joined to each other in a reinforcing network:
bonds between positively and negatively
charged parts of molecules, between water-
like parts, between fat-like parts, and between
sulfur groups. The protein network begins to
collapse when too many of these bonds
accumulate and the proteins cluster together
too tightly. Fortunately, there are simple ways
for the cook to limit the accumulation of
bonds and prevent the collapse of albumen
foams.
Blocking Sulfur Bonds with Copper
Bowls... Long before anyone knew about egg
proteins or their chemical bonds, cooks had
come up with a way of controlling them. The
French tradition has long specified the use of
copper utensils for making egg foams. One
early trace of this tradition is a 1771
illustration in the French Encyclopédie that
shows a boy in a pastry kitchen working with
a straw whisk and what the accompanying key