His answers are so quick and concise yet we all know this man could go on for 15 mins with each question all while citing research papers. Look up his egg boiling video. Kenji does not mess around.
@@ezgolf1764 was about to say, each of these 15 minute segments would absolutely contain a tangent either about cherry tomatoes or radially cutting onions
Definitely look up the egg video. I had a parent who was allergic to eggs and didn't learn to cook them until I was married to someone who loves them. It helps a lot.
Kenji is the absolute GOAT, his channel made cooking so much more accessible. Seeing everything without cuts (and not already in small premeasured bowls) is so huge
This is why a good cook impresses me. They have to be half scientist, half artist. You have to know how chemicals and food interact so you know the outcome of the food. But you also just have to know what looks, smells, and tastes good.
Baking soda for roast potatoes is the ultimate cooking hack. Kenji's roasted potato recipe is absolutely addictive. I have to account for about a 30% loss factor as I snack on them during prep...
For real. I worked at a resto doing weddings and employed Kenji's recipe for the roast 'taters and they *never* ever survived past service. They would be summarily devoured by the front of house staff (and myself) immediately after service
This guy is awesome, I love how his language is technical, yet to the point and dynamic. Like listening to an extremely articulate scientist/doctor giving a lecture.
Nice to see Kenji with a camera pointed at him, instead of on top of him! An absolute genius, and forever grateful for his ability to translate cooking into science and back into basic understanding for all in such style - what a treasure
🤩 I've been a huge fan since his Serious Eats days! First nerdy cook I ever knew who openly tested almost every possible method and ingredient, shared all the steps and results with lots of text and photos, fully explained the WHY of it all, and then the resulting perfect recipe. I've collected SO MANY of his recipes over the years in my huge 3-ring binder of favorites.
Kenji's the reason I'm a good cook today, and I actually knew most of the answers he gave here, which feels really good. Corn starch on rice for frying was definitely a new one!
I have that exact whetstone. I can now die a happy man. Also, that "baking soda potato" trick is the only way I make roasted potatoes since I learned about it. Total game changer.
The "how much water for rice" question was very true. I prefer Basmati rice and it requires significantly more water than plain white rice to get its elongated shape (at least in the rice cooker that I'm using). i have to use nearly 50% more water than standard rice to get it to cook properly.
In case anybody's still confused about the radiation thing, infrared radiation is what you get if you go past the red end of the rainbow, it's emitted by hot objects like the heater in your oven or ceramic room heaters. If you go even further past that, you get microwaves and radio. I think the original question was confused because she thought "radiation" only meant the dangerous kinds. Ultraviolet radiation is kind of self explanatory, it's what you get if you go past the purple end of the rainbow. A little bit past visible violet is harmless ultraviolet like in blacklights, but further past that is higher energy ultraviolet that gives you sunburn and skin cancer. Past that is X rays and gamma rays which are even more dangerous. Nuclear radiation also includes high energy subatomic particles which can also kill you. (why cancer radiotherapy requires highly trained doctors so they just hit the cancer and not the rest of you)
People do tend to confound the word 'radiation' with only harmful radiation types like nuclear radiation. Doesn't help that vernacular describes cooking food in a microwave oven as 'nuking' even though it's an entirely different physical process
RUclips's food God is finally getting the recognition he deserves and everyone's all here for it!! :D Got his book out, finally collabed with Andrew Rae (Babish), and now this...can't wait for what's next. :) Brilliant stuff Kenji.
Speaking of baking soda, it also keeps leafy vegetables green during blanching. When leafy green is cooked in water, organic acids in plant cells leaches into water and turns chlorophyll into a yellow compound called pheophytin; this reaction could be prevented by neutralising leached acid with baking soda.
The role of myoglobin is to store oxygen that muscles can use btw. That's why muscles that are used for long periods of time are more red (i.e. why duck and goose meat is red, because they fly for long distances, while chicken meat isn't, because they just flap their wings for a few seconds).
So for chickens (and turkeys), their legs and thighs are the muscles they use most, and are thus the "dark meat". Thanks, now I finally understand that!
When cooking fried rice, it is best to use a day-old rice or at least what's left overnight for asian household. Fried rice, I believe, was invented to better consume the day old rice since it is hard so somewhat, it's a way of reheating while adding more flavor. In the Ph, we do also cook garlic rice as well. Mince the garlic, let it brown, add rice, and add salt to taste.
I worked at a meat packing plant once. On the cuts of beef line, the would run the beef in the trays through a spray of water and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) before it was sealed over in nitrogen. This kept the beef nice and red looking.
