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Monday, September 22, 2008

When Science and Cakes Collide

Yeah, so here's my way of thinking:


Cakes are baked.
Baking is a science.
Science geeks eat cake too.

I had a request from my good friends Steve and Jan to make a "Shmoo" cake for a going-away party for Jan's lab mate Mike (he's going to MIT...yeah, I know smart people).

So for those who aren't in the know, shmoo is the nickname for a G-protein coupled receptor in yeast......hey, you're lucky, this is the short version of a shmoo, what I got (because I asked) was a much more complicated, intricate explanation by Steve (who's also a science smarty-pants)... well until he saw my eyes glaze over and took pity. My only response was "what colors you want on that?"

So here, in all it's scientifically accurate glory (or as accurate as you can get with pumpkin cake and cream cheese icing), may I present the Shmoo Cake.



And here's a view of the backside (upside? top side? other side?) of the Shmoo. Please note that the black line do-hicky does indeed cross the thingyboo 7 times -- yes, 7 times! because that's key to the doojigger process of the thingy making it, ah...and it comes close to the circle with the Beta because...because...oh hell, it was in the drawing and that's why it's there. Science rules!

(post-Post note: apparently the official term for the "black line do-hicky" is "signalling pathway." Pshaw, like who doesn't know that... :/

1 comments:

Libbi sr said...

So, Kathy... after posting a comment and addressing it to Wendi, I was told YOU were the baker of the cake and the author of the post.

Thank you for the laugh!!! I could see Wendi standing there with glazed look and then asking what colors do you want!!!

Absolutely cool cake, and it looks just like a schmoo!

Liz (Mom to WEJ)