All about that base
The unsung hero of your pantry shelf that turns everything into gold

Cooks and eaters understand the importance of acid in food. If a dish isn’t popping as envisioned, a squeeze of lemon or dash of vinegar will sharpen the flavors with a bright zing. To a meat or cheese eater, a mouthful just isn’t the same without a sip of wine. A salad needs acid as much as oil and salt. Desserts use acid to help them add more sugar.

Scientifically speaking, an acid lowers the pH, which is a measure of how many free protons are bouncing around. A base is the opposite of an acid. It raises the pH by increasing the number of free protons in the pot. The many culinary acids, including citrus and vinegar, get all of the attention while their counterpart quietly makes good things happen – sometimes by cancelling out acids. And once you learn how to properly pump up the base, nothing, including breakfast, will ever be the same. So as we head into the new year, I’ll show you how to use baking soda and baking powder, the two most common culinary bases, to improve your eggs, potatoes and even your morning coffee.

Is there anything baking soda can’t do? It’s the most based thing in the kitchen, hands down. Baking powder is more complex, with thickeners and multiple rising agents, including baking soda.

One of my favorite uses for baking soda is dulce de leche. It turns out, the flickering gas space heater in my house is perfect for making it.

To do so, I fill a quart jar with milk, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a ½ teaspoon baking soda. The baking soda keeps the milk from becoming acidic as it condenses; which would cause it to curdle. The process is labor intensive, because you don’t stop stirring, but worth it if you have too much milk on your hands. It can also be done on a stove, on low. As it thickens, stir in up to 1/2-cup of sugar if you think it needs it.

I use the same theory in making a beverage that I drink every day: stovetop mocha. I use about a half cup of milk to a cup of strong coffee, along with a tablespoon of cocoa powder, a dash of vanilla extract and a pinch of baking soda. I mix it together and let it sit on the stove for at least an hour. The baking soda softens the double acid whammy of coffee and cocoa powder, while sweetening the drink with sugar from the milk. You can cheat, of course, with sweetener. But with a nuanced light roast, a cup of unsweetened stovetop mocha doesn’t need anything extra. Naturally sweetened from within, it goes down smooth and comfy.

A properly applied base can also improve the rest of breakfast too, including potatoes and eggs. Add an 1/8 teaspoon baking powder – not baking soda – to two eggs, and beat for about a minute. This will cause the release of carbon dioxide bubbles, which will result in perhaps the fluffiest scrambled eggs you’ve ever had.

Meanwhile, baking soda encourages the Maillard reaction, which creates the distinctive color and flavor of browned food. Boiling potatoes in baking soda water before baking them creates a tater tot effect, with puffy interiors encased with delectable golden skins. Crispy on the outside and light as clouds on the inside, these potatoes will change your life.

Based Potatoes

Serves 4

2 pounds potatoes, peeled or not peeled, and cut into roughly 1-inch cubes

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

Other spices; your choice

Add potatoes to 6 quarts of salted water and bring to a boil. When the salted, potato’d water has come to a rolling boil, add the baking soda and watch the cauldron roil.

Boil until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Drain and let dry in the colander for another 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Transfer potatoes to a baking pan and toss with the olive oil and then the spices. Spread the potatoes out so there is minimal touching among the spuds. Bake for 30 minutes, or until utterly delectable, whichever comes first.