Each week we round up our favorite posts and recipes from our friends at The Kitchn.

This week, the Kitchn spotlights a kitchen island made of shopping carts, crafted by a San Francisco man. The carts were cut above the wheels, turned on-end, and re-welded.

Also on the Kitchn, the urge to open oven doors, Kentucky jam cake, why eggs get poofy when baked, and the deal with dates.

• Quick Tip: Keep the Oven Door Closed!: Oven temperatures can drop 150°F or more if the oven door is left open just thirty seconds. No peeking!
• Regional Specialty: Kentucky Jam Cake: Inspired by the book Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund, here's a look at the Southern cake that combines spices, jam, and caramel-y frosting.
• Food Science: Why Eggs "Rise" in the Oven: Oh, eggs. You tricky devils, you. The air bubbles in egg whites expand in ovens, which causes the whole network of egg proteins to lift ("rise") a dish like bread pudding.
• What's the Deal with Dates?: The shriveled brown stone fruits taste like they've been soaking in a barrel of sugar for eons. Not that there's anything wrong with that.