kitchen table math, the sequel

Just what we've been searching for - a scientific explanation for all of the recipe posts at KTM: cooking may have been a significant driver of human evolution. On the other hand, this theory seems only to deepen the mystery of how some tribes managed to flourish without ever having learned to cook.

I tend to think of the advent of cooking as having a huge impact on the quality of the diet. In fact, I can't think of any increase in the quality of diet in the history of life that is bigger. And repeatedly we have evidence in biology of increases in dietary quality affecting bodies. The food was softer, easier to eat, with a higher density of calories—so this led to smaller guts, and, since the food was providing more energy, we see more evidence of energy use by the body. There's only one time it could have happened on that basis; that is, with the evolution of Homo erectus somewhere between 1.6 [million] and 1.8 million years ago. [/SNIP]

...Homo erectus is the species that has the biggest drop in tooth size in human evolution, from the previous species, which in that case was Homo habilis. There wasn't any drop in tooth size as large as that at any later point in human evolution. We don't know exactly about the gut, but the normal argument is that if you reconstruct the ribs, you have reduced flaring of the ribs. Up until this point you have ribs that went out to apparently hold a big belly, which is what chimps and gorillas are like, and then at this point [when Homo erectus arose] the ribs go flat, meaning you've got now a flatter belly and, therefore, smaller guts. And then you have more energy being used; people interpret the locomotor skeleton as meaning that the distances traveled every day are much farther. And the brain has one of its larger rises in size.

*I originally intended to title this post with a pithy reference to Brillat-Savarin, but George Romero is really much more my style.

I have been baking chocolate pecan pie almost every Christmas for over 20 years. Tonight my 5th grade daughter helped me with this recipe:

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE
1 pie shell, unbaked
Filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup or sugar cane syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons bourbon or rum (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the filling: melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, remove from heat and let cool. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until frothy and then blend in the sugar. Stir in the syrup, vanilla, bourbon, salt, and the melted butter mixture until well blended.
Arrange the pecans on the bottom of the pie crust and carefully pour the egg mixture over them. Bake until the filling is set and slightly puffed, about 45-50 minutes. Test for doneness by sticking a thin knife in the center of the pie, if it comes out pretty clean, you're good to go. Transfer the pie to rack and cool completely before cutting.

We made two pies because we’re having 15 guests for dinner on Christmas Day. My daughter instantly converted all the fractions to the quantities needed for two pies. She was faster than I was. It may not seem like such a great achievement to some, but to me it was wonderful.

Thank you, Kumon!

An anonymous commenter wrote:
Isn't it odd that none of you ever post anything about the nuts and bolts of teaching math? Maybe you should share cupcake recipes.

Of course, he's wrong about the nuts and bolts. Many of us are teaching math at home because we don’t think our schools are doing an adequate job. KTM has been the single most important source of “nuts and bolts” information for me. And, yes, I do my share of venting my frustration about this situation. That’s only natural, I think.

However, we have been remiss about sharing cupcake recipes. Therefore, I thought I would post a recipe for a traditional Latin American cake that has won raves for me. It would be appropriate to take to school for those Spanish language or “cultures around the world” events.

Warning: As you can tell, this cake is not low cal.

“Tres Leches” (Three Milk) Cake
Ingredients:
1 yellow or white cake mix baked as directed in 13 by 9-inch pan
For topping mixture:
1 cup evaporated milk (or whole milk)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup rum (optional)
To finish:
Whipped cream, to cover cake
5 ounces sweetened coconut or fresh strawberries or whatever else strikes your imagination to top the cake
Directions:
Let cake cool 5 minutes. Poke holes in the cake with a fork or a skewer all over. Pour topping mixture over cake. Let mixture absorb completely in refrigerator.Cover with whipped cream or cool whip. Add coconut or strawberries on top.