ALUMINUM

• What is aluminum?
• How much aluminum does one consume?
• What are the major food contributors of aluminum in the diet?
• Is aluminum important for bodily functions?
• What impact does soy formula have on infant health?
• How do the aluminum levels in soy formula compare with cow's milk formulas?
• Do soy based formulas present an aluminum toxicity risk?
• What affect does soy and its association with aluminum have on Alzheimer's disease?
• What studies have been conducted on this topic?
• Several products in our pastry production use aluminum foil. Should we place the dull or shiny side against the products?
• We are using a lot of aluminum foil containers in the bakery. Can we use them in the microwave oven to heat ingredients?
ABBREVIATIONS

• Abbreviations of Common Use
AGROCOLCE

• What is agodolce?
ALTITUDE

• My wife and I just recently opened a bakery in California. We are at 1,100 to 1,250 feet above sea level. Do we need to make changes in our formulas due to the higher altitude?
• Hillary waas working with the Oceananic Research Laboratory in developing a complete system to live under the ocean. A portion of the job was to anticipate problems in food preparation. Consider that they hoped to do "cooking"" and live a "normal"life in their "sea home" on the ocean floor. Indicte both advantages and potential problems that must be foreseen. How would you solve the potential problems? Explain?
• What adjustments are to be made in a cake recipe at high altitudes?
• What possible adjustments for bread machines and conventional ovens should one make with increased altitude?
• What are the structures of protein?
BEVERAGES

• At what temperatures do consumers like to drink coffee?
• Can you tell us what effect coffee, tea or orange juice has on vitamins or drugs and whether it is safe to take these together?
• What are some names used for different types of coffee?
• Is drinking of tea important to my health?
• What is the medicinal value of oolong tea?
• What is the history of scotch?
COCOA, CHOCOLATE

• Could you explain chocoalte tempering?
• We produce and sell a lot of eclairs, however, the chocolate coating falls off after several hours. Why does this occur and what can we do to prevent it?
• What are the benefits of chocolate consumption?
• I am confused about chocolate. I read that it's good for me because of its flavonoids. But I've also heard that alkali processing strips cocoa of most of these antioxidant chemicals. If the good stuff is processed out, its chocolate stillhealthy? How can I find chocolate that is not alkali-processed?
• I want to make several of my chocolate desserts with smoked chocolate. Can you provide guidelines on how to smoke chocolate?
• I am confused about chocolate. I read that it's good for me because of its flavonoids. But I've also heard that alkali processing strips cocoa of most of these antioxidant chemicals. If the good stuff is processed out, its chocolate stillhealthy? How can I find chocolate that is not alkali-processed?
• What is the composition of cocooil?/li>
• Could you explain chocolate tempering?
• What is Dutch cocoa?
• Does it matter if my cocoa is "Dutched" or "not"?
• What is the difference between the different chocolates?
COLORANTS, COLORING

• What are some natural food colorants? Another resource is also available.
• What are colors certified for use in foods?
• What does exempt color additives mean? What are they?
• What are certified food colors?
• I can not afford to buy a colorimeter, is there another approach I can use to standardize color in my products?
• What is the carmelizing candy test?
• What is the carmelization reactions?
• What are the browning phenomenas?
• What are caramels?
• What are various caramel colors available?
• What is the carmelization reactions?
• What is oxidative or non oxidative reactions reactions?
• What is the sugar-amine reaction?
• What are the carmelization and the maillard reactions. What is browning due to phenolic compound oxidation?
BUTTER CREAM

• Do you have a formula for a quick buttercream?
• Are there any definitions or standards for buttercream? Can an icing made with shortening be called buttercream?
• What is the substitution of buttermilk for fresh milk in regard to leavening?
CREMEFRAICHE

• We are using a lot of crème fraiche, but want to make our own. Can you help?
• Occasionally a recipe calls for crème fraiche. What's the best substitute if I can't find the real things.
• How can I make creme fraiche?
CREOLE

