amount of energy within the second coop is double that of
the first. So, energy and temperature are not the same thing.
Now what if we set up a third coop, this time with a dozen
turkeys instead of chickens? Turkeys are much larger than
chickens, and it would take twice as much Red Bull to get
one to run around at the same speed as a chicken. So the
specific heat capacity of the turkey coop is twice as great as
the specific heat capacity of the first chicken coop. What
this means is that given a dozen chickens running around at
a certain speed and a dozen turkeys running around at the
same speed, the turkeys will have twice as much energy in
them as the chickens.
To sum up:
At a given temperature, denser materials generally contain
more energy, and so heavier pans will cook food faster.
(Conversely, it takes more energy to raise denser materials
to a certain temperature.)
- At a given temperature, materials with a higher specific
heat capacity will contain more energy. (Conversely, the
higher the specific heat capacity of a material, the more
energy it takes to bring it to a certain temperature.)
In this book, most recipes call for cooking foods to
specific temperatures. That’s because for most food, the
temperature it’s raised to is the primary factor determining
its final structure and texture. Some key temperatures that
show up again and again include:
- 32°F (0°C): The freezing point of water (or the melting