Intro -- Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1: Cooking Basics -- What Is Cooking? -- Is One Kind of Material Best for Cookware? -- What Happens When You Season a Cast-Iron Pan? -- Is Steam Really Hotter Than Boiling Water? -- Does Cold Water Come to a Boil Faster than Warm Water? -- Why Does Water Boil at Less Than 212°F/100°C at Higher Altitudes? -- Does Adding Oil to the Cooking Water Keep Pasta from Sticking? -- Do Meats and Vegetables Cook in the Same Way? -- Why Do Foods Brown? The Maillard Reaction -- Why Do Foods Brown? Caramelization -- Can You Increase Browning? -- Does Alcohol Burn Off When You Cook It? -- Does the Quality of a Wine Matter When You're Cooking with It? -- Is Oil Really Necessary in Cooking? -- Does the Type of Oil I Use Matter? -- What Is an Emulsion? -- Why are Emulsions Prone to Breaking? -- Does It Matter What Thickener I Use? -- Why Do Fried Rice Recipes Call for Day-Old Rice? -- Chapter 2: Flavor Basics -- How Do We Experience Taste? -- What Factors Can Affect the Way We Experience Flavor? -- Are Taste and Flavor the Same Thing? -- Can Your Environment Affect How Food Tastes? -- Is There a Scientific Reason Why Certain Foods and Flavors Complement Each Other? -- Is Umami Really a Thing? -- Why Does Salt Make Food Taste So Good? -- Does the Kind of Salt I Use Matter? -- What Makes Fat So Tasty? -- Why Does Cilantro Taste Soapy to Some People and Not to Others? -- Is Terroir Really a Thing in Food and Wine? -- Can a Marinade Infuse a Food with Flavor? -- What Gives Black Pepper Its Punch? -- What Gives Ginger Its Heat and Spiciness? -- Why Is Saffron So Highly Prized? -- What Gives Nutritional Yeast Its Distinctive Flavor? -- Is It Better to Use Herbs Fresh or Dried? -- When Should I Use Lemon Zest Versus Lemon Juice? -- Chapter 3: Meat, Poultry, and Fish.

Why Are Meats Different Colors? -- What Is The Difference Between Tender and Tough Cuts of Meat and How They Cook? -- Does Aging Meat Really Make It More Tender? -- Why Does Marbling Make for a Better Tasting Steak? -- Can a Marinade Tenderize Meat? -- Does Brining Make Meats Juicy? -- Should I Bring Meat to Room Temperature Before Cooking It? -- Does Searing a Steak Seal in Its Juices? -- Does It Matter Whether You Cook Bacon in a Cold or Hot Pan? -- Why Does Meat Stick to a Hot Pan? -- Does Basting Make Meat Moist? -- Why Does Meat Dry Out? -- Do I Need to Let Meat and Poultry Rest After Cooking? -- Is Carryover Heat Really a Thing? -- Why are You Supposed to Slice Certain Meats Against the Grain? -- Is There Really Any Difference Between Regular Broth, Bone Broth, and Stock? -- Does Citrus Juice Really Cook Seafood in Ceviche? -- What Makes Lobsters Turn Red and Shrimp Turn Pink When Cooked? -- What Makes Fish Smell Fishy? -- Chapter 4: Eggs and Dairy -- Is There One Best Substitute for Eggs? -- Why Do Egg Whites Expand When Beaten? -- Does Temperature Matter When Beating Egg Whites? -- Does Beating Egg Whites in a Copper Bowl Improve Volume? -- How Do Egg Whites Clarify Stock? -- What Causes the Shell to Stick to My Hard-Boiled Egg When I Try to Peel It? -- Why Do Egg Yolks Sometimes Turn Green When Hard-Boiled? -- What Makes for the Best Hard-Boiled Egg? -- Why Won't My Mayonnaise Thicken? -- Why Did My Hollandaise Sauce Break? -- Why Does a Skin Form on Custard or Heated Milk? -- Can I Substitute Milk for Half-and-Half or Heavy Cream, and Vice Versa? -- Does Buttermilk Contain Butter? -- Why Do Different Cheeses Melt Differently? -- Why Do Some Cheeses Form Rinds and Others Don't? -- Why Do Some Cheeses Have Strong Aromas and Others Don't? -- Why Doesn't the Mold in Blue Cheese Make You Sick? -- Can I Freeze Cheese? -- Is Processed Cheese Fake?.

