GASTROBLAST

Link prepares a basic Tomato Sauce perfect for lasagna, pizza, and of course, spaghetti! But as he brings the heat up to get the sauce to a boil, Link discovers that the sauce is bubbling like a volcano. Secret Agent Man helps by giving a kitchen tool to block those flare-ups: a splatter guard. ------ Link prepares Apple Oatmeal Pancakes, using the leavening power of baking powder. A bonus round science experiment with Gastro Bob shows just how baking powder works in generating fluffy light pancakes, while Detective Link investigates the criminal culprits behind flabby, flat pancakes.

Link shares some helpful kitchen hygiene tips while preparing his crunchy oven-baked Chicken Fingers. Then, it's Sushi time! Link has some questions about rice, like which type works best when making sushi and why? With the help of I.Q, Link learns the differences between varieties of this amazing grain.

Link prepares two pickle recipes today: Quick Dill Pickles and Quick Carrot Pickles. Most people think pickles are a vegetable, but they're actually a process, as Link demonstrates how to prepare pickling jars as well as the cucumbers and carrots themselves. Pickles are something Captain Cook is all too familiar with, as pickles were a way of keeping pirate grub from spoiling, so he's looking forward to crunching into this bounty of tasty treasure. --- Sportscaster Chip Dippington is impressed by Link's tag-team recipes of crunchy taco shells made from store-bought tortillas and a delicious fish filling. Indeed, Link shows how to create a light golden brown crust on the fish through proper searing, which as I.Q. explains, is due to a chemical reaction called the Maillard Reaction. Taking the guesswork out of cooking with a meat thermometer, Link is sure the fish is thoroughly cooked and ready to build some tasty fish tacos.

Bread is just as fun to eat, as it is to make, as Link shows in today's episode. Keen to prove the rising power of yeast, powerful enough to lift all the other ingredients in the dough, Link and Gastro Bob's balloon experiment goes a bit too well, as Gastro Bob ends up floating in the air! ---- Devilled eggs are hardboiled eggs for which the yolk is combined with mayonnaise and seasonings. But when Link discovers an eggs he's boiled has developed a green ring around the yolk, it's up to Detective Link - with some info from I.Q. -- to get to the bottom of this culinary crime.

Link has the perfect plan to make use of his star noodles and loads of healthy veggies. A Minestrone soup! But he can't figure out why some of the vegetables need to be sautéed first. Why not just throw all the ingredients into the soup pot at the same time? As he discovers with a bit of experimenting, some vegetables have difficulty softening in a tomatoey broth. So there is order to soup making! --- Link is okay with veggies for dessert and the delicious proof will be delivered in a super moist, chocolate-y zucchini loaf. I.Q. gives the botany scoop that the zucchini used in the recipe is actually an under ripe fruit. Momentary panic sets in, when they realize the careful balance of ingredients to build the best batter is lacking a liquid, but the case is resolved when I.Q. explains the high water content of the zucchini, released from the shredding, will ensure a moist cake.

Link attempts a first in the GastroBlast kitchen: making two recipes using the same ingredients. What differs between the Granola and Granola Bars are the methods. For the granola, clumps and clusters are the texture that goes perfectly with yogurt or milk. But for granola bars, Link has to find a way to get all the ingredients to bind together. Link learns about binding agents. Add in sticky honey and apricot puree and the plot thickens! Enter the fantastic flax seed, also able to thicken, coat and bind the grains while delivering even more nutrition - kapow! ----- Link discovers the tricks behind making a perfectly flaky homemade pastry to encase his ground beef empanada filling. With some tips from I.Q., Link realizes that a successful pastry is a case of less is more: don't cut in the fat too much, add just a bit of liquid at a time, and don't overwork the dough.