Skip to content
One pan. 15 minutes. 50 exclusive recipes.Get the cookbook for $19 →
Chef Fatty
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Science
  • Cookbook
  • Shop
  • About
Sign up
Chef Fatty

Weeknight Asian cooking that actually works. Tested in my kitchen. Written so you can nail it in yours.

HomeRecipesCookbookShopShippingReturnsAboutContactPrivacy & terms

Newsletter

One recipe a week. No fluff.

Follow for weekly recipe picks, cooking tips, and the occasional cookbook drop.

© 2026 Chef Fatty LLC — Seattle, WA

Chef Fatty

Food Science.

Topic:AllTechniqueProteinHeatFlavorTextureStarchFatFermentation
Latest·June 9, 2026

The Seven Flavor Pillars: A Sensory Framework for Maximizing Flavor

Most home cooking hits two of the seven flavor pillars. Restaurant cooking hits all seven. The difference is not talent. It is a framework. Here are the seven sensory channels every great dish activates, and the peer-reviewed neuroscience behind each one.

Flavor ScienceSensory PerceptionKitchen Science
Read the article →
The Seven Flavor Pillars: A Sensory Framework for Maximizing Flavor
More from the lab
Herbs
Food Storage
Kitchen Science

Why Your Herbs Die in Three Days (And How to Make Them Last Three Weeks)

Most herbs die within days because moisture, cold, and ethylene gas are working against them from the moment they leave the plant. Understanding what is actually killing them makes the fix obvious.

Jun 9, 2026Read →
StorageHerbsVegetables

How to Store Herbs and Vegetables: A Reference Guide

Produce does not stop living when you harvest it. This reference guide covers every common herb, leafy green, and vegetable with the exact storage method, the science behind it, and what to do when things start to look off.

Jun 9, 2026Read →
Cast IronCookwareHeat Science

Why I Don't Use Thick Cast Iron Pans

Cast iron has a strong reputation and some of it is deserved. But after cooking with a thick cast iron skillet for years, I switched. Here are the three problems that made me change, and what I use instead.

Jun 8, 2026Read →
VinaigrettesSalad DressingEmulsion

The Science of the Perfect Vinaigrette (And 4 Recipes That Prove It)

Most vinaigrettes break within minutes. The fix isn't shaking harder. It's understanding the chemistry of emulsification and choosing the right emulsifier for the flavor you want. Here are four vinaigrettes that follow one ratio, with one ingredient that changes everything.

Jun 8, 2026Read →
Fruit FliesPest ControlKitchen Science

The Real Reason Fruit Flies Keep Coming Back (And the Science of How to Actually End Them)

Fruit flies aren't actually after your fruit. They're after the yeast that grows on it through fermentation, and the biggest yeast farm in your house is somewhere you've never cleaned. Here's the science-backed three-step solution that actually ends the cycle.

Jun 5, 2026Read →
KnivesKitchen ToolsSharpening

The Only Four Knives a Home Cook Actually Needs (and Where to Spend vs Save)

A fifteen-piece knife block is a marketing product, not a cooking one. Here are the only four tools you need, the science of which steel to buy, and how to keep them sharp for life.

Jun 2, 2026Read →
ChickenMoisture ScienceBrining

Why Costco Rotisserie Chicken Is So Juicy (And How to Copy It at Home)

Costco injects every bird with sodium phosphate before it hits the rotisserie. Here is what that compound does to chicken muscle, and how to replicate it at home with baking soda and a dry rest.

May 27, 2026Read →
AvocadoFood ScienceKitchen Science

Why Avocados Brown (And What Actually Stops It)

Avocado browning is an enzymatic reaction, not simple oxidation. Understanding the enzyme that causes it explains why the pit trick barely works, why plastic wrap is only partial, and why acid is the most effective tool you have.

May 20, 2026Read →
ShrimpVelvetingMoisture Science

Why Your Shrimp Is Always Rubbery (And How to Fix It for Good)

Shrimp proteins cook at 120°F. Pink happens at 140°F. By the time it looks done, it has been overcooked for 20 degrees. Here is the science behind perfect shrimp every time.

May 13, 2026Read →
StockChickenTechnique

Why I Stopped Buying Chicken Stock

Store-bought chicken stock tests at 3% brix. Homemade tests at 15%. Here is what that means, why it happens, and four ways to make your own.

May 6, 2026Read →
FlavorFermentationUmami

Fish Sauce: Why It Smells Terrible But Tastes Incredible

Fish sauce contains some of the most concentrated glutamates in the natural world alongside some of the most aggressively unpleasant volatile compounds in food. Here is why both come from the same bottle, and how heat and acid let you keep one and lose the other.

Apr 30, 2026Read →
TechniqueProteinTexture

Velveting: Why Your Stir-Fry Chicken Is Always Dry (And the Two-Ingredient Fix)

Chicken muscle fibers squeeze out moisture the moment heat hits them. Here is the science behind velveting and exactly how much baking soda to use.

Apr 29, 2026Read →