Halloween is coming up which means we will all be investing in some blocks of dry ice. But what is dry ice? Have you ever stopped to consider the inherent contradiction in its name? Click through for a thorough investigation of this beautiful chemical!

Home & Family, Read, Dessert, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

Rock candy Crystallization

Daniel Kohler · September 10, 2015

Rock candy, so popularly associated with garishly colored sticks and strings, makes its first appearance in world culinography in 9th century Iran. It seems even at such an early time in human history we had already learned to grow sugar crystals. And why would we be growing sugar crystals? Keep reading!

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Drink, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Read, Snack, Spring, Summer, Winter

Electrolyte Science

Daniel Kohler · September 2, 2015

We see so many popular athletes advertising Gatorade and other sports drinks that we assume they’re the best option for electrolyte replenishment after a hard workout. But the truth is, as with many packaged goods, that we can do far better with a few ingredients from our pantries!

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Brass End Table

Daniel Kohler · August 31, 2015

Working with Paige Hemmis was absolutely smashing. She agreed to help me fill my home with some new furniture and I agreed to contribute some geek-ery to the project! This brass table is great for entertaining, no coasters needed. Let your guests color the table with their glasses and leave a history of their revelry.

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Read, Side, Spring, Veggies, Summer, Winter

CapsaiScience

Daniel Kohler · August 26, 2015

Chili Peppers are not unique to one country or culture. Evidence of their cultivation dates back to 4,000 BC. But the love of hot foods is exclusive to humans. The rest of the animals on this planet either lack the neurological receptors to register hot food or they avoid peppers altogether, lumping them in with other poisonous plants. Why do we love them so much then?!

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Homemade Soap

Daniel Kohler · August 5, 2015

Soap is a rather remarkable creation resulting from the mixture of two common materials. Though it seems odd to say, soap is a salt. Salts are the products of acid+base reactions, in this case the fatty acids contained in vegetable oils and the alkaline properties of lye. Sodium Hydroxide (now industrially produced and known as lye) was once collected and made from ashes and rainwater.

Gluten Free, Dinner Party Theater, Home & Family, Read

Mealy Fruit Chemistry

Daniel Kohler · July 10, 2015

The bounty of summer is upon us and it is time to investigate that most wonderful invention, the refrigerator. Winter harvests produce tough, solid produce, but the joy of summer is in tender, exquisite, gentle fruit and vegetables. These things can spoil quickly and our attempts to keep them in our homes are often met with mealy frustration. But what causes fruit to become mealy? Can it be avoided

Dinner, Dinner Party Theater, Home & Family, Meat, Summer, Read, Veggies

DIY Tandoor Oven

Daniel Kohler · June 26, 2015

This is how I will become a grillmaster. Neither changing propane tanks, nor praying at the altar of Weber, but rather with a tandoor. The contraption now sits in my backyard, taunting my with its emptiness. It is neither difficult to build nor challenging to maintain and at the risk of sounding alarmist I want to scream through the digitas WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Dinner Party Theater, Breakfast, Dinner, Read

Food Map

Daniel Kohler · June 24, 2015

Often I am asked for restaurant suggestions around the country. While my list is hardly comprehensive, it is heartfelt and detailed. Take a peak and visit one of my favorites if you happen to be in any of these fair cities.

Breakfast, Dessert, Home & Family, Read

Weight vs. Volume

Daniel Kohler · June 10, 2015

Any scientist worth her salt will tell you that the two most important factors in any experiment are consistency and reproducibility. Considering that every time we bake we are essentially conducting a science experiment, why wouldn’t we hold the same standards in the kitchen?

Breakfast, Drink, Read, Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall

Coffee History

Daniel Kohler · June 8, 2015

What is a morning without the powerful aroma of coffee twisting through your skull? Learn the history behind the world's most popular beverage and start roasting your own beans at home today!

Home & Family, Winter, Summer, Spring, Fall, Read

Sweet and Easy

Daniel Kohler · June 1, 2015

Sugar has withstood much slander of late, and I am tempted to defend it in some sense. Yes, sugar is problematic in the human diet, but not solely because of its chemical structure. You see, we are abusing it. We are junkies. We are addicts. And so I present, not a defense, but an exploration of sugar. Knowledge is power, information is delicious. Eat. Think. Be Merry.

Home & Family, Read

Perfect Toast

Daniel Kohler · May 21, 2015

When it comes to delivering a toast, above all else do not let cloudy sentiment run away with the speech. A toast is a salute to your beloved, to the honored guests, not a state of the union. Memory records fondly those that are brief. The longwinded among us will be forever poetically lost.

Dinner Party Theater, Drink, Read

Home Carbonation Rig

Daniel Kohler · May 11, 2015

I scoffed at my sister's obsession with her SodaStream for years. She evangelized it at dinner parties, sang its praises on the phone, and eventually convinced me that I simply could not live without one. And she was right.

Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Fall, Gluten Free, Home & Family, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Winter, Read

Fresh Butter

Daniel Kohler · May 6, 2015

Get shaking kids. We made butter on Home and Family this week and there's no reason you shouldn't follow suit. Warning: full science lesson attached to this one. Nerd alert.

Breakfast, Dairy Free, Dessert, Dinner, Drink, Fall, Gluten Free, Side, Snack, Spring, Summer, Veggies, Winter, Read

Kitchen Swaps

Daniel Kohler · April 16, 2015

The cold sweat that drips down your neck when you realize you're missing an ingredient, and the cake batter is halfway finished, is real. You have guests scheduled to arrive in mere hours, nay, minutes. Do you rush to the store and grab a bundt cake shelled in plastic? Oh no, not here. NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT.