The following three excerpts come from Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking by Hervé This. Hervé This is a physical chemist from Suresnes, France, who works at the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. He is the cofounder of molecular gastronomy, the application of science to the art of cooking.Question: Why does bread crust have more flavor than the crumb?Why does bread crust have more flavor than the crumb? Why must meats be seared in butter when preparing a stock for a sauce espagnole, for example? Why must a leg of lamb be rubbed with oil before it is put in the oven? Why is some beer golden? Why do roasted coffee and chocolate smell so good?There are countless questions of this kind in cooking, but the answer to many would be, in short, "Maillard reactions." Indeed, it is these chemical reactions that...
2
Question: How do we avoid the discoloration of green vegetables when cooking them?
Omne holus smarugdinum fit, si cum nitro coquanturQuestion: Why does old flour makes good bread?
Excertped from by Hervé This and translated by Jody Gladding. Translation Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press; Copyright © 1993 Editions Belin. Used by arrangement with Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.http://www.columbia.edu/The Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/53169/http://www.inra.fr/The Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/36661/

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Join for free todayAlready a member?Login Here