What Einstein Kept Under His Hat: Secrets of Science in the Kitchen (55 page)

BOOK: What Einstein Kept Under His Hat: Secrets of Science in the Kitchen
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     toxic chemicals in, 323–24

smokers, 320–24

smoking, commercial, 354, 355

Smoky Garlic Mayonnaise, 384

s’mores, 429

Smorstix, 429

soaking dried beans, 144–46

soaps, 376

sodium benzoate, as preservative, 374

sodium bicarbonate.
see
baking soda

sodium carbonate, 376

sodium erythorbate, 285

sodium hydroxide (caustic soda; lye), 230

     in dishwasher detergent, 377

     in oil production, 162

sodium nitrite, meats cured with, 282–84

sodium percarbonate, to remove red wine stains, 48–50

sodium triphosphate (STP), scallops treated with, 263

soft-serve ice cream, 65–66

soleras y crideras,
30–31

solubilities, of tannins, 7

solutes, 316

solutions, 382

     concentrated, 188

     diluted, 189

     osmosis and, 186–89

solvation, 316

solvents, 316

sopressata,
280

sorbitol, 234

soup, split pea, solidification with refrigeration of, 209–11

sour cream, 55

     in Best Damn Cheesecake, 71–72

     to cool heat from capsaicins, 337

     homemade, 63–64

     whipping, 63–64

sour mash whiskey, 36–37

souse, 280–81

soybean paste, fermented, 138

soy milk, 132–33

     curdling of, 136

     in Not-Very-Indian Pudding, 134–35

spaghetti, 221, 222

Spanish Mashed Potatoes, 118–19

specific heat, of water, 398

spelling, 419

spices

     herbs versus, 326–27

     “hot,” 332–38

     shelf life of, 348, 350–51

     timing of addition in cooking, 347–48

     website for, 328

     
see also
specific spices

Spicy Chocolate Crinkle Monsters, 329

spinach

     iron in, 122–23

     oxalic acid in, 123

spin axis, 97

spin radius, 97

split pea soup, solidification with refrigeration of, 209–11

spoilage, 373–74

     of butter, 173–74, 369

     freezing to prevent, 374

     preservatives to prevent, 374–75

     smoking to prevent, 322

     
see also
rancidity, of oils

spores, bacterial, 310–12, 346

stachyose, 204

Stafford, Orin F., 318

stain removal

     of red wine stains, 47–50

     testing before using techniques for, 50

Staphylococcus aureus,
283

starches, 204–5, 206

     in grains, 203

     hardening of leftover rice due to, 211–12

     in mashed potatoes, 207–9

     solidification of pea soup with refrigeration and, 209–11

     as thickener, 381–82

Stefan-Boltzmann Law, 19

stevia, 234

Stilton, 77

stocks, 303–8

     amount of water for, 305

     color of, 303–4

     cooling, 307–8

     simmering, 305–6

     skimming, 306–7

     starting with cold water, 304–5

     storing, 308

stone fruits, 148

stoppers, for Champagne bottles, 34

storing

     of butter, 372

     of sea salt, 362

     of stocks, 308

     of tofu, 137

     
see also
freezing

STP (sodium triphosphate), scallops treated with, 263

Strawberry Preserves, 190–91

Streptococcus cremoris,
63

Streptococcus diacetylactis,
63

Streptococcus lactis,
63, 68

Streptococcus thermophilus,
60–61

string cheese, 78–79

substrates, of enzymes, 12

sucrose, 203–4, 206, 233

     functions of, 234–35

     in honey, 236

sugar(s), 203–4

     invert, 204

     osmosis and, 186–89

     in prepared foods, 233–34

     in Strawberry Preserves, 190–91

     table.
see
sucrose

     
see also
specific sugars

sugar alcohols, 233–34

sugar-amine browning reactions.
see
Maillard reactions

sugar bloom, on chocolate, 440

sugar browning, 299

sugar of lead, 234

sulfites, 27–28, 375

     as preservatives, 374

sulfmyoglobin, 278

sulfur, 28

sulfur dioxide, 28, 374

sun tea, 303

sushi,
nigiri,
242

suspensions, colloidal, 382–83

