Welcome to The Atomic Kitchen!

Thank for visiting "The Atomic Kitchen" blog.

I am Kerry Gleason, a professional writer and a very amateur chef. I never got the message, "Don't play with your food," which is how I got this way.

Our blogs will provide exciting new tips, tricks and explanations based in science that may help you to become a better cook or baker. Whenever possible, we will contact chefs and science geeks with knives for expertise that may make your next dish the best you've ever made.

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You're gonna love what we've got cooking in "The Atomic Kitchen."

Kerry Gleason
Editor

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Going Curdless: Tips to Avoid Curdling

A good rule of thumb for cooking with dairy products, including cream, milk, eggs, butter, cheese and mayonnaise, is: patience! Sauces made with milk, cream and cheese may curdle for several reasons: not enough fat content. Skim milk will curdle more than heavy cream, and low-fat creams and cheeses are more likely to curdle than their whole-fat compadres. too high heat. Cream sauces must be cooked at low temps. Use a thermometer to ensure temperatures stay lower than 175 degrees F. too much acid. Cream should be added last (with exceptions like lemon juice). Wine can be very acidic, and should be reduced. any ingredients should be of medium temperature before cream is introduced, as it will separate at boiling. How curdling occurs: Dairy fats combine to form a rubbery mesh, which squeezes out water. One possibility to prevent curdling is Carrageenan. There are three kinds, and Lambda Carrageenan is best for sauces because it is water soluble. It is derived from red seaweed

What Happens In Your Freezer (Pt.1)

The freezer has changed food in America and around the world. I’m fascinated with the story of Clarence Birdseye, who discovered that flash-freezing fish was a practical way to ship seafood to distant inland locations. His name became a brand synonymous with many frozen vegetables and cooking staples. Alas, not everything freezes as well as freshly harvested seafood and vegetables. Here’s a description of foods that freeze badly and what happens. ( Source: National Center for Home Food Preservation ) Cabbage, cucumbers -- These become limp, waterlogged and quickly develop an oxidized color, flavor and aroma. These can be effectively frozen as marinated products. However, “freezer slaw” and “freezer pickles” won’t maintain the same flavor or texture as regular slaw or pickles that were not frozen. Celery, Cress, Lettuce, Parsley, Endive, Radishes – Limp, waterlogged and these also change color, flavor and aroma. Potatoes, baked or boiled – These become soft, crumbly,

Avoiding Green Eggs

I do not like green eggs and ham... well, I'll live with the ham, but there's no need to have green eggs. If Sam-I-Am knew the secret of cooking perfect eggs, they would not turn green. Even without Seussificaton, egg yolks do turn green. Here is why: Yolks contain iron. Egg whites contain hydrogen sulfide, and where the yolks and whites meet, those two chemicals react. Given sufficient heat, as in overcooking, the yolks will develop a green-colored film. Even though they are less appetizing, the chemical reaction does not change the flavor of the eggs. There's another way for eggs to turn green. Cooking or storing eggs in an iron skillet or a metal pan will turn them green as the iron ions from the pan react with the sulfides in the eggs. Kevin Murray, president of Tasteful Events Catering in Rochester, N.Y., offers a few tips to prevent green eggs. “I am usually cooking in volume, but it definitely depends on the surface of the cooking

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