Advanced Chemistry, taught by Mr. Fischer, wrapped up with their final project, a competition called “MasterChef.” This unit is all about molecular gastronomy, which is chemistry, cooking, and manipulating food at the molecular level. In the competition, the students are divided into teams and challenged to create a four-course menu for the faculty and alumni judges.
This project starts right when the students get back from spring break, and they focus on preparing for the competition. Each team will start by studying molecular gastronomy techniques that they learned from the textbook. The competition menu includes four courses of the students' choice that consist of a drink, appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Then they have to create recipes for each
course, applying the different techniques they have learned and how they can be used in real-life settings. In addition to creating dishes, students must have a recipe book to present on the day of the competition. The book shows the judges how the molecular gastronomy methods were incorporated into each course.
Projects like MasterChef show how hands-on learning can make harder concepts in class more engaging and meaningful for students. Applying the molecular gastronomy techniques to cooking allows students to visualize, experiment, and problem-solve the concepts.
“A lot of stuff we learn is difficult to analyze, so hands-on projects are really good for visualization of these concepts and retaining the information,” Mr. Fischer said.
This project not only teaches students chemistry but also a daily life skill. Grayson’s group made avocado toast with sous vide eggs and had pancakes as an appetizer. Through the experience, students were able to connect chemistry concepts and real-life situations.
“I learned a lot about how to implement the techniques of chemistry into cooking, and it showed me how relevant these chemistry concepts are in our daily lives,” Grayson ’27 said.
After the competition, Mr. Fischer shared that one of the dishes that really stood out to him was a grilled cheese and tomato soup. They used direct spherification and essentially made a big tomato soup boba with mini grilled cheeses, and when popping the soup boba, it had a perfect balance of soup on each grilled cheese.
The Green Team won the competition, impressing the judges not only with taste and presentation but also with their overall understanding of how molecular gastronomy is applied to cooking.
Sadie '27
Journalism Student
