This newsletter may contain some affiliate links. I only recommend things I personally use and enjoy—if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

​The Flavor Brief​

A weekly letter about food, science, and why things taste the way they do

​Read Past Newsletters​

Hi Reader

There's a mathematics paper I recently read, it's called "N-Person Cake-Cutting: There May Be No Perfect Division," and it proves something that feels almost philosophical: you cannot always divide a cake fairly among three or more people, no matter how many cuts you make. The mathematicians defined fairness three ways: efficiency, envy-freeness, and equitability. They showed that satisfying all three simultaneously is impossible. Every additional cut you make resolves one problem and creates another.

It sounds abstract until you realize this shows up everywhere in cooking. A sauce balanced for brightness will sacrifice body. A crust optimized for crunch will lose tenderness. A brine that maximizes moisture retention dulls the surface for a sear. We spend so much time chasing perfect balance, perfect seasoning, perfect texture, as if the right technique will eventually get us all the way there. But the math suggests that some trade-offs are structural, not a failure of skill. You're not doing it wrong. You're simply navigating a system where perfection, by definition, isn't always on the table.

Steven J. Brams, Michael A. Jones, & Christian Klamler. (2013). N-Person Cake-Cutting: There May Be No Perfect Division. The American Mathematical Monthly, 120(1), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.4169/amer.math.monthly.120.01.035

This week: two cakes that prove the math right, and a pizza that makes you forget the math entirely

On screen this week

In The Test Kitchen - Pizza I'm a thin crust person through and through -- always have been. But this episode? Detroit-style pizza completely won me over, and I did not see that coming. And then there's the topping. My current obsession. I've made it my personal mission to order it off every menu in LA and every city I pass through. If it's on the list, it's getting ordered. Watch the episode to find out what it is. Watch now →

THE RECIPE

Because April is my birth month, I have two cakes to kick off the celebrations. A very simple almond cake that is flexible with the topping and a chocolate hazelnut praline cake that satisfied all my intense chocolate desires in one sitting. It is right up there in my top birthday cakes.

Almond Apricot Honey Cake This upside-down almond cake is one of my favorite things I've developed for ATK. Naturally gluten-free and made in one bowl, the lift comes from a reaction between honey's gluconic acid and baking powder; no butter, no mixer required. The apricot-almond topping caramelizes into something glossy and crunchy when you flip it, while honey, orange zest, and cinnamon layer into a flavor that feels deceptively complex for how simple it is to pull off. Make it with crème fraîche. You'll thank yourself. Get the recipe →

Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Cake I originally developed this as a birthday cake -- for myself, actually -- because chocolate and hazelnuts are one of the most perfect combinations I know. The cake and frosting both come together in a food processor, which keeps things manageable despite how impressive the final result looks. The real move is the hazelnut praline: half gets ground into the buttercream as a hidden middle layer, the other half goes on top as crunchy, caramelized shards. A small addition of Greek yogurt to the frosting keeps it structurally stable and velvety even as the room warms up. Make this for someone's birthday. Make it for your own. Get the recipe →

THE SCIENCE EDIT

THIS WEEK'S PRINCIPLE

The Secret to Perfect Mushrooms: Chitin and Heat

If you’ve ever ended up with a pan of slimy, rubbery mushrooms, it’s likely because they were treated like delicate vegetables. To master mushrooms, you must understand chitin.

Why Mushrooms are Different

Unlike plants, which have cell walls made of cellulose, mushrooms have cell walls made of chitin (C8​H13​O5​N)n​. Yup, this is the same hardy glucose derivative found in the shells of lobsters and crabs.

Because of this unique structure, mushrooms are remarkably heat-stable. While a broccoli floret or a bell pepper will turn to mush if overcooked, a mushroom maintains its "meaty" bite even after long periods of sautéing or braising.

The Cooking Tip: The "Dry Sauté" or Water Method

Because mushrooms are roughly 80% to 90% water, the biggest mistake is adding oil or butter to a cold pan immediately. The mushrooms will soak up the fat like a sponge, then release their water, effectively boiling themselves in oil.

Try this instead:

1. Start Dry: Place sliced mushrooms in a hot pan with no oil.
2. Let them Sweat: As the heat breaks down the chitin slightly and the cells collapse, they will release their internal water.
3. Evaporate: Wait until the water has completely evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown (the Maillard reaction).
4. Finish with Fat: Only now should you add your butter, oil, or aromatics. Because the cells have already collapsed, they won't soak up excess grease, leaving you with a concentrated, savory flavor and a firm texture.

Why You Can’t Really "Overcook" Them

Interestingly, food scientists have found that steaming or sautéing a mushroom for 5 minutes versus 20 minutes results in very little change in toughness. This is the "Chitin Insurance Policy"—you can leave them in the pan to get that deep, golden-brown crust without worrying about them falling apart.

Zivanovic, S., Buescher, R. W., & Kim, K. S. (2000). "Textural, Physico-chemical, and Structural Changes of Agaricus bisporus during Sautéing." Journal of Food Science.

What I'm Cooking

I’m deep in recipe testing right now, and one I’m especially excited about is a new take on gigante beans. They’re beautifully large, with a satisfying bite, and they hold their texture in a way that makes them incredibly versatile. This one’s been a joy to work on. I’ll be sharing the recipe with you in a couple of weeks, so keep an eye on your inbox.

COMING UP

Fundamentals of Flavor is available for preorder now — this one has been six years in the making and I'm genuinely proud of it. If you've been cooking with me for a while, this book is for you. Preorder Now →

Thanks for reading, I hope something here makes it into your kitchen this week.

Nik