For many of us, cooking and digestion are probably the chemistries that are closest to home. This fascinating area is still only partially understood.

Food and science:

• Science and cooking– several good books to read about food and science
• Why I cook– the gut is a complex organ, with more bacteria than stars in the galaxy and more neurons than the spinal cord.
• When is food safe?– pasteurization, the process of reducing bacteria in food, depends upon both cooking temperature and cooking time.
• Sous vide or water bath cooking– a super simple and delicious method for cooking food safely at lower temperatures.
• Understanding and cheating lactose intolerance– which non-dairy foods contain lactose, and how to prepare dairy to be lactose free.
• Caramelization and the Maillard Reaction– two delicious reactions that occur in food with heat, with different chemistry.
• Why are peppers hot?– The chemistry of capsaicin, and why some peppers are hotter.