10 Elements of Basic Kitchen Knowledge

Originally Posted by Columbia University Press in Science, Food

Herve This’s 10 Elements of Basic Kitchen Knowledge

Here is his list for 10 basic elements of kitchen knowledge:

1. Salt dissolves in water.

2. Salt does not dissolve in oil.

3. Oil does not dissolve in water.

4. Water boils at 100 C (212 F).

5. Generally foods contain mostly water (or another fluid).

6. Foods without water or fluid are tough.

7. Some proteins (in eggs, meat, fish) coagulate.

8. Collagen dissolves in water at temperatures higher than 55 C (131 F).

9. Dishes are dispersed systems (combinations of gas, liquid or solid ingredients transformed by cooking).

10. Some chemical processes - such as the Maillard Reaction (browning or caramelizing) - generate new flavors.

[I thought these basic principles would help you understand a few more things about cooking without boring you to death or asking you to read food science books. It is not by any means all encompassing...]

Herve This was the author of a book I read about food science:

Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking