AMY ROWAT The science behind food — Julia Child meets the physics lab 22 00 / Fall Summer 2011 2011 / RECORD / RECORD ’98 ’99
y Laura Dillman Ripley The kitchen and the science lab become one in Dr. Amy Rowat’s class. The <strong>University</strong> of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) professor is using food to illustrate the complex mechanics and physiology of biological materials. And it is working well, with an impressive career in world-class research, a multitude of publications, and a line up of executive chefs and farmers waiting to be guest presenters in her classes. “Our research aims to understand what makes cells ‘squishy’ or stiff. To do this, we build devices that can measure cell stiffness at very high rates, using teeny sensors to probe how the nucleus inside of the cell deforms. Using these physical properties, we can make and contribute to biomedically-relevant discoveries like finding new anti-cancer drugs. This work has huge potential to change the way we think about biology and could have a profound biomedical impact,” says Rowat. “I brought food into the mix, as everything we eat is essentially made up of cells and it’s something we all know and love. It’s been a wonderful addition to my teaching, and has also changed the way I think about my research.” Featured in The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education for her culinary endeavours in the classroom when she was a post-doctoral candidate at Harvard <strong>University</strong>, Rowat is continuing her teaching using food at UCLA. She is launching a new course called “Science and Food: The Molecular and Physical Origins of What We Eat.” Topics include physiology of taste; and why lettuce is crispy: examining the concepts and roles of force and pressure in plants and food texture. Rowat’s career in science began at <strong>Mount</strong> <strong>Allison</strong> but she also earned an arts degree in Asian literatures in addition to her physics degree, an experience she says has helped her greatly in her career and current job at UCLA. “That was a complete accident but one that worked so well. While studying science, I also discovered my love of literature and religious studies. This has helped me greatly throughout my career. As a scientist, it’s essential that you can also explain your work in a clear way. I appreciate the foundation I received at <strong>Mount</strong> <strong>Allison</strong> more and more as a professor.” Cooking is not just part of a day’s work for Rowat. not surprisingly, she is also a wonderful cook. “I love to cook. It’s been a big part of my life since a very young age. I remember spending lots of time in the kitchen with my mother and grandfather learning the basics. I tend to try new dishes and have rotating ‘favourites’ depending on where I am. In Denmark, where I completed my featuRe stORy master’s and PhD, I was able to try various species of fish. Here in Los Angeles I am amazed at the different varieties of citrus and avocados available. I love to bake, especially pies. Being able to tie this into my work life, learning the physics behind what makes a flaky pie crust, is a bonus.” Amy Rowat’s pizza with ricotta, proscuitto, grilled peaches, and rucola This pizza has a perfect complement of flavours — salty, bitter, and sweet. It is also rich with scientific concepts, from the bread dough’s gluten protein network to the caramelized peaches. Ingredients Pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) Thinly-sliced proscuitto Peaches Rucola Homemade ricotta cheese Olive oil Freshly-ground pepper Grill the peaches: Peel, remove pit, and slice into medium-thick slices, about ¾ cm thick. Place them on a hot grill. If you don’t have ready access to a grill, place the peaches in a cast-iron pan over high heat. Cook for about a minute or two while they sear, then flip and repeat on the other side. The aim is to achieve nicely browned (caramelized) peaches. Heat your oven to the highest possible temperature. Form pizza dough onto baking sheet, stretching it to achieve a thin crust. Brush the crust liberally with olive oil. Place the grilled peaches, thin slices of proscuitto, and small mounds of ricotta cheese evenly around the pizza. Bake for 10- 15 minutes or until the edges of the crust are crispy brown. Remove from oven and place fresh rucola on top. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with freshly-ground pepper, and enjoy. For more of Amy Rowat’s original recipes visit: http://mtaalumni.blogspot.com/2011/10/original-recipes-from-kitchen-and-lab.html / 23
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