Chemistry Queen or Mad Scientist?

So this all started as an photography assignment and a curious spark. I was working in a Chemistry lab and cooking all the time. Cooking was my passion; chemistry was my life. I tried, in a single portfolio (still in progress), to show people who weren't in the lab that science isn't all that different from everyday life. I wanted to demystify chemistry and make it cool again. Like during the Cold War when the United States was the shinning star of technology and scientists were heros.* So here is my attempt. Every week or so I am going to try and figure out/explain, why things work in the kitchen using basic chemistry, physics and biology. The fact of the matter is I don't have a clue right now why anything works so I'll be in the weeds with the rest of you. I don't blame you at all if you skip the sciency stuff and go right for the recipes. And I really hope this doesn't turn into a repeat of Organic Chemistry (tears, frustration, failure, repeat). Recipes will be included, photos will happen, and I'll try really hard not to blow anything up.

*If you want to see something really cool, high tail it down to the Smithsonian American History Museum. They currently have an exhibit on American research and it is sitting right next to Julia Child's kitchen.