• Why is Caribbean food called Creole?
ENERGY

• What are some names used for different types of cooking methods?
• In discussing energy, heat transfer, temperature, what is a manner in which one can actually record and/or measure this?
• Do microwaves heat from the inside out or the outside in?
• If one wished to heat food, would they use ionizing or non-ionizing radiation?
• Does microwave cooking really heat faster than conventional cooking?
• What is heat?
• List the forms of energy.
• What is the first law of thermodynamics?
• What is the primary method of heat transfer for molasses crinkle cookies?
• What is the primary method of heat transfer in the cooking of blueberry pancakes?
• What are the roles of Heating
• What is heating and doneness of foods. Why do you heat?
• What is the role of the waterbath in oven cooking?
• What are the general effects of cooking food?
• How do we know that convection heating takes place in a cake?
• Do convection ovens have different baking temepratures than gas ovens?
• What are the basic standards for temperature measurement? What measurement techniques are used? Discuss the principle involved in each.
• What is temperature? How is it measured?
• One day when beginning to cook the roasts, the chefs indicated they were going to heat the roasts to an endpoint temperature of 165F. Being patriotic, Hillary said they must follow the American dream of conversion to the metric system. How many degrees Celsius should the cooks roast the roasts to?
• Since the magnetron field works as a rapidly changing magnet are their foods which will become magnetized or end up "sticking to the roof of the microwave oven" as they contain metal ions?
• How is heat measured?
• How is energy transferred in heat transfer
• How would one minimize energy consumption on Starship Feast?
• What is the method of heat transfer for pancakes?
• What is the dominant heat transfer of stirred custard?
• What is the primary method(s) of heat transfer in shortened cake?
• Identify and differentiate the speed of heat transfer of the following four cakes.
• If one did not have an ovenproof hot waterbath and thus they had to place a souffle directly in the oven what would be the most likely effect?
ENZYMES

• How are enzymes named?
• What is the source and applications of some industrial enzymes and enzymes used in food production?
FOAM

• What are the characteristics and uses of egg foams beaten to different stages(?) and general comments regarding meringues and angelfood cakes.
• Which of the following best defines a stable uncooked foam?
• What are factors affecting the foaming properties of protein?
• What is a foam?
• What are foams and factors that affect foams and a discription of foams?
• What are factors in selection of the type of milk for optimum quality whipped cream?
• Characteristics and uses of egg whites beaten to various stages.
JAM, JELLY, PRESERVES

• Why does fruit float in jam?
• How can floating fruit in jams and jellies be prevented?
• How can jam and jelly be tested for doneness?
• What types of acids can I use for fruits low in acid?
• How much crystalline citric acid can be used in place of lemon juice?
• While jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, and conserves used as spreads, differences remain in their texture andingredients
• What is the sheet test for jellies?
• Is sterilizing or scalding used for jars before filling with jelly and jams?
• How can you distinguish between jam, jelly, preserves, marmalade, and conserves?
• What is the Exchange Ridgelimeter?
• How are special test jellies made?
• What is meant by "standard firmness"?
• What is the boiling point of a jam or jelly batch containing 65% sugar solids?
• What is the correct time to add the acid to the batch?
• At what temperature should jams or jellies be packaged so that a subsequent sterilization process is unnecessary?
• What is the advantage to the preserver of adding acid to the batch of jam or jelly?
• What is the function of acid in a jam or jelly?
• Is there any danger of adding too much acid to jams or jellies?
• If jam or jelly is weaker than is desired, will more acid cause a firmer product to result?
• What acids are generally used by preservers?
• What is the effect of increasing the amount of pectin and cooking to a higher temperature?
• What are the most economical and most effective fruit acids for use in jams, preserves, marmalades, and jellies?
• Why is it necessary to use varying amounts of the different acids in jams and jellies to obtain the same results?
• What significance have pH values in relation to the manufacture of jams and jellies?
• Will jams or jellies from identical batches show weakness when packed in large containers as compared to the same products packed in small containers?
• What would be the increase in the amount of pectin and how many degrees higher should be jam or jelly be cooked when the jam or jelly be cooked when the batch is packed into large containers?
• What makes jelly cloudy?
• Why do crystals form in jelly?
• What causes jelly to be too soft?
• What can be done to make soft jellies firmer?
• What makes jelly sirupy?
• What causes weeping jelly?
• What makes jelly too stiff?
• What makes jelly tough?
• What makes jelly gummy?
• What causes fermentation of jelly?
• Why does mold form on jelly or jam?
• What causes jelly or jam to darken at the top of the container?
• What causes jam and jelly fading?
• What if paraffin was used on jelly?
• What causes weeping jelly?
• What if jelly or jam is too firm?
• What if the finished jelly is too soft?
• Can jelly and jam recipes be doubled?
• What are the crystals that are found in grape jelly?
• Why does jelly foam during boiling?
• Jelly syrup doesn't sheet off spoon by the time it has reached 221F (105C). What should be done?
• Why does fruit float in jam?
• Why does mold form on jelly or jam?
• What causes fermentation of jelly?
• What makes jelly gummy?
• What makes jelly too stiff?
• What makes jelly sirupy?
• What can be done to make soft jellies firmer?
• What is the role of sugar in jellies, jams and preserves?
• What is the role of acid in jellies, jams and preserves?
• How does one test for doneness of jams or jellies?
MICROWAVE

