Senior has a Passion for Food and Science

Stories from Tech Expo 2009

By: Marilyn Bossmann
Composition Instructor
Humanities Media and Cultural Studies Department

One could say that Applied Science Chemical Technology Culinary Arts and Science Program senior Graydon Stroud always has food on his mind. Stroud’s senior project features the Vinkie, a nutritious vegan snack cake and will be on display at 2009 Tech Expo, as a healthy cream-filled sponge cake snack alternative "that mimics the Twinkie in flavor, texture and appearance." As a child of the 1950’s, I grew up on afternoons of Twinkie snacks, but after taste-testing four of Stroud's Vinkies, I am sold on his concept of a new vegan twist of an American icon.

The Vinkie is a naturally delicious snack made with flour, baking powder, vanilla, and lemon, along with sundry kitchen foods, but Stroud’s treat also contains organic evaporated cane juice, sunflower lecithin, and agave nectar to sweeten the creamy filling. Stroud tested 100 prototypes of the recipe, to produce a feasible, unprocessed alternative to the Twinkie that is produced with a high cholesterol, hydrogenated vegetable or beef shortening, high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar, all part of an unhealthy American diet.

Stroud took his cooking cues from his Italian grandmother, his father, a restaurateur and self-proclaimed chef, and his entrepreneurial mother, together who started Cincinnati’s first vegetarian restaurant, Christos-Drivakos, receiving rave reviews in Time magazine. Proporting the use of eclectic food combinations and fresh ingredients, the Stroud family continues to hold family dinners to discuss natural food and its attributes, along with the subjects of organic gardening and composting. This cooking family "aligns...with simple fresh flavors." And Stroud’s project attests to the family mantra.

Stroud traveled with his friends to France and to Japan as a student at CPS Academy of World Languages, where he experienced the art of simply cooked, local country foods. Before enrolling in Cincinnati State at the Midwest Culinary Institute’s Culinary Arts Program, Stroud began working at La Petite Pierre with Chef Suzanne, the daughter of Pierre Adrian, head chef who achieved the Maisonette’s first 5-star rating. Stroud likened his experience at La Petite Pierre to an apprenticeship in France. "I knew I liked food," Stroud confessed, and quickly he became adept at Cincinnati State, while working with Chef and Instructor John Kinsella. Stroud entertained the idea of opening a restaurant but discovered that Applied Science offered a new program in Food Science in Chemical Technology, so he made a seamless transition to Applied Science, working closely with the senior project team of Professor and Chef de Cuisine Grace Yek, Chemistry Professor Rajiv Soman, food scientist mentor Lisa Sanders and English Professor Teresa Cook who critiqued Stroud’s project drafts.

Stroud studied the chemistry of food, conducting food replication, documentation, and the deconstructing of recipes, while overcoming some "structural and textural obstacles" such as the problem of the re-crystalization of starches that determines the shelf life of baked goods. Then he was able to invent "a straight dough method, almost like a traditional cake" made of simple vegan ingredients. Exacting these techniques, Stroud reinforced his cooking expertise and now gives a great deal of credit to his extensive and intense academic training at Applied Science that supported what he was learning about food and science, in that, just as in any successful food product, the "balance has to be perfect." Stroud sees a variety of job opportunities in the food industry coupled with the whole food movement.His family has its own company, Five Star Foodies,where he is busy manufacturing and marketing food, including the top-selling artichoke burger, at a commercial kitchen in Mt.Auburn.

Stroud remains a staunch whole foods enthusiast, and his philosophy include the premise: "We let science dictate how we eat, not culture" so he supports "bringing healthy food back." Stroud is also full of sound food advice, such as "stay on the perimeter of a grocery store." Immersed in the culinary arts and the science of food, Stroud has found a successful and rewarding career and admits, "Cooking can be a humbling experience...[but] completely gratifying." Stroud’s passion for his craft is inspiring, as he admits, late in the night, he can be found cooking in his kitchen "in the zone, with music blaring."

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