Kochakorn Thangsombat (Yuyu) 1208

Capstone Final Reflection

Capstone project is the project that the every student required to do in order to

graduate. Since, it will be my last project at this school so I decided to work this project

out with my twin. Because my twin want to build her profile for her future career so we

decided to do about Science which this mainly includes Biology and Chemistry. When

we talk about this, we’ve been discuss about the topic of molecular gastronomy.

Molecular Gastronomy is the modern way of cooking by using science knowledge to

apply in the cooking method. This is the project that we have to show some of the our

knowledge on Science. We like it this way to do the research on new topic and to do a

cooking in a new method that we never try it before. We end up with this topic,

Molecular Gastronomy. However, at some point, we found out that maybe cooking main

course is not the best way for us so lastly we ended up with Molecular Mocktail which

still uses quite similar information with Molecular Gastronomy.

At the beginning of the year, we were working on the topic that we should do for

this Capstone project. We have been discussed a lots about this. At first, after we

decided to work on Molecular Gastronomy our plan is that we will going to adapts the

original recipe to our own recipe and also using thai traditional herbs in our recipe too.

This is because we want to be a part to help the people to prevent from the disease.

Actually, at first we just focus on the point of the thai traditional herb. But later on we

think that it will not be attractive or nice so we decided to do in the Molecular

Gastronomy method. This way, it makes the food look more attractive, innovative,

interesting, and more various. The food is way different from the normal method that we
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eat everyday and it is hard to find something like this and that is all the purpose that we

come up with all of these idea. After that, it is the time to find our mentor now. Our first

purpose is to choose among the teacher and the lab tech. Staff that related to science in

Biology and Chemistry. My twin, she decided to choose 2 mentors which are Ms. Fai

and Ms. Beau. Because they are best in different major so we decided to choose both

that related to our work. Because our friend’s suggestion and my partner have know

them before and believes that our project will progress in a good way if we have them

as our mentors. Also, Wern, my partner, has learn with them in the previous year for

substitution so she might work with them easily and know how they work. Also, because

they are best in different major so we decided to choose both that related to our work.

Later on, we did the research about the benefits and function of each herb relating to

the disease along with begin drafting our proposal about this project. In the research,

we found out many interesting types of herbs that can prevent diabetes, heart disease,

blood pressure, and disease of the stomach so we decided to choose some of the herbs

to be the ingredients in the food. Then, we find the food menu and change some

ingredients to be more healthy and also adapt it with the herb. Later on, we find the

dessert menu and do the same thing. At first we plan to do 8 menu but later we cut-off 4

menu left with 4 menu with 2 main courses and 2 desserts dishes.

After we did the proposal, we watched some of the molecular gastronomy video

to be an idea. We found some interesting video which are: Mojito Molecular

Gastronomy, The fruits Raindrop, etc. After we watched these several videos we find

out that some of the videos are making the molecular gastronomy by using only one of
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the chemical substance of Sodium alginate food and calcium lactate. Some used the

agar powder to make it which, in my opinion, I think it is not the correct way to do it.

While we watched the video, we have listed the ingredients (including chemical

substance) that use to did it and discussed about how to adapt these ingredients to use

in our food. We find out that we must use the two chemical substance which are Sodium

alginate food and calcium lactate. In class period, when we know all the substance that

will be use we search for the chemical store and contact them. First when we contact

them, they said that they had both chemical we can buy it immediately at the stores. But

later when we went to the store they said that they one have one for now because

another one it still in the store storage. So we decided to buy the calcium lactate and try

to do it first. Later on, we go to supermarket to buy the fresh ingredients to try to make

the Taro balls in coconut cream menu. For this menu, we decided to used the milk

instead of water to make the outer parts surrounding the taro in the circle. We bought a

fresh taro. We cut it in a small pieces and cook with flour. Then we boiled it in the hot

water and when it cook we put it up and dip in the chemical. Then we boiled the milk

that we buy from the supermarket and pour a little amount chemical in it. After a while it

is splits into small pieces and it turns out not what we want. Soon after we talked with

someone who knows about this, we find out that not only one chemical that we need but

we need both chemical to do it. And maybe it will come out successful and turns out in a

good results of what we expected it to be. Also about the milk maybe if used the fresh

milk it will be better I think so next time I’ll try it with fresh milk. After done the first trial,

we know right immediately that we are probably will not make it in time if we did too
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many menu so we decided to did only one menu which is beverage drink and not do the

herb anymore. This is because we think that it is the most easy thing to do among the

main course and dessert and it will ease us to do when there is no herb to worry about

in the ingredients method. Also, we think that it will be no problem about trials. We can

did it many trials as much as we satisfied with the result because it is easy and the step

is not too complicated.

After we come up with our final solution with the beverage menu, our next steps

is to do a research about the beverage menu. After we did the research and it turns out

that the ‘Molecular Cocktail’ seems to satisfy both of us so we decided to do it. Later on,

we take a deeper look at the method and ingredients of the Melon Cocktail. We decided

to list both ingredients and methods in our google docs. We decided to try one of the

recipe of the Melon Cocktail and that’s makes us feel like we come in the right direction.

In that trial, we found some error of the recipe so we use it to be our lesson that we

have to work on. Lastly, we come up with our adapt recipe which is Lychee Mocktail. As

soon as we done with the recipe part, we started prepare all the materials, utensils, and

chemicals. Then we starts doing it. When we doing it one person will sometimes takes

the video recorded and another will do the procedure part. While we doing it, we found

some errors in the experiment which is the Sodium Alginate is big in shape and cannot

dissolves in the lychees. So what we do is we decided to cut the Sodium Alginate into

smaller pieces by blended it in the small blender. Even though, it might not be fully

effective but at least it still can be used for the next step. Next errors that we found is

when we scoop the lychee ball into the deionized water with a chemical the lychee ball
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is break into little pieces into the bowl. We handle this problems by dip the utensils that

we use to scoop the lychee ball in the bowl with chemical first and then we scoop it

again. This way it turns out in a good result because the lychee is actually become a

ball in deionized water bowl. Later on, we did the presentation slide in canva. We split

the work and assign our roles on who will do which part. My part is to done the

procedure, materials, utensils, and others. Overall we did spread the work equally. After

that, we left with the results part which we have to create a survey and collect the data.

Later on, we work on this part and by create a question and spread the survey. When

we get the results we work on graphing information and put the information in the

presentation slides. Next, we edited the video for the cooking step and lastly we write

the report for all the things we’ve done.

In conclusion, for this project I would say it is going quite well. I think that at least

we meet our expectation to do something in the gastronomy method. In the step of

doing the survey, this is pretty much shown that people were interested in this method.

From the results, more than half of the people that were taking the survey said that they

would like to try this method. In my opinion, I think it is good for us to do this project

because by doing this, we can spread out the news of the new innovation in science for

a new method of cooking for people to know more about this and we can also know

deeper about this topic too.