Nik Sharma, author of “Season,” gives Milk Street a lesson in cooking with spices. Plus, we investigate the unknown culinary history of France; we make a magic pudding cake; give tips for whipping egg whites; and Adam Gopnik asks whether DNA diets are fact or fiction.

Questions in this Episode:

“I've recently made a couple of different sorbets. I would like to have a little less sugar in the recipes. Is it possible to adjust the amount of sugar without affecting the consistency of the dessert?”

“I’ve made butternut squash risotto a number of times and everyone seems to love it. I brought it to a party with a vegetarian who couldn’t eat it. Everyone said I could make it with vegetable stock but it just won’t be quite as good. I want to know if there’s any way to make it with vegetable stock and still have it be one of the best things I make.”

“My wife and I went on our honeymoon to Japan, southern China, and Hong Kong. Of course, we ate a lot of incredible food, including many variants of dandan noodles. We are interested in particular in trying to recreate the dandan noodles that we had in Hong Kong. It was served with brisket, but more importantly it had this incredible rich, creamy broth.”

“I have been on the quest for good bread in a small university town with no bakery. So I have resorted to making my own sourdough starter to make bread in my dorm kitchen. I have had good success with making flavorful bread with great texture. However, I have been struggling with oven time, temperature, and baking method. The issue is that by the time the bread is cooked through and has a good crust, the bottom is always burnt. Do you have any suggestions on a better baking method?”

This episode is brought to you by Ferguson.