38 | VideoGelation | Lecture 8 (2010) | Jose Andres (ThinkFoodGroup, minibar, Jaleo) | 11/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 39 | VideoBrowning and Oxidations | Lecture 9 (2010) | Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau, Sant Pau de Tòquio) | 11/16/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 40 | VideoMeat Glue Mania | Lecture 10 (2010) | Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) | 12/15/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 41 | VideoCultivating Flavor: A Recipe for the Recipe | Lecture 11 (2010) | Dan Barber (Blue Hill) | 12/15/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 42 | VideoCreative Ceilings: How We Use Errors, Failure and Physical Limitations as Catalysts for Culinary Innovation | Lecture 12 (2010) | David Chang (momofuku) | 12/16/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
43 |
Food and Science | Lecture 1 (Audio Only - 2012) | Dave Arnold, Food Arts Harold McGee, New York Times September 4, 2012 | 9/10/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
44 |
Food and Science | Lecture 2 (Audio Only - 2012) | Joan Roca and Jordi Roca, El Celler de Can Roca Salvador Brugués, Sous-Vide Cuisine September 10, 2012 | 9/17/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
45 |
How Phase Changes Cause: Deliciousness | Lecture 3 (Audio Only - 2012) | Bill Yosses, White House Pastry Chef, September 17, 2012 | 9/25/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
46 |
Explorations of Chocolate Textures | Lecture 4 (Audio Only - 2012) | Enric Rovira, Master Chocolatier, Ingrid Farre, Alicia Foundation September 24, 2012 | 10/5/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
47 |
Working with Modern Thickeners | Lecture 5 (Audio Only - 2012) | Fina Puigdevall, Les Cols Pere Planagumà, Les Cols Paco Perez, Miramar Monday, October 1, 2012 | 10/11/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
48 |
The Science of Paella | Lecture 6 (Audio Only - 2012) | Raül Balam Ruscalleda, Moments | 10/18/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
49 |
Gelation and Heat Transfer | Lecture 7 (Audio Only - 2012) | Jose Andres, ThinkFood Group, minibar, Jaleo October 15, 2012 | 11/2/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
50 |
Water, water everywhere: A Study in Texture | Lecture 8 (Audio Only - 2012) | Wylie Dufresne, wd~50 Ted Russin, The Culinary Institute of America October 22, 2012 | 11/2/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
51 |
Bakistry: The Science of Sweets | Lecture 9 (Audio Only - 2012) | Joanne Chang, Flour Bakery | 11/14/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
52 |
Modernist Cuisine at Home | Lecture 10 (2012 - Audio Only) | Jack Bishop, Editorial Director at Cook's Illustrated and an Editor on The Science of Good Cooking Dan Souza, Associate Editor of Cook's Illustrated | 11/26/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
53 |
The Science of Good Cooking | Lecture 11 (2012 - Audio Only) | Nathan Myhrvold, former Microsoft CTO; co-founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures; and author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking | 11/26/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
54 |
Microbes, Misos, and Olives | Lecture 12 (Audio Only - 2012) | David Chang, momfuku Carles Tejedor, Via Veneto | 12/4/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
55 |
The Finale | Lecture 13 (Audio Only - 2012) | Ferran Adrià, elBulli Foundation | 12/12/2012 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
56 |
Historical Context and Demos Illustrating the Relationship of Food and Science | Lecture 1 (Audio Only - 2011) | Dave Arnold (Food Arts magazine's Contributing Editor for Equipment & Food Science) Harold McGee (author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen and columnist for The New York Times) David Weitz (Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics and of Applied Physics at Harvard) | 9/8/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
57 |
Precision cooking: enabling new textures and flavors| Lecture 2 (Audio Only - 2011) | Speaker: Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca) Location: Science Center C | 9/14/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
58 |
The Many Faces of Chocolate | Lecture 3 (Audio Only - 2011) | Ramon Morató (Barry Callebaut) | 9/26/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
59 |
Exploring thickeners to manipulate mouthfeel | Lecture 4 (Audio Only - 2011) | Carles Tejedor (Via Veneto), Fina Puigdevall and Pere Planagumà (les Cols) | 9/30/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
60 |
Food Texture and Mouth Feel | Lecture 5 (Audio Only - 2011) | Grant Achatz (Alinea) October 3, 2011 | 10/19/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
61 |
Gelation | Lecture 6 (Audio Only - 2011) | José Andrés (ThinkFoodGroup, minibar, Jaleo) October 10, 2011 | 10/19/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
62 |
Mixing the Unmixable | Lecture 7 (Audio Only - 2011) | Nandu Jubany (Can Jubany) and Carles Gaig (Fonda Gaig) October 17, 2011 | 10/21/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
63 |
