What heat actually does to food, explained one principle at a time.
📚 8 Fundamentals
What You'll Learn
You will learn the temperature landmarks that decide texture, and how to hit them without special equipment.
Four numbers worth remembering
Water boils at 100C. Browning starts near 140C. Egg white sets at 65C. Collagen becomes gelatin around 70C. Most heat decisions come back to these.
I bought a cheap probe thermometer years ago. It taught me more than any cookbook.
Did you know?
The browning reaction was described by a French chemist in 1912. Cooks had been using it for thousands of years without a name for it.
Pro Tip
Let the pan preheat for a full two minutes before anything touches it. Most home cooks start about ninety seconds too early.
