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Summer would be incomplete without carnivals and bright, fleecy, sugary cotton candy. For a snack that’s nothing but sugar and air, there’s a surprising amount of physics and chemistry involved. Below are seven science-heavy facts about this feathery-light confection. Editor’s note: The original post stated that 1 ounce of cotton candy is 0.105 kilocalories, when in […]
Dash Masland was a marine scientist who switched over to beer brewing, using her scientific background to create artworks of the genetic barcodes of the different yeast strains used in various breweries. Over at Vanderbilt University, the Bellan research group is making strides in regenerative medicine using cotton candy and gelatin.
Among life’s simplest joys: smelling freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through the kitchen, sliding the tray of artfully coiled pastries from a warm oven, and marveling at their golden crust and fluffy interior. An ideal cinnamon roll features a potent cinnamon-sugar mixture oozing in sticky spirals. It’s often topped with a generous smear of tangy […]
Now that summer is in full swing, what better way is there to use all the berries, apricots, plums, peaches, and nectarines in season than to make jam? Jam has a great texture that makes it the perfect spread for brioche toast and a sweet complement for porridge. The base ingredients of fruit, sugar, pectin, […]
In more than two-thirds of cases arising from food-borne illnesses, the cause of the illness is never identified. However, the Food and Drug Administration has recently been using whole genome sequencing to track down the pathogens responsible for tainted foods in an effort to thwart outbreaks. Researchers at IBM Research and Mars Incorporated are also undergoing a project to […]
Ari Rosenson began his culinary career at 16 working at Spago West Hollywood, eventually working his way up to executive sous-chef at Spago Beverly Hills. He is now executive chef at CUT Beverly Hills, where he is dedicated to serving the best meats and farmers market vegetables. His dishes are inspired by the simplicity of Italian cuisines. […]
Guest post by Christina Jayson Watch a barista at work and you will observe the art of preparing a perfect café au lait, cappuccino, macchiato, or mocha – all of which involve different quantities of steamed milk. Behind the artistic foam hearts and milk mustaches lies a science to steamed milk. Students of UCLA’s SPINLab […]
Thenghu chathikkilla is an old adage in Malayalam which translates to, “a coconut tree won’t let you down.” Well, meet the double coconut tree (Lodoicea maldivica), which bears the largest seed known to science (25 kg), can live up to 1000 years, and (according to legend) can confer immunity against poisons. The problem is, there’s only one double coconut tree […]
If you’re itching for a tropical getaway, enjoying a coconut snack could help conjure up images of cool sand, blue waters, and swaying palm trees. The coconut tree (Cocos nucifera) and its fruits may very well be the symbol of paradise, since coconut is an ingredient in many Southeast Asian and Pacific Island cuisines. If you […]
Growing up as a chubby kid who tried to convince her parents that candy belonged at every meal (a real life Augustus Gloop, if I may), one of my favorite books was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And though I’d dream for a mug of the chocolate river, my favorite of Willy Wonka’s creations was […]