Proteins & Enzymes: Transglutaminase | Lecture 8 (Audio Only -2011) | Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) | 10/26/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
64 |
Playing with Taste through Browning | Lecture 9 (Audio Only - 2011) | Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau, Sant Pau de Tòquio) October 31, 2011 | 11/2/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
65 |
Molecular Differences Between Production Methods | Lecture 10 (Audio Only - 2011) | Dan Barber (Blue Hill) November 7, 2011 | 11/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
66 |
Food Microbiology: An Overlooked Frontier | Lecture 11 (Audio Only - 2011) | Speaker: David Chang (momofuku) | 11/28/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
67 |
Science in the Kitchen | Lecture 12 (Audio Only - 2011) | Nathan Myhrvold (former Microsoft CTO; co-founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures; and author of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking) November 21, 2011 | 11/29/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
68 |
Lip Smackin' Science: Crystals, Emulsions, Foams, and Pink Vanilla Cupcakes | Lecture 13 (Audio Only - 2011) | Bill Yosses (White House) November 28, 2011 | 12/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
69 |
The New Culinary Think Tank - el bulli 2.0 | Lecture 14 (Audio Only - 2011) | Ferran Adrià (elBulli) December 4, 2011 | 12/9/2011 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
70 |
Science and Cooking: A Dialogue | Lecture 1 (Audio Only - 2010) | Harold McGee, Ferran Adria (elBulli), José Andrés (minibar by josé andrés, Jaleo, The Bazaar) with commentary/moderation from Professors David Weitz and Michael Brenner (Harvard) | 10/19/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
71 |
Sous-vide Cooking: A State of Matter | Lecture 2 (Audio Only - 2010) | Joan Roca (El Celler de Can Roca) | 10/19/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
72 |
Brain Candy: How Desserts Slow the Passage of Time | Lecture 3 (Audio Only - 2010) | Bill Yosses (White House Pastry Chef) | 10/28/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
73 |
Olive Oil & Viscosity | Lecture 4 (Audio Only-2010) | Carles Tejedor (Via Veneto) | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
74 |
Heat, Temperature, & Chocolate | Lecture 5 (Audio Only-2010) | Enric Rovira | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
75 |
Reinventing Food Texture & Flavor | Lecture 6 (Audio Only-2010) | Grant Achatz (Alinea) | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
76 |
Emulsions: Concept of Stabilizing Oil & Water | Lecture 7 (Audio Only-2010) | Nandu Jubany (Can Jubany) | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
77 |
Gelation | Lecture 8 (Audio Only-2010) | Jose Andres (ThinkFoodGroup, minibar, Jaleo) | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
78 |
Browning & Oxidation | Lecture 9 (Audio Only-2010) | Carme Ruscalleda (Sant Pau, Sant Pau de Tòquio) | 11/23/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
79 |
Meat Glue Mania | Lecture 10 (Audio Only-2010) | Wylie Dufresne (wd~50) | 12/15/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
80 |
Cultivating Flavor: A Recipe for the Recipe | Lecture 11 (Audio Only-2010) | Dan Barber (Blue Hill) | 12/15/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
|
81 |
Creative Ceilings | Lecture 12 (Audio Only-2010) | David Chang (momofuku) | 12/16/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 81 Items |
Customer Reviews
Very Interesting but misses great
I am a food scientist and was excited to see this series a hoped it would represent a refresher course. While each episode opens with the science, they rush through it to get to the interesting chefs who practice the applied science. I feel that a course that more accurately reflected the title would have had the chef and the scientist at the same time or had the scientist follow the chef and explain what is going on molecularly in each if the chef's creations. The food industry has a missing link between the science and applied and this course has the potential to fill that void but currently falls short.
Other than that, I think that while some topics developed slowly and the translated episodes were hard to follow at times, the chef's applications were undoubtedly creatively brilliant, entertaining and idea provoking, which made it all worth watching.
Incredible potential
This series of lectures are full of very useful information, but you have to be patient, take notes and rewind a lot. I applaud Harvard for making this available, as well mad respect for any interested cook who slogs their way though the verbal torture and comes away more informed.
Great idea, bad execution
I watched lecture #1 & #7. Sadly, that's all it took to turn me off. The idea of the science behind cooking sounds fascinating to me. However, this class spends at least half the time (literally) introducing chefs and thanking tons of people.
It's like watching an American Idol finale... watch 40 min of crap and 5 min of good stuff.
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- Category: Science
- Language: English
- 2010 The President and Fellows of Harvard College

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