I saw a German TV (DTV) program on the same thing, about using some Nitrogen compound to keep the sausage meat red and photogenic. There was some hue and cry about that, and the fact that this Nitrogen compound was getting into the consumers' gut. Seems that normal mince meat is brownish in color, but Advertising demands that it look a 'healthy pink'.
Seeing Kenji in Wired vid was completely unexpected but undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. Really enjoyed it, as well as the advice about soda in pasta. Now i only wonder about how much soda to add to the pasta to see improvement but not overdo it
That's actually a trick Japanese expats use when they have no access to good ramen noodles, they boil spaghetti noodles with baking soda. There might be some pointers on Google.
Kenji is the defintely the best on the RUclips cooking scene, everything is so well explained and he knows how to bring his knowledge to a level the majority would be able to understand.
Kenji's former employer, Cooks Illustrated, ironically recommends stir frying in a large non-stick frying pan. I feel like he made the right choice going off on his own. I love his youtube channel.
So much information in one video. Thoroughly enjoyed it didn’t know the guy up until now. He should do more videos on techniques and skills. Thank you and Wired.
This dude's so smart I freakin love watching anything he does because I'm always listening and learning (or at least learning momentarily and attempting to remember)
14:12 in the Middle East we use baking soda now to make modern and quick date cakes, since the date paste has to be thin and added into the cake,and it used to take a while in the old days but with baking soda that process is much faster
Guys, gals, and non binary pals is PERFECTION. I love it. Also I loved how thorough and informative all the answers were. I've got a new chef to follow!
You’ve got a lot of content of his to go through. He’s one of the most knowledgeable chefs out there. Even his simple recipes like “scrambled eggs” has a lot of depth in the video.
Just wanted to clarify that when Kenji says the rice should be dry before frying, the rice has been cooked first…I know this is common sense, but I’ve seen the video on Kay’s Cooking channel of her “fried rice” and apparently it’s not always clear. Don’t be like Kay, cook your rice.
The effect of salt concentration is modified by when the salt was added. salt that has had a chance to distribute through a piece of food is going to present much differently than putting salt on at the end. what's good about salting early and letting it redistribute, is that you're less likely to over salt things. excess salt is rejected along with excess moisture. these things also help with getting a crispy crust.
I'm just now learning about using baking soda in cooking. It makes super fluffy pancakes. I did NOT know about the potato hack though. Totally using this on my next roast!
yes! Chinese cooks also use baking soda to tenderize meat or liver, use a few teaspoon on sliced meat then wash it off before stir frying, don't go crazy cause it'll turn meat mushy if you leave it on too long/use too much
The "not opening" the pot while cooking rice is something my grandma always reminds us to do. She says that when it comes to rice, you should never rush it. Always be patient and you will be rewarded with the best rice everytime you cook it.
Evaporation and temperature. The others already said the first, but the latter is due to because salt is more pronounced when a dish is cold. Because of the salt receptors on your tongue.
Echoing others in a way, the bulk of seasoning should be done towards the end of the cooking process for a lot of dishes, especially soups, stews, and sauces. This ensures that the level of seasoning isn’t affected by evaporation and subsequent concentration.
His answers are so quick and concise yet we all know this man could go on for 15 mins with each question all while citing research papers. Look up his egg boiling video. Kenji does not mess around.
The ole cherry tomato adage
@@ezgolf1764 was about to say, each of these 15 minute segments would absolutely contain a tangent either about cherry tomatoes or radially cutting onions
Definitely look up the egg video. I had a parent who was allergic to eggs and didn't learn to cook them until I was married to someone who loves them. It helps a lot.
@@SusanIvanova2257 I should so make a copypasta of it, it’s iconic
@@ezgolf1764 “it’s cause of the square cubed law”
Wow this guy is very articulate. He should have his own RUclips channel.
I bet he could write some Award Winning Cook Books too!
I would watch his videos as if I were Remy on top of Alfredo
He does and has been an editor for Eater for forever. If ya were being sarcastic I'm sorry if I misunderstood
@@fictionsoreal It was sarcasm, but it's tough to get it across with just text.
He should get a dog as well, and name it Shabu.
Kenji is the absolute GOAT, his channel made cooking so much more accessible. Seeing everything without cuts (and not already in small premeasured bowls) is so huge
This is why a good cook impresses me. They have to be half scientist, half artist. You have to know how chemicals and food interact so you know the outcome of the food. But you also just have to know what looks, smells, and tastes good.
Baking soda for roast potatoes is the ultimate cooking hack. Kenji's roasted potato recipe is absolutely addictive. I have to account for about a 30% loss factor as I snack on them during prep...
