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We the Geeks: Talking Turkey and the Science of Cooking

November 26, 2013 at 10:50 AM ET by Bill Yosses
Summary: 
Join Food Network Chef Anne Burrell, former NASA astronaut Ron Garan, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses to “talk turkey” and dive into our dinner plates to explore the science of cooking.

Ed. note: This event has concluded. Watch the full hangout below.

As we prepare for Thanksgiving here at the White House, you’re invited to join me and a lineup of top food experts as we “talk turkey” and dive into our dinner plates to explore the science of cooking. We’ll be drilling down into the science behind what makes turkey so tasty, why we feel compelled to nap after eating it, and the secret science sauce behind brining and marinating.

Please join us this Wednesday at 12pm ET for a We the Geeks on the Science of Cooking! The episode will air on obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/wethegeeks in the run-up to President Obama’s annual turkey pardoning at the White House.

Join Food Network Chef Anne Burrell, former NASA astronaut Ron Garan, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's Kumar Garg, and me as we discuss the raw science behind turkey, stuffing, and other fixins’ on our Thanksgiving tables like breads, whole grains, flour, and gluten. We’ll also shed light on the exciting chemistry behind cooking and eating: How much carbon dioxide do we consume when eat a meal? And what exactly is fermentation anyway?

We'll also explore how cooking can be used to get more kids excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.

Got comments or questions? Ask them using the hashtag #WeTheGeeks on Twitter and on Google+ and we'll answer some of them during the live Hangout.

“We the Geeks" is a series of Google+ Hangouts to discuss science, technology, and innovation here in the United States. Join the conversation on Twitter and be sure to sign up for email updates about future "We the Geeks" hangouts.

Bill Yosses is the White House Executive Pastry Chef

(Editor's note: Check out the Public Service Announcement from Food Network Chef Anne Burrell and Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds on getting kids excited about STEM through cooking.)