Nathan Myhrvold (of excel fame) used his microsoft money to create a test kitchen and explore the physical foundations of cooking. His published results were a spectacular success, citing https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/1734386142/ref=sr_1_2?crid=36... : "Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking is a revolutionary treatment of cooking that pushes the boundaries of the culinary arts. Winner of the 2012 James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year, inducted into the Gourmand Cookbook Hall of Fame, and named one of the best cookbooks of the century by the New Yorker, its six volumes explore the history of cuisine and explain the science of cooking in a way that’s accessible to both professional chefs and home cooks."