Professor Patrick Charbonneau teaches The Science of Cooking (CHEM 130L) at Duke University. In addition to coursework, the class has hands-on labs with professional chef Todd Ohle. The students learn the science behind cooking techniques such as tempering chocolate, making soufflés, and fermenting kimchi.
Charbonneau has been teaching the science of cooking for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to create a virtual edition of the course. He had to ship materials to students around the world — from Canada to Colombia — ahead of time.
Some of the lab instructions had to be changed for students cooking at high altitude. As a final project, the students design their own recipes and explain the science behind their creations.
Charbonneau enjoys seeing how creative the teams can be. He is teaching the course again this summer and can't wait to see what the students come up with next. To learn more about CHEM 130L, visit: https://charbonneaulab.chem.duke.edu/...
