Prolouge - the chemistry of it all

In high school I loved Chemistry. My senior year I triple-loaded myself with science, even spending time at our State University to develop my own long-term Chem project on C-60 (otherwise known as Bucky Balls ). I was going to be a biochemist. Four other classmates and I were chosen for a double period Chemistry Independent Study since we had already exhausted Pinkerton's AP Chem offerings. We were given our own lab room, keys to it, and almost unlimited access to chemicals.

Now we were responsible, but we were also 17 and 18-year old adolescents. Marginally restricted access to things like Magnesium ribbon = fun. For those of you who don't know why this is fun - check out this you tube vid and imagine the possibilities as though you were a high schooler. Since we were at least a little responsible and we did actually enjoy science, we did not abuse the power too much. We, instead, geeked out by buying ourselves our own lab coats, and spending lunch period eating in "our" classroom (yes we were possessive of it, yes those students who cared enough to notice we had it were I think a little jealous). At any rate, we did enjoy the work we were doing. We each had a year to finish our projects, and my partner and I were trying to merge C-60 and nylon to make a super strong, useable, flexible substance.

What I liked about Chem lab was something that four-year-olds like about finger paints -- the allure of combining two or more ingredients to change the color, composition, etc. of those original substances. I liked producing reactions; the drama of vinegar and baking soda still gets me today (not to mention the tremendous cleaning power). I enjoyed the precision with which I could make things happen.

Now about the cooking: I used to be a terrible cook. I would refuse to measure jell-o, thus putting too much water in and the jell-o never congealing. In college I pan-fried a steak and added frozen broccoli and marinara to the pan. I then tried to serve this watery, yet dried-out concoction to my now fiance (Jake). OH boy. I could not cook. It's not that I was even a mediocre cook, or a novice cook. It was that I was notoriously bad. Why? A number of reasons.

My good friend PW hit on part of my problem when he noticed that I didn't stay in the kitchen when I cooked. Yes, I was one of those people who would put water to boil for pasta and then leave the room. I would only come back when I noticed the scorching smell of the pot cooking itself on the burner, all water long evaporated. "You've got to stay with it, you've got to be present" he'd say. I'd reply "I don't have time for that, that's too annoying". My roomate and best friend woldn't even let me help her. She'd male dinner and I'd ask what I could do to help, and she'd say "just sit and keep me company while I cook". Do you get the picture? It was this way until my 28the birthday.

I had just bought my first place, and Jake was moving in. I had, for the first time, a decent kitchen, a patio and a grill. And not a lot of money left over to eat out constantly (my love for food has always been there...just cooked by others). I remember the feeling of dread as I realized I was going to have to cook regularly.

So, the good student that I am, I started watching the Food Network. Specifically, I started watching the show "Good Eats". And it hit me after a couple of episodes. COOKING IS LIKE CHEMISTRY! It's an experiement, but you eat it afterwards!

For some reason, I never connected cooking with chemistry. When I revealed my revelation to others they looked at me like I was a blathering idiot... "yes, that's why they have programs called food science"... Slowly and quietly I started to cook. At first friends and family were skeptical. They remembered the pan-fried steak, the jello, etc. Oh and my mom remembered my first batch of cookies that I added milk to because I was sure the recipe was wrong...surely there was milk involved in making cookies.

Now I'm a pretty decent cook. Not gourmet, but maybe like a first-year culimary student or something. Cooking has become cathartic for me - a way to release stress after a bad day, and a way to challenge my hands and mind. Thus, this blog.

And no, I'm not a Chemist, far from it, I decided to do something entirely different with my life. But that's another blog for another time...