FOOD SCIENCE PROJECT: MACARONI AND CHEESE

Nora Ainsworth, Julia Gardner, Heather MacLennan, and Deanna Mercieri Background

■ Thomas Jefferson brought it back to the United States after visiting Europe

■ Kraft started selling the boxed version http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715 in 1937

– The boxed macaroni and cheese was used for rationing in WWII

http://foodtellsastory.tumblr.com/post/12049 5600903/mac-cheese Challenges: Creating the Cheese Sauce

■ Flavor – Rich and not bland ■ Texture – Creamy and smooth but not gritty ■ Type of Cheese ■ Thickener and meltability ■ Moisture vs. fat content ■ Additives ■ Transition Temperature Reference Recipes

Heather's Reference and Original Trial Nora Ainsworth's Reference and Original Recipe: Recipe: Reference recipe from Betty Crocker Cookbook Reference Recipe for Mac and Cheese: (“Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese” Macaroni and Cheese from myrecipes.com) ■ 1 to 1 ½ cups uncooked elbow ■ 1 (8-oz.) package elbow macaroni macaroni,(Rigatoni or spinach egg noodles (~ 6 ounces) ■ 2 tablespoons butter ■ ¼ cup margarine or butter ■ 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour ■ 1 small onion ■ 2 cups milk ■ ½ teaspoon salt ■ 1/2 teaspoon salt ■ ¼ teaspoon pepper ■ 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper ■ ¼ cup all-purpose flour ■ 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper ■ 1 ¾ cups milk ■ 1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided ■ 8 ounce process sharp American or Swiss cheese loaf (or process cheese spread loaf, cut into ½ inch cubes) Trial One Results Final Recipe Ingredients ■ 1 Box of Shells Pasta ■ 6 T of Butter ■ 4 T of Flour ■ 2 C of Whole Milk ■ 1/2 t of Salt ■ 1 Dash of Pepper ■ 1 Whole Onion ■ 5 oz. of Colby Jack Cheese ■ 1 oz. Fontina Cheese ■ 4 oz. of Sharp Cheddar Cheese ■ ½ C Parmesan Cheese ■ 2 oz. of Original Cream Cheese ■ 18 Ritz Crackers ■ ½ C Crushed Potato Chips Utensils and Equipment Used

■ Sauce pan ■ Stove top ■ Whisk ■ Oven ■ Wooden spoon ■ Serving spoons ■ Rubber spatula ■ Strainer ■ 4 quart pot ■ Liquid measuring cup ■ Dry measuring cups ■ Casserole dish (8x8) ■ Measuring spoons

■ Skillet

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p&biw=1366&bih=643&q=whisk&oq=whisk&gs_l=img.3..0l10.320.878.0 https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=h Sensory Characteristics

■ Initial taste: salty, cheesy flavor ■ Middle taste: sweet onion flavor with a salty crunch ■ End taste: balance between sweet, salty and cheesy ■ Taste: sharp and tangy with a hint of sweetness ■ Flavor: mildly rich and savory with a slight nutty flavor http://www.muchadoaboutfooding.com/2011/07/origins- ■ Texture: creamy (cheese sauce) tender (pasta), crunch (toppings) information-z-umami.html Food Science Rationale

■ Roux – Time – Temperature – Thickening Ratios ■ Cheese Sauce – Meltability – Thickness – Starchiness (Brown, 2015, p. 399) – Grittiness ■ Pasta – Cavatappi vs. Shells Questions? Works Cited

■ Brown, A. (2015). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation, 5th Edition. ■ Brown, A. (2015). Understanding Food: Principles and Preparation, 5th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf Online]. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/ #/books/9781285954493/ ■ Brown, A. (2015). Flours and Flour Mixtures. Understanding food: Principles and preparations 5th edition (243-244). ■ Crocker, B. (1978). Betty Crocker's Cookbook: New and revised edition. Racine, Wisconsin: General Mills ■ Duckor, M. (2015, October 28). The Secret History of Mac and Cheese | Epicurious.com. Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/the-secret-history-of-mac-and-cheese-article ■ Gordon, S. (2007). Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese Recipe. Retrieved April 16, 2016, from http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/classic-baked-macaroni-cheese-0 ■ Judy (2007). Homemade Mac and Cheese. Allrecipes.com. ■ Rhodes, J. (2011, March 22). Marvelous Macaroni and Cheese. Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/marvelous-macaroni-and-cheese-30954740/?no-ist ■ Top 10 Mac & Cheese Recipes. (2007, March/April). Retrieved from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/course/dinner-recipes/top-10-mac-cheese-recipes#8