UK's cheapest meal - a toast sandwich

The Royal Society of Chemistry announced today that it has identified the cheapest meal you can make - a toast sandwich for 7.5p (about $0.12 Canadian).

Recipe: Toast a piece of bread  - cool to room temperature.  Place bread between two buttered slices of fresh bread and add salt and pepper to taste.

Great for invalids or the elderly back in the 1800s.

They have even offered a reward if anyone can make a cheaper meal that has as many calories!

Toast Sandwich recipe from Mrs Beeton's cookbook

The science in thanksgiving feasts!

A bit late for our Canadian Thanksgiving but right on time for the US one:

The Chemical Keys to Thanksgiving Dinner

Joy of Science: Food Chemistry Series“A good meal must be as harmonious as a symphony and as well-constructed as a Norman cathedral.” Fernand Point, ‘Ma gastronomie’ (1897-1955).  This can be said of Thanksgiving.  Home cooked meals that traditionally took a full day and a host of hands to prepare now take just hours. So what have we lost with these age-old preparations? Chemistry.  It’s in techniques like brining, marinating, basting, and slow cooking. It’s where seasons marry and interact – producing tender, succulent and flavorful dishes. Learn why old-fashioned, time-staking approaches to cooking still provide the best results. 

Join us with celebrated scientist and author of the New York Times column, The Curious Cook, Dr. Harold McGee!  
Learn More >> 
 

Playing with liquid nitrogen

Liquid nitrogen is cold - very very cold:  -196°C or -321°F

But that does not mean it isn't safe!

The Modernist Cuisine Blog has an interesting post on this:
Is Liquid Nitrogen Safe?

I've used it in demos to create instant ice cream or frozen caramel corn.  And I would concur with them that boiling oil is much more dangerous!!