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Food with Mark Bittman

Food with Mark Bittman

Nik Sharma: If You Understood What Was Happening in Your Kitchen, You'd Cook Completely Differently

Sep 23, 2026 · 46m

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On this episode

About this episode

Nik Sharma is a former molecular biologist who left his lab for a kitchen and never looked back. He's a three-time James Beard finalist, an editor-in-residence at America's Test Kitchen, and the author of Fundamentals of Flavor. We cover what baking soda actually does to meat (the meatball revelation alone is worth the episode), why you can marinate all day in yogurt but never in vinegar, and the four elements of nature as a framework for understanding everything that happens in a kitchen. Subscribe to Food with Mark Bittman on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and please help us grow by leaving us a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts. Follow Mark on Twitter at @bittman,…