Food Science

Fermentation can increase digestibility, produce B vitamins and organic acids, and supply live microbes. Research suggests regular intake of fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut is associated with greater gut microbiome diversity and may support reduced inflammation markers, though evidence varies by food and individual. They're a worthwhile addition rather than a cure-all.

Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and needs an acid in the recipe — buttermilk, yoghurt, lemon, brown sugar — to react and produce lift. Baking powder contains bicarbonate plus its own dry acid, so it works in non-acidic batters; most are double-acting, releasing gas once when wet and again when heated. They aren't interchangeable one-to-one.

Emulsified sauces split when the fat droplets coalesce — usually from overheating, adding fat too fast, or too little emulsifier. Prevent it by adding oil or butter gradually with constant agitation and keeping heat gentle. To rescue a broken sauce, start fresh with a teaspoon of water, mustard, or an egg yolk and whisk the split sauce in slowly.

No — this is one of cooking's most persistent myths, disproven by weighing experiments: seared meat loses as much or more moisture than unseared. Searing is still essential, but for flavour: the Maillard reaction creates hundreds of savoury browning compounds. Juiciness comes from not overcooking and from resting meat so its juices redistribute before slicing.