I always say that I learned how to cook from doing science practicals. The chemistry in particular taught me how to follow a set of instructions carefully -- which is all a recipe is after all. And being able to eat the end result motivated me far more than just ending up with a test tube full of gungey crystals. My crystals were always gungey, unlike my husband's[*], which were always shiny white, or blue or whatever colour they were supposed to be.
Anyway, I just looked on cooking as being a much easier version of practical chemistry. It's why I still obsessively weigh and measure things, even down to using a set of IKEA measuring spoons to ensure that the instant coffee is always the same strength.
Yes, I know. Anal or what?
[*] We met because we were doing the same subjects at university. I once, memorably, flooded his side of the bench in the lab when the rubber hose came off the water tap. He still managed to produced pretty crystals while I ended up with the usual brown sludge.