Chapter 5: Fruits and Vegetables -- What Happens When Fruit Ripens? -- Why Do Some Fruits Brown When Cut? -- Does Putting a Banana with an Underripe Fruit Really Help the Fruit Ripen Faster? -- Do Canned and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Have Fewer Nutrients Than Fresh Produce? -- Do Fruits and Vegetables Lose Their Nutrients When Cooked? -- Why Does My Tongue Tingle When I Eat Pineapple? -- What Makes a Chile Pepper Hot? -- What Can You Do to Relieve Chile Burn? -- Why Does Cutting Onions Make You Cry? -- Is There Any Real Difference Between Yellow, Red, and White Onions? -- How Do Garlic and Onion Transmit Flavor to a Dish? -- Does the Way You Cut Up Garlic Affect How Strong It Is in a Dish? -- Why Does the Flavor of Garlic, But Not the Flavor of Chiles, Mellow When Cooked? -- Do Beans Get Tough If You Add Salt or Tomatoes to Them at the Beginning of Cooking? -- Why Do Kids and Some Adults Hate Raw Broccoli? -- What's the Difference Between White and Green Asparagus? -- Is There Really a Difference Between Starting Potatoes in Cold Water Versus Adding Them to Boiling Water? -- Does the Kind of Potato I Use When Baking, Mashing, or Frying Really Make a Difference? -- What Makes Popcorn Pop? -- What Gives Mushrooms Their Meaty Flavor? -- Chapter 6: Baking and Sweets -- What Is Gluten? -- How Does Yeast Work in Baking? -- Why Are Some Breads Soft and Others Chewy? -- What Is the Science Behind No-Knead Bread? -- Why Does Bread Harden When It Gets Stale but Cookies and Crackers Get Soft? -- What's the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder? -- Do I Need to Use Cake Flour When I Bake a Cake? -- Does the Temperature of My Butter Matter When I Use It in a Recipe? -- Does It Matter How You Mix a Cake Batter? -- Does It Matter if You Use a Glass or Metal Pan When Baking? -- Does It Matter Where I Bake My Cake in the Oven?.

What Causes Baked Goods to Puff Up in the Oven as They Bake? -- Why Are Some Cookies Chewy and Others Crispy? -- What Is the Secret to a Flaky Pie Crust? -- Is There Any Difference Between Types of Sugars? -- Why Does Honey Crystallize? -- What Makes Peanut Brittle Brittle? -- What Does It Mean to Temper Chocolate? -- Why Do the Flavors of Chocolate and Coffee Go Together So Well? -- Chapter 7: Food Safety and Storage -- Should Hot Food Be Put Immediately in the Fridge or Left Out to Cool First? -- Is Raw Milk Safe to Drink? -- Is It Safe to Eat a Raw Egg? -- Do I Have to Worry About My Eggs Going Bad? -- Is Raw Cookie Dough Okay to Eat? -- Should Raw Chicken and Turkey Be Washed Before Cooking? -- Is It Okay to Eat Undercooked Pork? -- Is Grilled Meat Unhealthy to Eat? -- Do I Really Have to Cook My Steak to Well-Done to be Safe? -- How Does E. coli End Up on Romaine Lettuce and Other Produce? -- Can the Dirt on My Mushrooms Make Me Sick? -- What Keeps Fermented and Pickled Vegetables from Going Bad? -- Can I Still Eat a Potato If Its Skin Is Green? -- Are Apple Seeds and Peach Pits Poisonous? -- Do Castor Beans Contain Ricin? -- Can Peanut Butter Go Bad? -- Does Jam Ever Go Bad? -- What Is Botulism? -- Does Olive Oil Ever Expire? -- Is It Safe to Reuse Oil After Frying and Cooking? -- Are Hydrogenated Oils Safe to Eat? -- What Is High-Fructose Corn Syrup, and Is It Bad for Me? -- Is MSG Safe to Eat? -- Should I Be Worried About Eating Foods Containing Artificial Flavors? -- Are Preservatives Safe to Eat? -- How Seriously Should I Take Expiration Dates? -- Do I Need to Store Soy Sauce or Fish Sauce in the Fridge Once I Open It? -- Should I Store My Bread in the Fridge? -- Can I Just Cut the Moldy Bits Off Bread and Still Eat It? -- Should I Keep Unripe Tomatoes in the Fridge? -- Why Do Vegetables Wilt in the Fridge? -- How Does a Freezer Work?.

Why Do You Have to Blanch Green Beans Before Freezing Them? -- What Is Freezer Burn? -- Why Does Ice Cream Sometimes Develop Ice Crystals in the Freezer? -- What's the Best Way to Defrost Meat-on the Counter, in the Fridge, or Under Running Water? -- Acknowledgments -- About the Author.