Have you ever talked to your friends and have them tell you you’re TOO obsessed with food? And you’re there thinking “too obsessed? No such thing.” Same. Have you ever considered being a food science major just because it has the word food in it? While there are only a handful of students who are food science majors, I’m sure there are many who might as well be food science majors, not just for their love of food but the sheer amount of knowledge on the topic. Here are some signs you may love food as much as a food science major.
1. If you have any amount of free time, you’re taking careful mental notes watching “How to Cake it” with Yolanda Gampp.
You've watched Yolanda make everything from a ham cake to a giant Oreo. You know that Sir Squeeze-a-lot is her partner in crime. Her attention to detail is remarkable. You've even attempted to make your own cakes since she makes it look so easy, but yours never quite looks as good as Yolanda's.
2. While watching a cooking competition show, you think of what you’d make if you were in their shoes...
The mystery basket in the Chopped kitchen, and the MasterChef pantry is your dream. You sit there yelling at the TV when they say they're gonna make carbonara and then proceed to forget the eggs.
3. ... and you know the contestant is doomed when they forget to temper the chocolate.
When the contestant says they're not tempering their chocolate, you can't understand why they would possibly do that. You can already see the judges trying to crack the chocolate shell expecting a snap, but instead they just get a sad dent in the chocolate.
If you don't have time for tempering and wanna make your own chocolate, you can use this recipe for some easy three ingredient chocolate.
4. Cream of tartar is your best friend when it comes to meringue.
Meringue is essential for so many desserts and you need those stiff peaks. To stabilize all of that, cream of tartar is absolutely necessary. If you need some help, check out how-to whip up the perfect meringue, or try your own vegan meringue recipe.
5. You’re your friends' go-to person when it comes to restaurant recommendations.
People just assume that you're an expert when it comes to what to eat around the area. I always get random texts from old friends asking where they should eat if they're craving a certain type of food. You're kind of their personal concierge when it comes to food and you love being on the job.
6. You have a clear stance on how you cook your steak whether it be “Pan-Seared to Oven” or “Reverse-Seared."
There's so many ways to cook a steak, but a popular method is using both the stove and the oven. Typically, there are two ways of going about this. Many like to pop their steak in the oven first and then sear it, like this recipe, but my family prefers pan-sear to oven. Even new ways of cooking steak are emerging, such as sous vide, cooking the steak in a plastic bag with boiling water.
7. You know your fair share about making macaroons and how difficult it can be whether it be folding in the meringue or knowing how long you need to wait for the skin to form before baking.
The Scran Line is your go-to guy when it comes to macaroons. He gives you advice on what the ribbon stage is and to not deflate the batter too much. While his recipe is a bit more complicated with a two step egg white process, there are simpler recipes that anyone can make, like the pumpkin spice latte macaroon.
8. You’ve memorized recipes in terms of proportions instead of measurements.
If you know enough about baking and how bakeries operate, you know that the pros have their recipes by how much oil there is per one part of water.
9. You know the different textures and usages between fondant, modeling chocolate, gum paste, and marzipan.
Gum paste is best used for rigid intricate sugar work that needs some structure, while fondant often stays soft and is usually used to cover cakes. Modeling chocolate is used for sculptures because of its gravity defying properties while marzipan is great for the almond flavor. A more detailed difference between fondant and marzipan can be seen in this article.
10. Checking the dining hall app is part of your daily routine.
You always have to decide where to eat dinner. You have to make the most of the dining hall experience and go to different locations for specialty restaurants.
11. You’ve looked at every class related to food hoping it fulfills a general education requirement.
If there's any possibility of learning more about food, you'd take a class on it in a heartbeat. You've tried to take cooking classes and actual food science classes to fulfill your general education requirements.
12. You want to spread your love and knowledge of food so you join Spoon University!
Not only do you love food, but you want to share your favorite recipes, food and health tips and hacks, restaurant reviews and more with the foodie community. Apply to your local chapter and help shape the future of food.