Mr. Beta: To start out today we have a report and demonstration by Phil P., who is going to show us how baking soda works in the rising of dough. Phil: (in front of class) I have here some equipment which I will use to show you the action of baking soda in the rising of dough. Baking soda is only one ingredient in baking powder, so my demonstration is oversimplified, but it's interesting anyway. (seeing Nancy's hand) You have a question already, Nancy? Nancy: Yes. Well, not a question. But anyway you're not talking about dough if you use baking soda to make it rise. In home ec. we learned that yeast is used in dough, not baking soda, baking powder, or any other artificial agent. Phil: But Mr. Beta suggested that I show you the action of baking soda in the rising of dough. See, I have it right here in my notes. Besides I don't care what you learned in home ec. My Morn uses baking powder when she makes dough. Just yesterday she made some dough for my sister's birthday cake. And I know she used baking powder, She certainly did not use yeast. Nancy: Then it wasn't dough. It was batter. Phil: My Morn said it was dough. She never called it batter. Nancy: Then your Morn is wrong. Mrs. Epsilon taught us what dough is. And she has a degree in home economics. Does your Morn have a degree in home economics? Phil:
No, but Mr. Beta has a degree in chemistry. He ought to know. And he said "dough". (seeing Fred's hand) Fred? Fred: In my folks' store we sell some ready-made biscuits. On the label it says, "The dough used to make these biscuits contained no artificial preservative". On the label also is a list of ingredients. One of them is baking soda. I suppose that Nancy thinks the bakers don't know what they're doing either. Evelyn: (interrupting) You boys, you think you're so smart. This time you're wrong. "Dough is a moist mixture of flour and other ingredients, including yeast." That's a direct quote from my home ec. book.
The discussion from which this dialogue was reconstructed continued, but no additional reasons were provided -only restatements, insults, and misunderstandings.