Experimental psychologist Charles Spence introduces us to gastrophysics, the science of how the brain melds color, smell and sound to create powerful multisensory taste experiences. Plus, Nicola Twilley investigates the rise of alternative sugars; Alex Aïnouz goes on a hunt for the ultimate knife; and we offer a recipe inspired by Tel Aviv’s Shlomo & Doron, where hummus gets a Mexican twist.

This episode is brought to you by Sleep Number.

Questions in this Episode:

“My doctor recently suggested that I go on a Mediterranean diet. Do you have any advice on how to slowly introduce that way of eating into my daily menu planning?”

“I love making bread, but I've been having a weird problem. On my second rise, the dough rises really unevenly, leaving one corner of the loaf either really puffy or super flat. What is going wrong?”

“I have a small kiwi berry arbor. We sell our best berries at local markets, but also experiment with making other products. Recently, we’ve been trying to make a kiwi berry paste similar to the quince paste, membrillo, but we can’t get the right texture. Any suggestions?”

“How do I freeze leftovers containing milk or cream so the soup or sauce does not curdle when it is defrosted?”