Catalyst of the Week

I googled this and found many chemical catalysts which I am not familiar with or names I cannot pronounce.  Then I came across an example of a catalyst used in cooking, which I thought was interesting.

It's a copper lined bowl which is used to whip egg whites (used in French cooking) to make them become stiffer faster.  I don't really know if this is catalytic, but it is something which speeds up a reaction without changing its own chemical properties.

Here are some more catalysts which were easier for me to relate to and understand: 
1.  laundry detergent:  usually contains active enzymes to speed up cleaning and break up compounds
2.  bread:  made with yeast
3.  human body:  cannot function without enzymes