Activities that focus on food and cooking can help students see how relevant and fascinating science can be in everyday life.  In a recent illustration of the enduring appeal of food’s scientific underpinnings, one of the most sought-after classroom slots for Harvard undergraduates is in the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ course “Science and Cooking.” Last fall in the class and accompanying public lectures, 13 well-known chefs dished on how they use food science in their celebrated restaurants, creating foams, spheroids, and other avant-garde features of their culinary offerings. Why not infuse your own lessons with a cooking activity to stir up students’ interest and appetite for science?  Author Sarah Young’s new book Gourmet Lab: The Scientific Principles Behind Your Favorite Foods is a collection of hands-on experiments that challenge grades 6–12 students to take on the roles of scientist and chef as they boil, bake, and toast their way to a better understanding of science concepts from chemistry, biology, and physics. Read the May 2011 issue of NSTA’s Book Beat for a free lesson from the book, “Cold Milk,” in which your students will measure the energy transfer in the creation of ice cream.  May’s Book Beat also offers grades 3–6 lessons on food-related topics  like chemical change in cooking pancakes and measuring the relative acidity of everyday foods like corn, lemons, and apples.