This week on Cooking Issues Dave Arnold is joined by Chris Young, one of the authors of Modernist Cuisine. But first he takes on your questions on blue fish and ike jime, enzymatic peeling, and how to avoid Botulism when you are doing your own canning. Later Chris and Dave get nerdy on evaporative reduction and the Gastrovac. Also don't miss Chris talking about his ventures with Nathan Myrhvold and the Gates Foundations in sub-Saharan Africa in trying to create a reliable fresh milk supply chain that they call East African Dairy Development. This episode is sponsored by The Modernist Pantry that is giving away a free sample of Pectinex when you listen for the code in this episode!

Chris Young, co-author of Modernist Cuisine and founder of ChefSteps, calls into this week's episode of Cooking Issues! Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are back in the studio and are answering listener questions with Chris. Tune into this episode to hear Chris and Dave troubleshoot a candied jalapeño ice cream that lacks serious heat. How can you create a booze-y creamsicle? Later, hear Dave pepper Chris with some coffee questions. Hear how to create the ideal latte foam, and learn how grind size and water temperature affects the brew. Hear about some alcoholic beverage alternatives involving sumac and pine needles! Learn about espresso shot size, and why Chris doesn't prefer foamy coffee drinks. It's ramp season; learn how to highlight these spring vegetables on this week's Cooking Issues! Thanks to this week's sponsor, ChefSteps.

"If you want to get a really wet latte foam that is very velvety, viscous, and without a lot of bubbles, then the milk shouldn't be much hotter than 50 degrees Celsius. That's how you get a foam that's easy to pour for latte art." [21:25]

-- Chris Young on Cooking Issues

Viva Farms is a farm incubator for new and Latino farmers, but they also maintain a large production farm. Produce from the Viva farm and the incubator farms feeds into the Viva Farms "food hub" along with other local products, which is then distributed to a 1,200 member CSA and various wholesale accounts in the greater Seattle market. Chris oversees it all, helping to cultivate new farmers as a relatively young farmer himself. He has worked on farms and ecological preserves for over 10 years, farming in Montana, Ecuador, New Mexico and Washington. Chris is both a hardcore farmer and a teacher, managing production, interns, and a bilingual farm crew while troubleshooting in the field with new farmers. His experience and perspective would make for a great conversation about young farmers--particularly beginning Latino farmers! This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

"Most of the farmers in our program are Latinos that have grown up as farm workers, and now they have the chance to be farm owners." [8:00] -- Chris Elder on Greenhorn Radio