What are the good things in cooking (not baking) baking soda can do?

Negative would be that it could give a sour taste to what is being cooked.

In large quantities it jacks up the sodium level of the food.

Wikipedia says this:
Sodium bicarbonate was sometimes used in cooking green vegetables, as it gives them a bright green colour—which has been described as artificial-looking—due to its reacting with chlorophyll to produce chlorophyllin.[17] However, this tends to affect taste, texture and nutritional content, and is no longer common.[18]

Baking soda is still used to soften pulses (peas, beans) before and during cooking, as in the traditional British mushy peas recipe for soaking the peas. The main effect of sodium bicarbonate is to modify the pH of the soaking solution and cooking water, that in turn softens the hard external shell, reduces cooking times and may alter the percentage of nutrients in the dish, its flavour and consistence.[19]

Baking soda may react with acids in food, including vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid).

It is used in Asian and Latin American cuisine to tenderize meats. It is also used in breading, such as for fried foods, to enhance crispness and allow passages for steam to escape, so the breading is not blown off during cooking.

Good to know.
I don’t know why the labels don’t mention it in the “uses” section that it can soften pulses before and during cooking, unless it’s because of ”...alter the percentage of nutrients in the dish, its flavour and consistence.[19]”

KFC used it in there recipe to make Kentucky fried chicken crispier.
That was the secret ingredient of KFC for years.

@Inspired_2write I thought it was spices.