Separating Culinary Myth From Scientific Fact

Does adding a pinch of sugar preserve the color of boiled vegetables? Does searing meat seal in juices? Should you heat a pan before adding oil? Why do cooked Brussels sprouts sometimes get an overly sulfury smell?

These culinary questions and more are addressed by scientifically oriented food writers Shirley O. Corriher Harold McGee in a drive to separate cookery myth from scientific fact.