MIT offers OpenCourseWare online for their undergraduate class Kitchen Chemistry. That means you can follow along on your own using the the posted syllabus, readings and assignments for free. You don’t get any credits or assignment grades, but it’s a great way to educate yourself.
I’ve just received my textbook for the class “On Food and Cooking, The Science and Lore of the Kitchen,” and the first few pages are pretty intriguing. The first class covers avocados and peppers. As you go through the assignments and reading, you learn stuff like what makes a pepper hot and why avocados brown. Did you know capsaicin (what makes peppers hot), an alkaline, is actually an oil? So drinking water to quell the fire in your mouth actually won’t work well. Try milk (a base), bread or rice instead.
Take the class with me by visiting MIT’s site for their class Kitchen Chemistry. Assigned recipes for the week include guacamole and salsa.
This article appears in May 18-24, 2010.





Thank you for the information! I look forward to reading more of your articles in the future. I really enjoy them!
What do you know about alkaline for our body.
I read if you have cancer you should alkaline your body. The article mentioned foods; mostly fruits and vegetables.
I appreciate all of your information and sharing the importance with everyone!
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