Prominent chefs to speak at UCLA's 'Science and Food' public events

2–4 p.m.

UCLA's Ackerman Grand Ballroom (map)

Featuring: Dave Arnold and chef Lena Kwak

At this event, Museum of Food and Drink founder Dave Arnold will discuss his latest culinary innovations and the role of creativity in food. Arnold launched the New York–based museum to promote education on the history and culture of food.

Chef Lena Kwak, co-founder and president of Cup4Cup, was honored as one of Forbes magazine's "30 Under 30" in 2011 and received a Zagat "30 Under 30" award in 2012. She will share her process of invention, research and discovery in the kitchen.

In addition, students in Rowat's course will participate in a scientific bake-off, preparing apple pies, conducting experiments concerning the texture and other physical characteristics of their creations, and explaining their results. The students, who taste more than a dozen apple pies at the beginning of the course to establish a better understanding of what makes a good pie, will present their apple pies in a large-scale tasting. The event will close with an "Iron Chef"– style discussion of the winning pies, featuring the keynote speakers and renowned local chefs, food critics and scientists.

Tickets for each event are $25 (general admission) and $5 for students. They will be available starting Monday, March 24, at 10 a.m. through UCLA's Central Ticket Office.

Visit www.scienceandfood.org for updates or to sign up for the "Science and Food" mailing list, and follow the latest developments on Twitter (@scienceandfood).

The events are intended to "promote the public understanding of science through food, and food through science," said Rowat, a faculty member in UCLA's College of Letters and Science.

UCLA undergraduates in her course explore such topics as texture and flavor from a scientific perspective — why, for example, different cuts of meat have different textures, why some food is crispy, and how to create and stabilize the air pockets you find in a soufflé.

In her research, Rowat studies the physical properties of cells and tissues, including their textures, which can indicate health or disease. Some cells, for example, have a stiffness similar to Jell-O while others are more like cream cheese. Cancer cells, she said, are generally two to four times softer than normal cells. Her laboratory conducts studies on cancer cells and other cell types.

Rowat, who greatly enjoys cooking, teaches the "Science and Food" course and holds the related public events each spring.

UCLA is California’s largest university, with an enrollment of more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The UCLA College of Letters and Science and the university’s 11 professional schools feature renowned faculty and offer 337 degree programs and majors. UCLA is a national and international leader in the breadth and quality of its academic, research, health care, cultural, continuing education and athletic programs. Seven alumni and six faculty have been awarded the Nobel Prize.

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Prominent chefs to speak at UCLA's 'Science and Food' public events

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