I made myself a stack of pancakes for breakfast this morning, and while I
was consuming them, my brain allowed a random thought to escape and
wander unchaperoned. The thought said something like "How did they ever
figure out you needed to add baking powder to a pancake recipe? For that
matter, how did they ever come up with baking powder in the first place?
Maybe the same space aliens they're always showing on the Discovery
Channel that are responsible for everything on Earth from the pyramids to
rap music?"

I'm not interested in how baking powder works and does what it does. I'm
sure if I really want to know that, The Deity Alton Brown will enlighten
me. I'm just interested in how phenomona like this come about in things
we do in the kitchen that we take for granted because they've been in
recipes for a long, long time. Baking powder. Cream of Tartar. Pectin.
Why, the list is durned near endless!

It's way too late to get that unchaperoned thought back in its cage. So
anyone care to comment?

Sqwertz > wrote in news:gq0y139eh4py
:

> http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...derHistory.htm

Thanks, Sqwertz. A fascinating web site. I have a feeling a couple of
days of productivity just went into the tank.