'Food Science' Blog - FineCooking.com

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How to Make (and Fix) Emulsion Sauces

Learn the chemistry behind these notoriously tricky sauces, plus the secrets to getting them right and fixing them if they (gasp) break.
Why is Spicy Food Spicy?

Some foods are a little spicy, and some are really, really spicy. What causes the spiciness and why?
Steak vs. Hamburger

If beef is beef, why is it safe to have a rare steak, but not a rare hamburger?

Chef vs. Cook

What is the difference between a chef and a cook? Should you feel bad if you are one and not the other?
Roasting a Perfect Turkey

Our food science experts explain the secrets to cooking your Thanksgiving turkey.
Under Pressure

Pressure cookers speed up cooking by increasing pressure inside the pot, thus raising the temperature of the food inside. So why are they also affected by high-altitudes?
Freezer Burn

A surprising find in a freezer and why it's safe from dehydration
Is "Cheese Food" Either?

There are things masquerading as cheese in grocery stores all across America. Are these things cheese, especially the cheese that is named for our country?
Muffin/Cupcake Taxonomy

What's the difference between a muffin and a cupcake?
How to Cook Fresh Corn

Golden and sweet, this beloved vegetable is a must on any summer table. Here are the hows and whys of choosing, storing, and cooking it.
Popping Foam Bubbles

Sprinkling cinnamon sugar onto a latte's foam seems to pop the bubbles more than it should. Let's explore why.
Stale Irony

The refrigerator is supposed to keep our food fresh for longer, but some claim that putting bread in the refrigerator makes it go stale faster. Read on to learn what's going on, how to prevent it, and how to fix it (sometimes).
High-Rise, Fallen Cake

A promising angel food cake collapsed in the oven shortly before it was done. What could have caused this tragedy?
Simmer vs. Boil 202: The Master Class

Why does heating to a full boil make it hard to simmer afterwards? Why does stirring a simmering pot cause it to stop simmering? And, most importantly, why does a watched pot never boil?
Bain of the Cheesecake

When making a cheesecake, is the water bath, also known as the bain-marie, the best way to go? Why do we even need to bathe a cheesecake?
Baking by the Numbers

There are times when it's really useful to have know how much of one ingredient to use versus another. Bakers use formulas called Baker's Percentages to help them. Here's how they work.
The Tyranny of Precision

Precise measurements can make you feel like a small mistake will cost you too much in your recipes, but it's really not so bad.
Melted Butter in Baked Goods

Many cookie recipes call for creaming sugar into soft butter, but one blogger found melted butter worked better.
Oatmeal Boils Over

When microwaving oatmeal, why does it boil over so easily and are there any tricks that'll keep it in the bowl?
Making Automatic Drip Coffee Better by Blooming

Using a technique I'd never heard of before, you can make your automatic drip coffee taste much better. But at what cost?

Make it Tonight

Grilled Chicken with Pesto & Marinated Tomatoes

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