D-E’s Upper School students got a hands-on lesson about the science of cooking! As part of a class called “Chemical Harmony: Acids and Bases,” open to 11th and 12th graders and taught by Petra van't Slot (Science Department faculty), students ventured to the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall to explore the topic with regard to cooking. “When I was planning the unit, I thought, ‘Well, no one on campus knows more about that than Chef Alex,’” says Ms. van’t Slot. On the menu: ricotta and ricotta pancakes! Students learned about milk proteins and the role that acids and heat play in disrupting those protein structures, resulting in cheese curds. “The day after this lesson…Chef Alex and Chef Fernando made it all real and tangible,” says Ms. van’t Slot. Bon appétit!