For real. I worked at a resto doing weddings and employed Kenji's recipe for the roast 'taters and they *never* ever survived past service. They would be summarily devoured by the front of house staff (and myself) immediately after service
i’ve had to double the yield every time i make this for my family since they fight over it
Agreed. Always come back to it when I have a bunch of potatoes.
Best roast potatoes I’ve ever had
You all have me convinced that I'm making potatoes tonight. I. I gotta go find this video!!!
2:16 the way he said that he knows how to butcher a chicken is somehow sooo wholesome, almost like a kid about to retell his/her favourite story ahaha
This guy is awesome, I love how his language is technical, yet to the point and dynamic. Like listening to an extremely articulate scientist/doctor giving a lecture.
Well his dad and grandfather lectured and were scientists
It's so weird to see Kenji cook without the usual POV camera XD
And late night grilled cheese
Nice to see Kenji with a camera pointed at him, instead of on top of him! An absolute genius, and forever grateful for his ability to translate cooking into science and back into basic understanding for all in such style - what a treasure
Holy crap what a great Wired Wednesday. The man, the myth, the legend!
🤩 I've been a huge fan since his Serious Eats days! First nerdy cook I ever knew who openly tested almost every possible method and ingredient, shared all the steps and results with lots of text and photos, fully explained the WHY of it all, and then the resulting perfect recipe. I've collected SO MANY of his recipes over the years in my huge 3-ring binder of favorites.
Kenji assumed the person asking about radiative heat transfer isn't confusing it with nuclear radiation.
Closest thing would be cooking in the Microwave.
I mean at his point that probably looks incredibly obvious
It always amazes me how much nuance to cooking he understands not only the food sciences but technique to use the food sciences in your favor
Kenji's the reason I'm a good cook today, and I actually knew most of the answers he gave here, which feels really good. Corn starch on rice for frying was definitely a new one!
I'm an NB pal and wow did I never know how much being recognized would matter. Thanks :)
I was realizing my own identity during the lockdowns at the same time I discovered his content and it made me feel really welcome and seen immediately
Kenji is the kind of chef I’ve been searching for my entire life! His scientific approach speaks to me, so glad I’ve found his channel!
I love how many of these questions I was able to answer myself, and it’s because Kenji himself has taught me this info in his other content!
I love this guy for sure, most straightforwardly knowledgeable celebrity chef out there
I have that exact whetstone. I can now die a happy man.
Also, that "baking soda potato" trick is the only way I make roasted potatoes since I learned about it. Total game changer.
Kenji is just the best! He’s so smart and savvy, I could listen to him talk about food forever.
2:07 Ah yes, they are called "steamed hams", very popular in Albany, New York.
Man I love hearing this man talk about food.
J. Kenji is the best
He's a great teacher/writer. I felt that everything was so edited though, like he didn't catch a breath
The "how much water for rice" question was very true. I prefer Basmati rice and it requires significantly more water than plain white rice to get its elongated shape (at least in the rice cooker that I'm using). i have to use nearly 50% more water than standard rice to get it to cook properly.
The “me!” at 2:17 is the cutest thing that makes Kenji so unique
Yet another reminder why we love this person. Thank you!
I love how he used his own cookbooks as a laptop stand haha
In case anybody's still confused about the radiation thing, infrared radiation is what you get if you go past the red end of the rainbow, it's emitted by hot objects like the heater in your oven or ceramic room heaters. If you go even further past that, you get microwaves and radio.
I think the original question was confused because she thought "radiation" only meant the dangerous kinds. Ultraviolet radiation is kind of self explanatory, it's what you get if you go past the purple end of the rainbow. A little bit past visible violet is harmless ultraviolet like in blacklights, but further past that is higher energy ultraviolet that gives you sunburn and skin cancer.
Past that is X rays and gamma rays which are even more dangerous. Nuclear radiation also includes high energy subatomic particles which can also kill you. (why cancer radiotherapy requires highly trained doctors so they just hit the cancer and not the rest of you)
People do tend to confound the word 'radiation' with only harmful radiation types like nuclear radiation. Doesn't help that vernacular describes cooking food in a microwave oven as 'nuking' even though it's an entirely different physical process
This man literally thought a whole gernation how to cook and that before been the whole youtube stuff an absolute gem and Titan of the industry
Kenji is the best
Bring this man on, at least once a year!
And our questions will still keep coming !
RUclips's food God is finally getting the recognition he deserves and everyone's all here for it!! :D
Got his book out, finally collabed with Andrew Rae (Babish), and now this...can't wait for what's next. :)
Brilliant stuff Kenji.