• We are using a lot of aluminum foil containers in the bakery. Can we use them in the microwave oven to heat ingredients?
• What is the history of the microwave oven?
• What are advantages of microwave heating?
MISCELLANEOUS

• What are some math problems used in food science.
NONYA COOKING

• Where is nonya cooking found?
NUTRITION, MEDICINE

• Does cut onion help with wasp stings?
• Does vinegar destroy warts?
• Does coffee affect medicine affectiveness?
• Does vitmain D form when sunlight comes through glass?
• Is it also possible to increase the cellular concentration of vitamin C in the old animals by giving lipoic acid?
• Is the lower vitamin C levels in the elderly, cause by less efficient transport or diet, have much of an impact on health?
• Is lipoic acid actively transported into cells like vitamin C
• How do the antioxidant functions of lipoic acid differ from those of vitamin C, and what other biochemical effects might lipoic acid have that aren't found with vitamin C?
• Is it possible to consume too much vitamin A?
• A few years back by teenage son suffered terribe foot odor. My husband and I would not let him bring his sneakers into the house, nor whould we let him put his dirty socks in the hamper! …..I then read in your column a solution to eliminate foot odor. Urinate on your feet in the shower! I mentioned the column to my son and then kept quite. Within a day, the odor was eliminated.
• What are age-essential micronutrients?
• What is a flexitarians?
• How much sodium is found in selected foods?
PH: ACID, ALKALI, BASE

• What scale represents pH?
• What is the average pH in selected foods?
• What is a high acid food? What is low pH? How are acid content and pH related?
• Indicate the most appropriate pH range (acidic, neutral, basic) of each of the following foods:

FOODS

berries bread egg white lemon juice meat milk

• Describe how acid content of foods relates to pH.
Hillary decided to make several of varieties of cupcakes, and she was concerned about balanced leavening action. If an acidic ingredient were added, the recipe would need some soda; if a basic ingredient were added, less soda. What would be the affect if she adds :

raspberries? shaved Dutch chocolate? cheddar cheese made with rennin?

• What methods of determining the alkalinity and acidity of a food mixture?
• What pH range most accurately reflects most foods?
• What are alkali producing foods?
• How does one alter colloidal dispersons?
• How does the pH or acid affect the following foods? [click on images]

SENSORY

• What is a blind taste testing?
• What is a scorecard for testing broccoli tenderness?
• What is a snack simleyface scorecard?
• What is a scorecard for judging cakes?
• What is a scorecard for a speciality cup of coffee?
• What is a scorecard for judging specialty coffee?
• What is the ranking test?
• What is a scorecard for ham testing?
• What is a questionnaire for triangle test?
• What is a questionnaire for simple paired comparisons test?
• What is a questionnaire for duo-trio test?
• What is a questionnaire for Scheffe paired comparisons test?
• What is a questionnaire for ranking?
• What is a questionnaire for scoring?
• What is a questionnaire for descriptive analysis with scaling?
• What is a questionnaire for paired comparison test?
• What is a questionnaire for hedonic scale?
• What is an onion scorecard?
• What is the ranking test?
• What is the smiley scale?
SPICES, HERBS

