Podcast Ep 57: Dr. Stu Farrimond and the Science of Cooking

In this episode we speak to an actual food scientist: Stuart “Dr. Stu” Farrimond, author of The Science of Cooking: Every Question Answered to Perfect Your Cooking. He offers his best tips and advice for how handle all of your cooking and food prep — based on science. Wondering how to know which knives are worth the investment? Hoping to cook a juicy turkey? Not sure if your eggs are fresh? We break all that down — and plenty more! 

Dr. Stu’s path to writing a book about food and cooking was an unusual one, to say the least. He started as a medical doctor, but after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and developed epilepsy, he was forced to leave what he thought was his life’s passion. The medical world’s loss became the teaching world’s gain as he discovered his knack for explaining tricky scientific ideas with non-jargony talk. From there he fell into his niche of food science research (including finding the best biscuit to dunk in a cup of tea!), which led to the book he is so proud of today.

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Some of our favorite quotes from this episode are …

Podcast Episode 57 Highlights With Dr. Stu

• The best way to take care of eggs (hint — do NOT store them in the refrigerator door)
• The best knives every cook should have on hand
• Why he cooks pasta without oil in the water 
• The real benefits of shopping organically and buying locally sourced foods
• The science behind why some flavors work well with others — and why some don’t
• Margo’s favorite recipe for the Perfect Eye of Round Roast
• How to cool down your mouth when you eat something super spicy 
• Tips for cooking holiday meat, like this citrus turkey brine (a favorite at Kristen’s Thanksgiving table every year)
• Jenn’s obsession with sheet pan dinners and Ted Allen’s yummy kale salad recipe

Get the episode with Dr. Stu here or below!

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What are your favorite science facts about cooking and baking? Post about your experience in the comments below! —Margo