Name 3 chemical reactions happening during cooking and describe the significance of the reactions?

Answer 1

1) Fermentation - when making bread dough, yeast, sugar, salt, and water are combined. The yeast eat the sugar and ferment it creating alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is responsible for bread rising.

2) Acid/base chemistry - when it goes wrong making biscuits and other quick breads, the bubbles in the dough are formed by the reaction between baking soda (base) and an acid. The acid can be buttermilk, lemon juice, or vinegar.

3) Caramelization - when sauteing meat, the goal is to develop a deep brown crust. This crust gives most meat its distinctive taste and is a hallmark of French cooking. Caramelization is the result of heat breaking down proteins into simple sugars giving the food a slightly sweet and complex taste.

COOKING is basically hydrolysis of bigger molecules into smaller ones. More at http://www.adichemistry.com/index.html