I got to interview chef/scientist J. Kenji López-Alt — mastermind behind The Food Lab column on the Serious Eats site — about how he discovered cooking and his approach to finding optimal techniques. We discuss the best (really) way to cook a steak; dispute the idea that you should never refrigerate tomatoes; and why it might be best to cook pasta in just a few cups of water. (I think it’ll surprise you!) Plus, Kenji goes deep on deep frying and the perfect French fries method.

Follow Kenji on Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | The Food Lab Cook Book

You can listen to the episode below or on Soundcloud.

Show Notes:

• Ancho Reyes
• Sous vide
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Reverse sear
• Cook’s Illustrated
• Cooking pasta in a little water
• Modern pasta vs Traditional pasta
• Should you refrigerate tomatoes?
• Daniel Gritzer
• Warm foods taste better
• What happens to refrigerated potatoes
• Mussels and clams that don’t open
• Deep frying temperature truths
• French fry science
• Kenji’s French fries
• Air fryers
• Travel
• Woodworking
• Woodworking for Mere Mortals (podcast here!)
• Wood Whisperer
• Suzuki violin method
• Scent literacy