What Einstein Told His Cook

June 17, 2002

Can you pave roads with molasses? Why do cooked foods turn brown? What do we owe to Christopher Columbus's mother-in-law? Does sea salt really come from the sea? What is MSG, anyway? How can you tell if your balsamic vinegar is fake? Why do potato chips sometimes have green edges? Does drinking soda add to global warming? How can you tell how much alcohol there is in your drink? Why doesn't anything stick to nonstick cookware? What makes a container "microwave safe"? What's the latest research on juicing limes? Why are "instant read" thermometers so slow?

To find out the answers to these and other questions, check out "What Einstein Told His Cook," by Robert L. Wolke. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, unravels and debunks kitchen mysteries and myths in lighthearted, layperson's terms.