swallowing, 5

sweating onions, 341

sweetened condensed milk, 55

sweetness

     bruising of fruit and, 155–56

     ripening of fruit and, 152

sweet potatoes, in Chili Pepper Hash Browns, 339–40

synthetic rubber, 405

syringol, 324

Syzygium aromaticum,
361

table sugar.
see
sucrose

tannic acid, 8

     in tea, 14

tannin(s), 8

     cloudiness of iced tea due to, 6–7

     color of, 14

     in tea, 11, 13

tanning

     of hides, 8

     of human skin, 8

TBHQ (tertiary butylated hydroquinone), 375

TCBY frozen yogurt, 66

tea

     black, 10–11

     brewing, 15–16

     caffeine in, 15

     color of, 13–14

     flavor of, 11

     green, 10–11

     iced, clear versus cloudy, 6–7

     iced, sun tea, 303

     in My Chai, 9

     oolong, 10–11

     water temperature for brewing, 303

tearing, when cutting onions, preventing, 125–28

technical words, misuse of, 418–22

temper, loss of, in chocolate, 435–36

temperature

     of boiling water, 16

     chilling beverages with ice cubes and, 41–42

     chilling onions to prevent tearing and, 127

     of coffee, adding cream and, 18–20

     conversion between Fahrenheit scale and Celsius scale and, 388–89

     cooking hard-boiled eggs and, 99

     cooling hard-boiled eggs and, 96

     crystallization, of cocoa butter, 436, 437

     deterioration of vegetable oil due to, 180

     direct versus indirect grilling and, 319–20

     eating cold foods to cool off and, 67

     flavor release by alcohol and, 315

     of food, cooking and, 386

     frosting of glass containing mint julep, 39–40

     heat of fusion and, 42

     heat versus, 385, 419

     of ice cubes in bars, 42

     of items placed in refrigerator, 308

     killing
Clostridium botulinum
and, 346

     melting, 436

     oven.
see
oven temperature

     rate of cooling and, 19, 412

     rehydrating dried beans and, 145–46

     ripening of fruit and, 151, 152

     for saving leftover Champagne, 33–34

     shelf life of herbs and spices and, 350

     of simmering liquids, 309

     for smoking foods, 322

     of soft-serve ice cream, 65–66

     solidification of pea soup with refrigeration, 209–11

     
see also
cooling; freezing; refrigeration

tenderizing marinades, 288–89

tépin,
335

terminology, misuse of, 418–22

terpenes, 24, 331

tertiary butylated hydroquinone (TBHQ), 375

theaflavins, 11

thearubigins, 11

Theobroma cacao,
432

theobromine, 433, 441

thermodynamics, 390

thickeners, 381–82

thiols, 24–25

thiopropanol sulfoxide, 125–26

thiosulfinates, 343

thousand-year-old eggs, 105–6

time

     for cooking roasts, shape and, 409–10

     energy usage of fast and slow cooking methods and, 410–15

     for marinating meat, 288, 289

     of microwave cooking, 393–95

     for simmering of stocks, 306

     timing of adding herbs and spices and, 347–48

toasting marshmallows, 428–29

tocopherols, 173

tofu

     storing, 137

     types of, 135–37

tomatoes

     color of, 111

     in Ultimate Oven Paella, 258–60

tortillas, 230–31

     to cool heat from capsaicins, 337

     corn, 230–321

     flour, 230

trachea, 4

trans fats (trans fatty acids), 166–71

Traunfeld, Jerry, 92

triglycerides, 169–71

     in oils, 160–61

tuna

     color of, 242–45

     eggs of
(bottarga),
247–48

2 percent milk, 55

Ultimate Oven Paella, 258–60

Uncle Ben’s converted rice, 216

undulant fever, 77

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

     advanced meat recovery system requirements of, 274

     limit on nitrite amounts imposed by, 283

     regulation of cream labeling by, 56–57

     restriction of mechanically separated meat by, 272

unsaturated fatty acids, 169–70

