On this week's episode of Cooking Issues, Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are joined by Aaron Marks, Development Executive for a food mini-series called Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing Our Food System. For more information, visit Deconstructing Dinner's Kickstarter page. After a brief discussion about Dave's love for financial history, Dave talks about combi steam ovens' capabilities at low temperatures, and how to make sure your combi steam oven is properly calibrated. Dave tackles some other listener questions about the vinegar-making process, and how different meats fair in pressure cookers. Patrick Martins of HRN's The Main Course stops in to talk to Dave about George Foreman grills and cooking in a New York City apartment. Finally, Dave discusses the safety of the different sugar substitutes on the market, as well as tomorrow's upcoming Crif Dog Classic eating contest at Roberta's. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

"At the onset, if you want to make sure your results are good and your recipe is good, just start with a purchased culture if you're going to make vinegar."

"I have a big problem with the entire nutritionist outlook because it keeps changing. All the data, all the ideas of what's good, what's bad- keeps changing every year!" -- Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

This week on Why We Cook Chef Smarty Pants laments America's obsession with soda, and fears for a close friend with a diet soda addiction. When a search for a soda with maximum flavor and minimum sweetness ends without a clear winner, she ponders the potential for creating her own soda replacement beverage. By taking stock of some of the most soda-worthy fruits from around the world (heavily favoring the citrusy, sour, tart fare), Chef Erica is able to recommend some potential concoctions that might satiate even the hardest soda devotee. This episode was sponsored by Whole Foods Market.