• I read about the benefits of cinnamon several years ago and tried it. I believe it helped lower my blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides, but after two years I realized it was also causing heartburn. Does it?
• I read the cinnamon can reduce blood-sugar levels, but it doesn't work for me. Why?
• Do you know whether taking turmeric for arthritis would affect the warfarin I must take daily to prevent blood clots?
• Does turmeric affect Alzheimer's?
• We've heard that the spice turmeric may do something against psoriasis, but we have no idea about the amount and application process. Can you tell us more.
• My stepdad has had a horrible case of psoriasis for more than 10 years. The rash was all over his body, was caked on his scalp and itched constantly. The dermatologist he saw prescribed Dovonex, Capex, and clobetasol. He has used these off and on since about 2001, but they provided minimal relief. Mom found a suggestion in your book (“Best Choices from the Peoples Pharmacy”) that turmeric might help psoriasis. We went to the local food co-op and picked it up in pill form. Within a week, his scalp was halfway clear, and now, three weeks later, it is just a tiny bit flaky with no itching.
WATER, WATER ACTIVITY

• What are the forms of water?
• What is the structure and properties of water?
• What is the water content of selected foods?
• What is the affect of hard water on fondant, fresh pears, apple pie, tomatoes, and grapejuice?
• What if you wanted to freeze to -0C a frozen dessert mix that was 95% water and at 27C? How many calories would it take to freeze a 100 grams?
• Is hard water found in nature?
• Why are steam burns so much worse than water burns?
• What is the boiling point of water and factors affecting it?
• Wht is the boiling point of water and factors affecting it?
• What are the three states of matter of water?
• What is water activity and the affect on food safety?
• What is the importance of surface tension?
• How does boiling water occur?
• What is water-holding capacity?
• Diagram the water molecule as free water, fluid water, ice, and steam.
• What is magnetic water conditioning?
• Approximate Minimum Aw values for growth of microorganisms important in foods.
• What is the botany of watermelon?
• What has been the presence of watermelon in history?
• What are the varieties of watermelon?
• Water activity is the ability of water to take part in biological and chemical reactions. Generally speaking, water activity in foods is impacted mostly by either sugar or salt. We use this to preserve food. What are values for glycerol, glucose and selected foods?
• What are critical factors in choosing a low water activity filling for baked product fillings?
MISCELLENOUS

• Indicate the International Atomic Weights of Selected Atoms (Based on Carbon-12)
• What are some types of beers?
• We want to offer smoothies throughout the day. Do you have a formula?
• What are "bioactives"? What are some?
• What can you tell me about bitter orange? I see that it is an ingredient in weight-loss products and wonder if it is safe.
• What are some syrup blends?
• What is the pH scale?
• Beckman Explains pH and Potentiometry. what is it?
• I'm a nurse in a rural hospital. Some of the mountain folk I care for tell me that a bee sting every two years or so will significantly decrease arthritis inflammation and pain. They attribute this remedy to the Chinese who came to this area 100 years ago to work on the railroads and in the logging industry.
• What are some brix values in fruit juices?
• The use or formation of acid is common in much of cooking; alkali is also used. For the following, indicate which would be the correct answer for the ingredient or process or procedure. Is it acid, alkali or essentially neutral?
• The use or formation of acid is common in much of cooking; alkali is also used. For the following, indicate which would be the correct answer for the ingredient or process or procedure. Is it acid, alkali or essentially neutral?
• Discuss antibiotics in foods.
• If dihydrolipoic acid functions as the antioxidant, why do you give lipoic acid instead to animals in experiments.
• What are arepas?
• What are varieties or types of beans and peas?
• What are some common measures and weights of selected foods?
• What is the affect of solute on boiling point of water?
• What is the history of bouillon
• Why cook?
SAFETY

• What is a white filmy yeast growth on the surface of fermenting foods a problem?
SENSORY EVALUATION

• What is umami?

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Updated: Wednesday, May 23, 2012.