The Secret Physics of a Perfect Sear
From nixtamalized corn to the Leidenfrost Effect: Why your dinner is (technically) floating.
Letter from the Kitchen
Mexico is never far from my mind in February and March — even when I’m firmly planted in my Minnesota kitchen with snow on the ground.
So, with no travel scheduled, I did something about it. I am adding a new Mexican cooking class to the schedule, which gave me the very good excuse I needed to order two tortilla presses and a beautiful selection of masa from Masienda. They arrived over the weekend. By Sunday evening, the kitchen smelled of warm, toasty corn — that deep, almost nutty fragrance that’s completely different from anything out of a grocery store bag.
What I wasn’t expecting was the color. Deep red, blue, and golden yellow, pressed out thin and even, often puffing up on the dry cast iron like balloons. The puffing isn’t strictly necessary — but it makes the tortilla pliable and prevents cracking.
Why is this masa so good? The secret is Nixtamalization, an ancient alkaline process that transforms dried corn into something far more flavorful and nutritious. Once you’ve tasted it side by side with a conventional tortilla masa, there’s no going back. We kept slicing off little pieces of each variety, just plain, just to compare. Then we ordered more masa and a comal (special pan) to cook them on.
We’re building one of the first cookbook recipes around these: Toasted Pecan Cauliflower Tacos with Pecan Romesco Sauce (see below). We’re going to eat our way through this summer very happily.
Last Week, You Answered
I asked what ingredient stumps you most in the kitchen. The answer came back loud and clear: anchovies.
I hear you. That little tin can look intimidating. But here’s the thing — anchovies aren’t really about fishy flavor at all. They’re about depth. That deep, savory, undefinable quality they bring to a dish is called umami, and when anchovies hit a warm pan, they melt completely into whatever you’re cooking. No fishiness. No trace. Just a richness that makes everyone ask what your secret is.
They belong in more places than you think:
Pasta sauces — dissolved into the olive oil right at the start
Caesar dressing — they’re already there, whether you knew it or not
Pizzas and flatbreads — layered under cheese so they disappear into the sauce
Braises — tucked in early, gone by the end, flavor forever
Three recipes on my site that will change your mind about anchovies for good:
👉 Chicken Cacciatore → 👉 French Onion Tart → 👉 Ratatouille →
What’s Happening in the Kitchen
The podcast is almost here. I spent last week in my podcast recording studio, recording remotely with Josiah Christensen of Pleasant Valley Mushrooms — and I’ll be honest, I thought I knew a fair amount about mushrooms. Well, I was wrong. The conversation about the specific health benefits of different mushroom varieties — not just “mushrooms are good for you” but which ones do what — stopped me mid-sentence more than once.
That episode drops May 1st. But first, we launch. March 27th at 7:30 AM CT, Episode 1 goes live — my story, the “why” behind all of this.
🎙 Visit the Podcast Page → (Live at 7:30 AM CT on March 27th)
I’m still hunting for the right intro music. I’ll know it when I hear it.
🎙 The Podcast
Here’s how the launch rolls out:
March 27th — Episode 1 — My story. The why behind all of this
April 3rd — Episode 2 — Elaine Trigiani goes inside the olive oil bottle
April 17th — Episode 3 — Mary Lower on hacking salt the Mediterranean way
May 1st - Josiah Christensen - Pleasant Valley Mushrooms: A Delicious Pharmacy; The Health Science of Mushrooms
Every other Friday after that — Bi-weekly
The Skill: Why Your Pan Is a Better Non-Stick Than You Think
The Quick Win: Heat your stainless steel pan properly before you add any food, and it becomes nearly non-stick — no coating required. This is important because the non-stick pans we have become used to release harmful chemicals.
Here’s the physics behind it, and it’s genuinely beautiful: when your pan hits the right temperature — the “sweet spot” — a drop of water won’t evaporate. It will bead into a perfect sphere and glide. That’s the Leidenfrost Effect: the water is hovering on a microscopic cushion of its own steam.
The same thing happens to your food. The moisture inside your steak or salmon flash-boils the moment it touches the hot metal, creating an invisible vapor layer that physically lifts it off the surface. Your dinner is, technically, floating.
The most common mistake: Adding food to a warm pan instead of a hot one. Warm = sticking - no release. Hot = quick stick then release.
The test:
Flick a few drops of water into the pan
If they sizzle and evaporate immediately — not hot enough
If they bead up and roll around like little mercury balls — you’re ready
No oil needed at this stage. Add it after the pan is hot, let it shimmer for just a moment, then add your protein.
Recipe Spotlight: Thai Sea Scallops with Coconut Cream Sauce
Now, let’s put that Leidenfrost Effect to work. My favorite way to test a pan's 'glide' is with Thai Sea Scallops...
Golden-seared scallops resting in a fragrant coconut cream sauce, brightened with kaffir lime and fresh green onion. This dish is a mix of technique and flavor — the caramelized crust of a perfectly cooked scallop against the silky, citrus-flecked sauce underneath it. It feels like a special occasion dish, yet it takes about 25 minutes.
The ingredient that makes or breaks this dish is the scallop itself. I recommend Coastal Seafoods, here, in the Twin Cities — the quality difference is real and worth the trip. Once you have your scallops, soak them in milk for up to an hour before cooking. It removes any residual fishiness and gently tenderizes the flesh. Pat them completely dry before they hit that hot pan.
🍽 Get the Full Printable Recipe →
The Mediterranean Edit: This Week I’m Loving…
1. My Favorite Tortilla Press It comes in the happiest colors, and it presses tortillas thin and perfectly even — every single time. This is the one I’ve been using all week. Worth every penny, and it looks beautiful on the counter. 👉 Shop it here
2. Masienda Heirloom Masa Gift Set This is how I fell down the rabbit hole. The gift set lets you try multiple masa varieties side by side, which is the only way to really understand the flavor differences between them. I will buy every variety again. 👉 Find it here
3. You’re Going to Need a Margarita There’s really nothing else to say. If you’re pressing tortillas, you also need and deserve one of these to press your limes. 👉 See the pick
Join Me at the Table
Spring is here, and so is the first in-person class of the season. If you’re in the Twin Cities, I’d love to have you in my Kitchen Studio.
French Bistro Classics Step into a Parisian bistro without leaving Minnesota. We’ll work through the kind of food that makes you slow down and actually taste things — a remarkable French onion soup, handmade pasta, Coq au Vin braised low and slow, and Crème Brûlée with that perfect, crackling top. All of it, in a beautiful kitchen, with good people around the table.
These classes are limited to 6 people and fill up quickly. Use the link above to grab your spot.
Cookbook Chronicles
Behind the Curtain
Going forward, I’m pulling back the curtain on what it actually looks like to shoot a cookbook. The cauliflower taco scene from the upcoming book involved a full afternoon of propping, re-plating, and adjusting the light until the limes and Romesco sauce caught it just right.
The chaos of the set. Then, the hero shot that made the cut.
Which do you prefer — the process or the perfect plate?
Before You Go
Spring is technically here — even if Minnesota hasn’t fully committed to the idea yet.
So I want to know: What is the single dish that says “Spring” to you? The specific thing — the asparagus tart, the pea soup, the first strawberry/rhubarb something or other. Tell me in the comments or hit reply (that works).
I read every single one.
Until next Thursday — keep a good olive oil on the counter and don’t be afraid to use it.
— Chef Laura