Beyond the Pan by Yinhan

Beyond the Pan by Yinhan - June 2025 Scholarship Essay

One extracurricular activity I believe should be a required class is cooking, because it gives people a means by which they can create community effectively and a way to appreciate the intricate processes that are behind what we eat everyday. Since childhood, I have been allergic to food favorites, like peanut butter and lobster. Still, I’ve always liked cooking and was intrigued by the science behind it. Beyond satisfying myself, I love utilizing food to bring together diverse communities. Food is a tool to foster bonds but can leave people feeling left out like I, and others, do when unable to eat what others can.

This class would be about inclusive cooking and the science behind the art. The course will be inclusive through both the diversity of the people taking the class as well as through the food itself. It will teach about realistic ways to cook when managing allergies, and how to make allergen-free food taste good. The “textbook” of this class will be a college-oriented cookbook, such as “The Easy College Cookbook” by Candace Braun Davison. The class can incorporate recipes that typically require common allergens, such as egg, dairy, and gluten, and show how to substitute and modify them for anyone. There will be hands-on activities where students will make a recipe of choice with the modifications discussed in class. Pulling recipes out of a college cookbook ensures that it is practical and that even those without previous cooking skills can find the class accessible. Learning to cook with allergies helps people find healthier or alternative ways to eat without relying on restaurant food, which will help them when cooking for themselves and other people. Cooking as a way to connect builds community, and being able to make food that anyone can enjoy, despite allergies, will be a tool in college and beyond.

In another lesson, the students will dive into the science behind cooking. In my own life, and as a hopeful Biochemistry major, I’ve observed the science within food and wondered why it occurred. The Maillard reaction that forms the crust on the steak and the caramelization of onions have always interested me and sparked my curiosity toward cooking science. The class will teach key scientific principles behind cooking and how different techniques utilize different parts of biochemistry. Additionally, we will cover the sensory science of flavor perception and why food tastes good, which will help people cook intentionally. Each student will create a dish utilizing a scientific principle that was discussed. Examples could include using fermentation to make yogurt or creating a hollandaise sauce with emulsification. This will give students more insight into the processes that go into cooking food, spreading appreciation for its science.

As the class is above all focused on inclusivity as well as sharing and building community, the final project will ask students to make a dish they ate in their childhood, one connected to their life, or something affiliated with their culture. Each student will present their dish, how they made it, and what it symbolizes for them. This will give insight into people’s lives through their dish, and bring the community closer together. Cooking and food is an integral part of everyday life, and having it be a required class would improve lives as a whole. Plus, everyone can enjoy a bite together.