Come in to my lab-OR-atory...
...I mean my kitchen. Here is where you can find explanations to all those kitchen science mysteries, like:
How does a cake go from liquid to solid when it bakes?
Does baking soda really make your fridge smell better?
What IS chewing gum, anyway?
SUCROSE MOLECULE - What is sucrose? What happens when you heat it? How can you keep your fudge from getting that grainy crystal texture?
SCIENCE OF EGGS - Why does an egg turn solid when you cook it? Why does beating air into egg whites uncurl the protein molecules? What's that green stuff on the yolk of my hard-boiled egg?
BREAD SCIENCE 101 - Is my bread really alive? What's gluten?
FERMENTATION AND FOOD - What do pickles, wine, and cheese have in common? Does that green stuff in the container in the back of my fridge count as fermentation?
THE SCIENCE OF YUMMY - How is flavor different from taste? How many flavors are there? What does a flavor scientist do?
SEARING MEAT TO SEAL IN FLAVOR - Will it make my steak juicier? If it seals in the juices, does that mean my steak is waterproof?
WHAT DOES BAKING SODA DO IN THE REFRIGERATOR ANYWAY? - I suspect it talks to the condiments when the fridge door is closed. Does it really help with odors, or is it a vast conspiracy by the baking soda lobby?
WHY DOES PASTA BOIL OVER? - Why does the phone always ring just as the pasta is beginning to boil again?
Photo courtesy of JupiterImages
Check out this book!
Kitchen Lab (You Are the Scientist)
Great explanations!
for ages 9-12
Amazon Price: $23.93 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $23.93
Used Price: $4.49
THE RACE OF MICROORGANISMS - What do salinity, temperature and pH have to do with the race between good and bad bacteria?
THE SCIENCE OF COOKING MEAT - What gives meat its' flavor? What makes it tender and juicy?
PROTEINS - Do I really want to know my food THIS intimately?
GRILLING ON A MOLECULAR LEVEL - What really happens under the grill hood when you're not looking?
More Good Books
THE SCIENCE OF FLAVOR - How do your senses of taste and smell work together to come up with a fabulous array of "tastes?"
THE CHEMISTRY OF CAKES - What's an emulsion and what does it have to do with cake? How does it affect your cake if you change the amount of fat? or sugar? or eggs?
SPUD GUN - How can you hurl a potato hundreds of feet at nearly 400 miles per hour? Is this a good idea?
CHEWING GUM - Why doesn't it dissolve in your mouth? What happens if you swallow it? Did you know that it is illegal to manufacture, import or sell gum in Singapore?
Food Art
Photo courtesy of JupiterImages
Read More
From Publishers Weekly
-this authoritative and sprightly volume will have anyone who's interested in cookery sighing, "Aha!" Hillman begins with a list of the all-too-familiar "mistakes good cooks make," which points to explanations for why those eggs went rubbery, that batch of ice cream turned icy and the roast mysteriously shrunk. He also offers... kitchen experiments (e.g., one that demonstrates the "strange, distinct flavor" that results from the chemical reaction between salt and MSG). Written with friendly reassurance and designed logically and thoughtfully, this compendium of questions and answers is a must for the kitchen shelves of curious cooks everywhere.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The New Kitchen Science: A Guide to Know the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen
Amazon Price: $10.20 (as of 07/26/2008)
List Price: $15.00
HOW POPCORN POPS - Did you know that keeping your popcorn in the fridge or freezer will dry it out FASTER, leaving more old maids in the popper?
TEARFUL ONIONS - Why? Is there any hope?
PINEAPPLE JELLO - Will it gel? Should it be legal?
THE CHEMISTRY O CAFFEINE - What's going on inside your body when you're jazzed up on a Grande Latte?
TIRED TURKEY - Does eating turkey really make you sleepy?
Good Lenses About Science or Food
-
Velveeta...Unwrapped
-
An in-depth look at one of the most villified foods in the United States. It's right up there with Spam. Get the history, find recipes you won't believe, learn how to make your own, find out what you do when someone gives you 30 pounds of Velveeta as...
-
INCREDIBLY GOOD RECIPES
-
I read cookbooks like most people read novels. The recipes here have all been tested and have earned the important "husband and kids" Seal of Approval. Most of them have also been tested at Girls' Night and passed with flying colors. I hope you enjoy...
-
S.O.S - SECRETS OF SOUP
-
I love soup! The possibilities are endless, from simple clear soups to thick, creamy potato soups. It can make a light repast or a complete, hearty meal. Simple or exotic. Savory or sweet. Such potential! What do you do when the soup just doesn't do...
-
Mock Apple Pie
-
Wait. You want me to make an apple pie with no apples in it? Mock apple pie has a rich history from the settlers heading west across a young United States to the 20th-century suburban housewife. Read on to learn all about this culinary oddity.
-
Edible Science Experiments
-
I love food, and I love science. Isn't it SO cool when you find a way to combine two of your passions!? Using everyday items in your kitchen, you can learn a lot about basic science and about the inner workings of the food you eat. This isn't a list...
Let me know you've dropped by
|
tdove
Thanks for joining G Rated Lense Factory! Posted June 23, 2008 |
|
Evelyn_Saenz
5 Stars and Favored! Posted May 26, 2008 |
|
funwithtrains
Great lens! Posted May 23, 2008 |
|
tradehawk
Excellent lens on one of my favorite topics--FOOD! Also, as a fan of Kitchen Chemistry I have a lens on that wild world that can be seen rrriiiggghhtt...HERE! Posted May 20, 2008 |
|
grassosalvato86
Really great lens! Dugg it!! Posted May 16, 2008 |
