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Without realizing it, we use seemingly complex chemistry in food on a day-to-day basis. If you’ve taken chemistry classes before. You might recall having to do an extraction? Well, it’s time to put that knowledge to use to make something…
It takes a lot of resources to produce animal products, so when we use them, let’s make sure to make the most of them. And that starts by throwing away as little as possible. One way to do so when…
The basis of making bread is simple. You knead flour + yeast + water, possibly with some salt, into a nice dough. You leave it to proof, might shape it along the way, and bake it. In some cases you…
Some vegetables can be thrown in boiling water, scooped out after a couple of minutes and just taste good by themselves (e.g. Brussel sprouts!). Others need a little frying in a frying pan and they’re good to go (bell peppers,…
To be honest, I never thought I would ever try making croissants myself. Whenever reading about croissant dough (or puff pastry) I decided to stay away, it seemed far too much of a hassle. Folding in butter, cooling, folding, it…
Fresh fruits and vegeables are very perishable. It’s a lot harder to keep these well, especially in comparison to something like dried grains, breakfast cereals or sweets. Since most of us don’t want to buy fresh fruits and vegetables every…
On my blog I write about food science a lot, discussing chemistry, physics and microbiology and applying all of that to the food I make in our kitchen. Just today I realized I haven’t really used the term molecular gastronomy…
Ever tried to squeeze all the air out of a pack of pre-cut vegetables? Noticed that instead of collapsing, it would just let out all air and return to its original size once you stopped pressing? Ever had a closer…
Just like with any food, I like to understand the science of cookies. Why do I have to add certain ingredients and why do I have to do certain processes? If I don’t see a reason to add or do…
After harvest, fruits and vegetables continue to ‘live’. The respiration of fruits and vegetables keeps on going until all supplies have been depleted. For keeping fruits and vegetables fresh it is essential that you try to keep respiration going on…
One of the best restaurants in the Netherlands (with three Michelin stars) is ‘de Librije’, in Zwolle (the east of our country). I have never eaten at the restaurant myself, but I was lucky enough to join one of their…
An after-work drink in the Netherlands isn’t complete if you haven’t eaten some bitterballen. They’re also the perfect afternoon snack while enjoying the sun on a terrace. And even a Dutch embassy will serve them during events. Bitterballen and their…