unsweetened chocolate, 433

urea, in skate, 247

USDA.
see
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

vacuum, partial, 292

vacuum marinators, 291–93

Valencia rice, 213

van der Waals forces, 370

vanilla, 363–66

vanilla beans, 364, 365–66, 425

vanilla extract, 366, 425

     labeling of, 425

Vanilla planifolia,
364

Vanilla tahitensis,
364

vanillin, 365

     synthetic, 365, 425

variety meats, 274–75

veal

     Osso Buco, 300–301

     stock, 306

vegetable(s), 107–46

     colors of, 109–13

     cooking, color and, 111–13

     smoking of, 354

     stock, 306

     
see also
specific vegetables

vegetable oils

     deterioration of, 180

     fractionated, 168

     functions of, 176

     garlic, 345

     garlic-infused, 345–47

     mustard, 336, 337, 358

     olive.
see
olive oil

     partially hydrogenated, 167

     production of, 161–63

     rancidity of, 172–75

     in tenderizing marinades, 289

     triglycerides in, 160–61

Veggie Wash, 114–15

Vidalia onions, 128, 129–30

vinegar

     for disinfecting surfaces, 116

     for washing produce, 115–16

     in water for boiling eggs, 95

virgin olive oil, 179

vitamins

     in honey, 236–37

     vitamin C as preservative, 375

     vitamin E in cattle feed, 279

wasabi, 336

     real and ersatz, 356–58

Wasabi Guacamole, 360

washing produce, 113–16

washing soda, in dishwasher detergent, 376

water

     alcohol mixed with, 313–15

     amount for stocks, 305

     in beverages, 4

     boiling, 16

     in butter, 82–83, 84

     as conductor of heat, 404

     hydrogen bonding in, 398

     hydrophilic substances and, 437–38

     lowering of freezing point by adding bourbon, 39–40

     produced by burning of propane, 319

     in scallops, FDA regulation of, 263–64

     scallops soaked in, 263

     in sea salt, 74

     specific heat of, 398

     temperature of.
see
water temperature

     for washing produce, 115

Waterhouse, Andrew L., 48

water in oil suspensions, 381

water temperature

     for brewing coffee, 17

     for brewing tea, 16, 303

     for starting stock, 304–5

     warm water as breeding ground for bacteria and, 303

weep, in meat packages, 277

“wet” scallops, 263

wheat, 202–3

whey, draining off yogurt, 63

whipping pasteurized egg whites, 104–5

whiskey

     bourbon, 36

     sour mash, 36–37

white peppercorns, 333

white stocks, 304

whole milk, 55

wild salmon

     Blistered Wild Salmon, 241

     color of, 239

Williams & Humbert, 29

wines

     apple, 197

     blending and aging for Sherry, 29–31

     Champagne, saving, 33–34

     flavor added by, 315

     fortified, 30

     myth of flavor release by, 313–15

     red, removing stains made by, 47–50

     Sherry, 28–31

     sugar of lead and, 234

     sulfites in, 27–28

winterizing, of oils, 162

Wolfert, Paula, 410–11, 415–16

Wolke’s Law of Pervasive Perversity, 18, 409

wood alcohol, 22

x-rays, airport security, inability to kill insects and parasites, 376

xylitol, 234

yellowfin tuna, 242, 245

yellowtail, 242

yogurt, 59–62

     calories in, 60

     flavor of, 61

     frozen, 66

     lactose intolerance and, 61

     production of, 60–61, 62

     thickener in, 59

Yogurt Cheese, 63

Young, L. L., 291

Yukon Gold potatoes, 208–9

     discoloration in, 117

zero fat milk, 55

zingerone, 331, 336

ziti, 222

More Praise for

What Einstein Kept Under His Hat

“Bob Wolke is that rare mix of lab-coat scientist and raconteur, as if Albert Einstein’s mother had married Rodney Dangerfield’s father. He’s informed, amusing, and delivers clear answers as well as good, in-depth science.”

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