Food 101

I went shopping this weekend and bought a couple of books that are relevant to these pages: Salt, a World History and What Einstein Told His Cook. (I also bought a belted knit top, a pair of pants and a light dress to celebrate the advent of spring--I should have bought earmuffs instead.)

I've started reading the Einstein book, which was written by Washington Post columnist Robert Wolke. The book follows a basic formula: A reader poses a question, and Wolke answers it by simplifying the science so it's understandable to a layperson. He's already answered two things I've wondered about in the last week: Is hominy really soaked in lye, and why are the fleshes of different animals different textures and colors? Alton Brown-type stuff, with recipes. It's an interesting book, and one I'm planning to keep as a reference at work.

So ask me a sciency-type food-related question, and I'll see if the answer is in the book.