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The degree of a food's acidity (pH value) affects the chemical reactions which happen in cooking.
Why do salad greens go limp when dressed?
Because the acid in the dressing and other seasonings (vinegar or lemon juice) draw the moisture from the greens. At the same time the oil (if present) often is absorbed. This same acid will also breakdown the chlorophyll and will cause the greens to lose their color over a period of time.
In 1844 in Paris, French of author fame, Honore de Balzac was rumored to be setting up a retail marzipan sweet business. It was the talk of Paris for a few weeks, with written promotional material circulating and quoting passages from Balzac's writing that contained references to the Marzipan sweets produced by the ancient order of nuns in the region of Berry, from the town of Issoudon.
White flour and all related enriched flour products, currently "abundantly" enriched to replace the important nutrients removed in it's processing will have a new additive added to it's list starting January 1, 1998. It is Folic Acid or vitamin B9, and is being included to aid in the effort to reduce birth defects. Vitamin B9 helps the human body in the production of red blood cells, controlling of the cell division process (RNA & DNA), important in protein metabolisim and antibody production among other things. Folic acid is one of the vitamin B-complex group, naturally found in them germ layer (discarded in making modern white flour) of the wheat grain, leafy green vegetables, nuts,mushrooms, turnips and some fruits.
The pink truffle, valued by the ancient Romans as a "Food of Love" or aphrodisiac dropped out of the " culinary"scene around the 9th. century and never really appeared again. Thought to have originated in North Africa, a spoil of the conquests of the Roman legions.
In the bread baking and alcohol "moonshine" process 100 grams of sugar when mixed with yeast will yield 49 grams of CO2 gas and 51 grams of grams of ethyl alcohol when reacted at between 84degrees F and 90 degreees F. Quite a mash, no?