Speaking of baking soda, it also keeps leafy vegetables green during blanching. When leafy green is cooked in water, organic acids in plant cells leaches into water and turns chlorophyll into a yellow compound called pheophytin; this reaction could be prevented by neutralising leached acid with baking soda.
The role of myoglobin is to store oxygen that muscles can use btw. That's why muscles that are used for long periods of time are more red (i.e. why duck and goose meat is red, because they fly for long distances, while chicken meat isn't, because they just flap their wings for a few seconds).
So for chickens (and turkeys), their legs and thighs are the muscles they use most, and are thus the "dark meat". Thanks, now I finally understand that!
@@susieusmaximus5330 precisely
Lmao I love how Im in med school and I have no idea what myogiblin is.
When cooking fried rice, it is best to use a day-old rice or at least what's left overnight for asian household. Fried rice, I believe, was invented to better consume the day old rice since it is hard so somewhat, it's a way of reheating while adding more flavor. In the Ph, we do also cook garlic rice as well. Mince the garlic, let it brown, add rice, and add salt to taste.
Love his clear explanations. Ive been cooking for 80 years and kenji teaches me Everytime I watch his videos.
Beautifully done. Continuously one of my favorite food authorities.
i swear kenji is a cooking wizard, love his channel and i love all his videos
"our bodies are hardwired to like foods that are nutrient dense" - uncle roger is right! MSG king of flavor!
I know it's just a small thing but hearing him intro like that unabashedly is really great.
I've never seen someone describe sausage with so much passion- makes me wanna go fry some lol
I worked at a meat packing plant once. On the cuts of beef line, the would run the beef in the trays through a spray of water and ascorbic acid (vitamin C) before it was sealed over in nitrogen. This kept the beef nice and red looking.
I saw a German TV (DTV) program on the same thing, about using some Nitrogen compound to keep the sausage meat red and photogenic. There was some hue and cry about that, and the fact that this Nitrogen compound was getting into the consumers' gut.
Seems that normal mince meat is brownish in color, but Advertising demands that it look a 'healthy pink'.
Every minute of this video is a gem! I’ve learned a lot and you explain the “WHYs” so well ✊🏼 You’re awesome!
Seeing Kenji in Wired vid was completely unexpected but undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. Really enjoyed it, as well as the advice about soda in pasta. Now i only wonder about how much soda to add to the pasta to see improvement but not overdo it
That's actually a trick Japanese expats use when they have no access to good ramen noodles, they boil spaghetti noodles with baking soda. There might be some pointers on Google.
Casual masterclass on anything we might care to ask him. Amazing 👏
When I was a kid, I always chose the back when we had fried chicken, and the oysters were definitely the highlight!
Kenji is the defintely the best on the RUclips cooking scene, everything is so well explained and he knows how to bring his knowledge to a level the majority would be able to understand.
Awesome, ,Kenji is the man! He and Alton Brown are my heroes, need more of this content
I know this guy. I went to high school with his older brothef J Kenji Lopez Main
quick, easy, direct. its what i love about kenji he simplifies, not confuses
Kenji, upload more on your channel please. More midnight cooking.
the guy is a national treasure at this point
Kenji's former employer, Cooks Illustrated, ironically recommends stir frying in a large non-stick frying pan. I feel like he made the right choice going off on his own. I love his youtube channel.
Amazing wealth of information and very articulate without being boring.
So much information in one video. Thoroughly enjoyed it didn’t know the guy up until now. He should do more videos on techniques and skills. Thank you and Wired.
His RUclips channel is full of useful cooking tips. Check it out.
Kenji is so great - his "Food Lab" book is the most interesting cookbook you will ever read
There is so much love for Kenji on the internet. Not only is he an absolute master chef, his fans are so wholesome and positive.
please more of this guy!
The very first words out of his mouth already had me happy
Just adding to the love for Kenji here. A treasure 💝
This dude's so smart I freakin love watching anything he does because I'm always listening and learning (or at least learning momentarily and attempting to remember)
14:12 in the Middle East we use baking soda now to make modern and quick date cakes, since the date paste has to be thin and added into the cake,and it used to take a while in the old days but with baking soda that process is much faster
Guys, gals, and non binary pals is PERFECTION. I love it. Also I loved how thorough and informative all the answers were. I've got a new chef to follow!
get ready to go down the deep, deep rabbit hole of Kenji's content
You’ve got a lot of content of his to go through. He’s one of the most knowledgeable chefs out there. Even his simple recipes like “scrambled eggs” has a lot of depth in the video.
