Beakerhead's Engineered Eats delves into science of dairy

Beakerhead, Calgary's festival of art, science and engineering, is mashing up science, technology and food with a lineup of fascinating culinary events next week that will give you a new perspective of your dinner plate.

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This year's Beakerhead, the fourth our city has experienced, takes place Sept. 14 to 18.

Food has always been a part of the festivities.

In 2014, they served dinner to hundreds on the Periodic Table — a sustainable energy ferris wheel set up at Fort Calgary with a menu by chef Nicole Gomes.

All about milk

Each year there's an Engineered Eats theme that allows restaurants around town to participate.

This year, it's milk — 32 local chefs, bakers and restaurateurs have accepted the challenge to explore the science behind dairy.

They got creative with the art of gastronomy in dishes and cocktails, like milk poached halibut with citrus milk skin and curry rice noodles at Anju, and reverse milk and cookies — gelled milk, cut into cookie sized pieces and deep fried, with "milk" made out of cookies for dipping — at the Beltliner.

Up your poutine game

On Friday, guests can explore the Milky Way on a trolley taking them to eat and meet the chefs behind four of these creations. You can check out all the Beakerhead menu offerings on the website.

Special workshops throughout the week also allow you to delve into the science of food.

You can up your poutine game by learning how to make cheese curds from scratch at The Squeak Behind the Cheese Curds on Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 7 to 9 pm at the Cookbook Company Cooks.

Bioinformatics specialist and food lover Paul Gordon guides the exploration of the bacterial cultures and enzymes essential for making the perfect squeak, which requires a mesh of long, elastic protein strands that rub against the enamel of your teeth as you bite. 

Mix it up

Also on Wednesday, Sept. 14 you can join Hotel Arts' resident mixologist Franz Swinton at 8 pm for a mixology workshop.

High Tech High-Balls takes you through the science of cocktails, engineering drinks with scientific techniques - and then drinking them afterward.

At Torched, you can join six of Calgary's best chefs (including Liana Robberecht, Executive Chef at Winsport, and Jan Hansen, Executive Chef at the Hotel Arts Group) and mixologists in an industrial compound turned skate park in Ramsay for an unforgettable culinary experience. 

You can expect a car on its side turning a spit, tall cocktails and even taller crane rides, a giant flame roasting trout in wire baskets, and a warehouse setting full of surprises you might not otherwise expect during your dining out experience. It all erupts at 7 p.m.

The perfect cookie

On Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6 p.m. you can explore the science of herbs and spices with a create-your-own-adventure of fragrance and flavour pairings and a DIY steak rub to take home.

Learn the science behind the perfect chocolate chip cookie under the expert guidance of University of Calgary chemists and the bakers at Crave Cookies and Cupcakes. (The cookie workshop also takes place on Sunday, Sept. 18 from noon to 3 p.m.)

And on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 1 p.m., you can join Phil & Sebastian at Café au Lait Scientifique and learn why steamed milk is sweeter, how lipids, protein and lactose in your milk can help you create the best foam, and why milk can make (or break) the perfect cup.

For schedules and to purchase tickets, visit beakerhead.com.