Amazon.com description: Product Description: Do you wish you understood the science of food but don t want to plow through dry technical books What Einstein Told His Cook is like having a scientist at your side to answer your questions in plain nontechnical language Chemistry professor and syndicated Washington Post food columnist Robert L Wolke provides over 100 reliable and witty explanations while debunking misconceptions and helping you interpret confusing advertising and labeling Book jacket Do you wish you understood the science of foods but don t want to plow through dry technical books What Einstein Told His Cook is like having a scientist at your side to answer your questions in plain nontechnical terms Chemistry professor and syndicated Washington Post food columnist Robert L Wolke provides over 100 reliable and witty explanations while debunking misconceptions and helping you to see through confusing advertising and labeling In Sweet Talk you will learn that your taste buds don t behave the way you thought they did that starch is made of sugar and that raw sugar isn t raw Did you know that roads have been paved with molasses Why do cooked foods turn brown What do we owe to Christopher Columbus s mother in law In The Salt of the Earth you will learn about the strange salts in your supermarket Does sea salt really come from the sea Don t bet on it Why do we salt the water for boiling pasta And how can you remove excess salt from oversalted soup You may be surprised In The Fat of the Land you will learn the difference between a fat and a fatty acid what makes them saturated or unsaturated and that nonfat cooking sprays are mostly fat Why don t the amounts of fats on food labels add up Why does European butter taste better than ours In Chemicals in the Kitchen you will learn what s in your tap water how baking powder and baking soda differ and what MSG does to food What Japanese taste sensation is sweeping this country Is your balsamic vinegar fake Why