LOOK AT MEEEEEE
Kenji: Some people like steamed burgers. Don’t give me steamed burgers.
Mr. Skinner: 😮
Those are steamed hams, not steamed burgers. HUGE difference Superintendent Chalmers.
I'm convinced this man invented cooking
Just wanted to clarify that when Kenji says the rice should be dry before frying, the rice has been cooked first…I know this is common sense, but I’ve seen the video on Kay’s Cooking channel of her “fried rice” and apparently it’s not always clear.
Don’t be like Kay, cook your rice.
all the ancestors crying. she made him put his leg down!
This guy is a cooking scientist! So impressed with his level of knowledge 😮
Already smiling 10 seconds in, love this guy
Yassss Kenjiiiiiiiiii!! I've been promised your books for my birthday :D
Just bought a proper wok and this video has really helped me understand how to use it properly. Thank you! Amazing and articulate.
I hope you know he's an award winning cookbook author and just released a book about woks and wok cooking.
@@alisaishere I didn't know that! Brilliant. Thank you for that. :D
cool dude. been to his beer + brats place in San Mateo many times, one of my favorite spots in the area
K. Lenji Jopez Walt is a smart cookerman. My family has followed his wise advice for GENERATIONS...
Thank you, Jimmy. We love us some good food.
The effect of salt concentration is modified by when the salt was added. salt that has had a chance to distribute through a piece of food is going to present much differently than putting salt on at the end. what's good about salting early and letting it redistribute, is that you're less likely to over salt things. excess salt is rejected along with excess moisture. these things also help with getting a crispy crust.
---my top cooking writer/chef since his Serious Eats days, glad he is still sharing his knowledge
There isn’t a single food-related youtuber who hasn’t mentioned Kenji
I can just feel he has his life together
I LOVE THE INCLUSIVITY
love the integration of science principles behind various cooking techniques
So weird seeing him these days without a GoPro on his forehead! Kenji, this was an excellent segment - should do something similar semi-regularly :)
My first thought when the video began is that he should have done the interview with his GoPro and just be looking in a mirror
Can we get a part 2 soon? This was really useful. Maybe some advice about preparing soy meat
💜✨omfg that opening!
He has such a look of delight when he smiles
Kenji is an excellent science communicator!
I can't believe they had Kenji saying "chow oyinbo nyash" lmfaoooooo - I will never recover ☠
dawg i was like they not gon catch that lol
What a great video! Answered questions I never knew I needed answers to! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👌🏾
Kenji the Legend! Please bring him back again and again and again
Kenji is a GIFT to the culinary world!
Ah so that's where the chicken oysters are! I always have read descriptions, but I'm a visual learner so this was very helpful!
Loved the walk-through on butchering a whole chicken! I think that will help me struggle less during Thanksgiving dinner... haha
Never clicked faster on a WIRED vid
JKLA is so talented and always makes things look effortless
I'm a simple man. I see a video with Kenji Lopez-Alt and I click
I'm just now learning about using baking soda in cooking. It makes super fluffy pancakes. I did NOT know about the potato hack though. Totally using this on my next roast!
His laptop stand looks similar to mine. Except I don't have his wok book yet, so I have the Flavor Bible as a fill in.
I love his nail colors 😍
"Hey there guys, gals, and non-binary pals," The video just started and I'm already smiling-
@@Josh-it6uy You must be fun at parties.
@@Josh-it6uy Quit living in fear
@@Josh-it6uy yep
yes! Chinese cooks also use baking soda to tenderize meat or liver, use a few teaspoon on sliced meat then wash it off before stir frying, don't go crazy cause it'll turn meat mushy if you leave it on too long/use too much
I will eternally thank babish for introducing me to this gift of a man
The "not opening" the pot while cooking rice is something my grandma always reminds us to do. She says that when it comes to rice, you should never rush it. Always be patient and you will be rewarded with the best rice everytime you cook it.
What's frustrating is you can salt something PERFECTLY during the cooking, but then....when it's finished it can taste like you added more salt LOL
because during cooking you lose mass because water evaporates so the salt concentration rises.
You've gotta account for evaporation. Season to 75-80% and then once you're done and ready to serve add your last little bit of salt.
Evaporation and temperature. The others already said the first, but the latter is due to because salt is more pronounced when a dish is cold. Because of the salt receptors on your tongue.
Echoing others in a way, the bulk of seasoning should be done towards the end of the cooking process for a lot of dishes, especially soups, stews, and sauces. This ensures that the level of seasoning isn’t affected by evaporation and subsequent concentration.