How much team work goes on between chefs and chemists when recipes are put together?

Answer 1

I can't believe some of these answers.......There is a constant collaboration between chefs and chemists, also know in the food industry as FOOD SCIENTISTS.....They along with the chefs determine things like (I'm going to use a Duncan Hines boxed cake mix for an example)

How much and what kind of leavening should be used in:

A white cake mix
A yellow cake mix
A chocolate cake mix

ALL the above take different amounts and different types of leavening, sugar and sodium levels to ensure that the cakes have a consistent level of accuracy for the home cook......Different mixes require different types of ingredients (like the chocolate cake mix, because it's made with Dutch process cocoa, they don't use aluminum phosphate as a leavening, they use calcium phosphate along with sodium bicarbonate.........

If chefs and chemists (read: food scientists) didn't do this stringent measure, NOTHING would ever come out the same.....So, yes, there is a heck of a lot going on with chefs and chemists.....

Answer 2

I hope this doesn't come across as elitist ( please try to understand that in my opinion no one cooks better than the person who simply can't tell you how they do it, rather they have to show you)...I think an accomplished cook (one who can experiment and create) is one who understands elementary chemistry. For instance, when cooking fatty meats, such as salmon, using acidic agents, such as lemon juice, to balance the overall affect is just good chemistry. Not that just achieving a certain pH is the goal of creating a perfect meal. But there is a certain intuitive reaching out for types or families of ingredients that is part chemical and part gustatory. Isn't the most admirable final flavor of an entree the one which incorporates sweet, salty, piquant and sour to the achieve the best balance between all participants?
Perhaps your question refers to the cooperation of people in the canning and branding areas of the food market rather than the creative side of small time operations.
Please, clarify your question as to that point. Are you addressing the employees of Chef Boyardee or the general public?

Answer 3

just to be indirect a chef is nothing more or less than a chemist -- think about it -- a chemist takes two or more chemicals to make another chemical -- a chef takes two or more ingrediants to make something else ---- a chemist takes surfur and saltpeter and charcole (bad spelling) and makes gunpower ---- a chef takes flour and oil and sugar and makes a cake -- so the difference is small between the two

Answer 4

A lot more chemistry is involved with baking than cooking. The exact measures needed for baking involves chemical reactions that need to be learned by chefs. Cooking on the other hand,can be improvised.

Answer 5

Many chefs educate themselves in food chemistry. To a degree, this makes great sense. However, I find that it takes away some from the romance of cooking. I take certain 'chemical' reactions as food reactions. Of course, for dietary foods, prepared foods in retail, and other specific areas of food preparation, chemical knowledge is a must.

Answer 6

normally we chefs do it on instinct,taste, personal preferences and sheer indulgence into our own senses,however,the last few restaurant of the year awards which is worldwide have been won by chefs that work on the perfect science to create sublime dishes on a molecular structure,google the fat duck in bray Berkshire to see this guy in action,the beeb did a program on him,also the other winners recently and i believe the current holders are 2 Spanish brothers.
both restaurants are closed 6 months a year when they work in the kitchen/laboratory to perfect new dishes then open for the rest of the year.

Answer 7

I was a pharmacy technician and was trained to measure all ingredients accurately when making cough mixtures, creams, ointments, injections, even suppositories!
Old habits die hard as they say. When following recipes at home, I weigh and measure ingredients exactly as stated.
My mum flings in cupfuls of this and handfuls of that when baking. I just don't ask for her recipes any more because I can't weigh handfuls!

Answer 8

Ya, we don't think of the chemists input.
Look at all the chemicals in our food. We should read some labels.

Answer 9

Is this a silly question...???
I don't see your picture of what you want??
In the food industry it uses many sources to build a recipe.
??? a chemist ? well ?? why..???
except to comply with governmental laws.
the chef's just follow the recipes..??

Answer 10

Most chefs go on their artistic ideas,instincts,and learned elements of cooking. But, there is one chef in the Catalan region of Spain who with his brother have combined culinary technique with chemistry....Ferran Adria!! I, personally, find this aspect of cooking fasinating!! You can go to starchefs.com to find out more info.