Turns out there’s a lot of chemistry in cooking. Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO Ever notice the first step for baking a cookie is almost always to preheat the oven to 350 degrees? Even when you’re baking something else, an oven with a digital temperature reader typically defaults to 350. What’s so magical about this number and why is it that so many recipes call for it? I spoke with longtime pastry chef and Institute of Culinary Education creative director Michael Laiskonis and found that – as with most “magical” things – it’s actually science. Special thanks to Chef Daniel Kleinhandler of Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud and Chef Jenny McCoy for their help with this video! Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com. Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H