BOONE, N.C. —The Appalachian State University College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Office of Sustainability and Energy Management invite community members of all ages to a virtual cooking class that blends delicious food, “digestible” science, and plenty of fun. The final session of this semester’s Cooking with Purpose program will be super-sized into the first annual Earth‑Month Cook‑In: Planet on a Plate, held Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. online via Zoom.
This free, open-to-all event is hosted by Carla Ramsdell — CAS Sustainability Liaison and director of the Sustainable, Physics‑Inspired Culinary Education (SPICE) Lab in the Department of Physics and Astronomy — along with James Beard-Nominated restaurateur Tina Houston. Designed to celebrate Earth Month through food and science, the event invites participants to explore how everyday kitchen choices can support a more sustainable planet.
Attendees will cook along in real time using easy-to-find, inexpensive ingredients, with a full ingredient and equipment list provided in advance. Ramsdell will introduce sustainable cooking techniques, tools, and tricks that reduce energy use without sacrificing flavor, and participants can log in to a live dashboard during the class to view real-time power data from SPICE Lab appliances, demonstrating the measurable impact of energy‑efficient cooking. Expect laughs, “gee‑whiz” discoveries, and plenty of tasty bites. After the one-hour class, attendees are invited to stay on Zoom to enjoy a virtual meal together, ask questions, and catch a bonus kitchen‑physics demo.
Whether you’re a brand-new cook, a seasoned foodie, a science enthusiast, or someone who usually avoids technology, this session offers something for everyone. Invite a friend, child, or neighbor to join you in your kitchen and cook along.
The event is free, but registration is required. Please register early to receive the ingredient and equipment list in time to prepare.
Questions can be directed to Ramsdell at ramsdellcs@appstate.edu.
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About the Department of Physics and Astronomy
The Department of Physics and Astronomy’s curriculum has an applied nature that includes a core of fundamental physics courses and laboratory experiences. The department prepares graduates for a variety of scientific, teaching or engineering professions, as well as future educational endeavors. Learn more at physics.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
About Sustainability and Energy Management at App State
Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at appstate.edu/sustainability.
By Lauren Gibbs
March 30, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Sustainable, Physics‑Inspired Culinary Education (SPICE) Lab
Sustainable, Physics‑Inspired Culinary Education (SPICE) Lab