Marlene Parrish - What Einstein Told His Cook 2

Also by Robert L. Wolke

TEXT BOOKS

Impact: Science on Society

Chemistry Explained

TRADE BOOKS

What Einstein Didnt Know:

Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions

What Einstein Told His Barber:

More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions

What Einstein Told His Cook:

Kitchen Science Explained

What Einstein Told His Cook 2

What Einstein Told His Cook 2

The Sequel

Further Adventures

in

Kitchen Science

ROBERT L. WOLKE

with recipes by

Marlene Parrish

W. W. NORTON & COMPANY

New York London

Copyright 2005 by Robert L. Wolke

Recipes copyright 2005 by Marlene Parrish

Illustrations copyright 2005 by Alan Witschonke Illustration

All rights reserved

For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wolke, Robert L.

What Einstein told his cook 2 : the sequel : further adventures in kitchen science /Robert L. Wolke ; with recipes by Marlene Parrish.1st ed.

p. cm.

Sequel to: What Einstein told his cook. 2002.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN: 978-0-393-07982-1

1. Cookery. 2. ScienceMiscellanea. I. Parrish, Marlene. II. Wolke, Robert L.

What Einstein told his cook. III. Title.

TX652.W642 2005

641.5dc22

2005000263

W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110

www.wwnorton.com

W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT

I dedicate this book, as I have my life, to my wife,

companion, motivator, and most loving critic,

Marlene Parrish, who characterizes

herself as Einsteins Cook.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Chapter OneSOMETHING TO DRINK?

Why does iced tea turn cloudy? How does green tea differ from other teas? Are enzymes alive? Can I make coffee and tea from the same kettle water? Will coffee stay hotter if I put the cream in right away, or only when Im ready to drink it? What are alcohols? What is a hop? Why are there sulfites in wine? Whats so special about Sherry? Does hanging a spoon handle in the neck of the bottle keep Champagne from going flat? Why do Champagne corks have that funny shape? What makes bourbon bourbon? Why does a mint julep glass turn frosty? Whats the best way to cool a drink with ice without watering it down? Is there a formula for telling when Im getting dangerously drunk? How can I get a red wine stain out of a tablecloth?and more.

Chapter TwoDOWN ON THE FARM

What ever happened to skim milk? Why are there so many types of dairy cream? Does yogurt contain live bacteria? Why is soft-serve ice cream soft? Does eating ice cream in hot weather really cool one off? Why does ice cream shrink when it melts? Why does all cream cheese come from Philadelphia? What makes American cheese American? Does all cheese need to be pasteurized? Why is string cheese so stringy? How does a nut of butter thicken a pan sauce? How are eggs graded? Are brown eggs better than white eggs? Does a blood spot in an egg mean its fertilized? Would double-yolk eggs hatch twins? How can I keep boiled eggs from cracking? Why does a hard-cooked egg spin, but a raw egg wont? Why do hard-cooked egg yolks turn green? What makes an egg rotten? Why do eggs have dimples? Can pasteurized eggs be used the same as unpasteurized eggs? Are thousand-year-old eggs for real?and more.

Chapter ThreeWHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH

What makes the vivid colors in vegetables? Why do green vegetables turn drab when cooked? How should fruits and vegetables be washed? Why do some potatoes have gray patches? Is rhubarb poisonous? How do vegetables get their minerals? Why do onions really make me cry? Why are sweet onions sweet? Why is my cucumber bitter? Why does heated soy milk boil over? How do they make tofu? What is miso made of? Why do beans and other legumes produce gas? Must beans be soaked before cooking?and more.

Chapter FourABOVE THE FRUITED PLAIN

How can I speed up the ripening of fruits? Why does a cut apple turn brown? When a banana ripens and gets sweeter, does it contain more calories? Why are some oils edible and others not? Exactly what are trans fats? Why do fats turn rancid? What is a free radical? Does light olive oil contain fewer calories? Whats extra about extra-virgin olive oil? What is a fatty acid? Whats the difference between black and green olives? How does osmosis work? Why did my strawberry preserves turn out soupy? Do all fruits float? Whats the difference between apple juice and apple cider? Are raw cashews raw?and more.

Chapter FiveFOR AMBER WAVES OF GRAIN

What are the different forms of carbohydrates? What makes mashed potatoes gluey? Why do leftover starchy foods turn hard in the refrigerator? Is there an easy way to use chopsticks? What is converted rice? Why does unbleached flour cost more than bleached flour? How does self-rising flour raise itself? What kind of wheat is buckwheat? How can I best match a pasta shape with a sauce? Is the nutritional fiber destroyed when I liquefy fruit in a blender? Which kinds of fiber contain calories and which dont? What is steel cut corn meal? Why do tortillas contain lime? What are sugar alcohols? What is stevia? Why mustnt babies be fed honey?and more.

Chapter SixFROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

Why are wild and farm-raised salmon different colors? Why do they treat tuna with carbon monoxide? Do they really make fake scallops by punching out skate wings? How does lime juice cook ceviche? What do I do with bottarga? What kinds of mussels are there? Are razor clams good to eat? How do wet, dry, and diver scallops differ? Why are shrimp different colors? Why is shrimp scampi called that?and more.

Chapter SevenA CARNIVAL FOR CARNIVORES

Is mechanically separated meat dangerous? Why is my supermarkets hamburger meat red on the outside and brown on the inside? Does marinating work? What is souse? Why are there rainbows on my roast beef? Why are hot dogs pink? Are nitrites dangerous? Exactly what is braising? Whats the difference between browning and caramelizing? Why does food turn brown when sauted? Why are there so many precautions about making a stock? Where does simmering end and boiling begin? Does adding lemon juice to a stock increase its calcium content? Why do we cook with wine? Which is better for grilling, charcoal or gas?and more.

Chapter EightSPICE IS THE VARIETY OF LIFE

Whats essential about an essential oil? What makes spices spicy? Why is cooked garlic so different from raw garlic? Is garlic powder an invention of the Devil? Can garlic-infused oil be dangerous? Should herbs be added near the beginning of cooking or near the end? How much dried herb shall I use instead of the fresh herb? What is the average shelf life of an herb or spice? How do pantry-pest bugs survive in a can of Cayenne pepper? How do they make liquid smoke? Is wasabi real? How can I keep grated horseradish hot in the refrigerator? Why did grinding cloves destroy my spice grinder? How does a salt pig work? Why is vanilla so expensive?and more.