Product Description
Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious.

Now, for its twentieth anniversary, Harold McGee has prepared a new, fully revised and updated edition of On Food and Cooking. He has rewritten the text almost completely, expanded it by two-thirds, and commissioned more than 100 new illustrations. As compulsively readable and engaging as ever, the new On Food and Cooking provides countless eye-opening insights into food, its preparation, and its enjoyment.

On Food and Cooking pioneered the translation of technical food science into cook-friendly kitchen science and helped give birth to the inventive culinary movement known as "molecular gastronomy." Though other books have now been written about kitchen science, On Food and Cooking remains unmatched in the accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness of its explanations, and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.

Among the major themes addressed throughout this new edition are:

Traditional and modern methods of food production and their influences on food quality

The great diversity of methods by which people in different places and times have prepared the same ingredients

Tips for selecting the best ingredients and preparing them successfully

The particular substances that give foods their flavors and that give us pleasure

Our evolving knowledge of the health benefits and risks of foods

On Food and Cooking is an invaluable and monumental compendium of basic information about ingredients, cooking methods, and the pleasures of eating. It will delight and fascinate anyone who has ever cooked, savored, or wondered about food.Amazon.com Review
A classic tome of gastronomic science and lore, On Food andCooking delivers an erudite discussion of table ingredients andtheir interactions with our bodies. Following the historical, literary,scientific and practical treatment of foodstuffs from dairy to meat tovegetables, McGee explains the nature of digestion and hunger beforetackling basic ingredient components, cooking methods and utensils. Heexplains what happens when food spoils, why eggs are so nutritious andhow alcohol makes us drunk. As fascinating as it is comprehensive, thisis as practical, interesting and necessary for the cook as for thescholar. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (234)

The Ultimate in Food Science
Hi,I recently purchased On food and cooking by Harold McGee and it is brilliant i am currently reading on how short crust pastry works and I have also gone on to order his new book which is due out in the next few weeks.His explanations are easy to understand and very informative.

Excellent

I received the item three days after I have ordered it. It was in very good shape as they said. Thank you.

Food Science Bible
This is a great book for the student as well as the curious home cook.It answers pretty much every science related question one could have about cooking.

food & cooking bible, enough said
The best book EVER for people who love cooking food, eating food, learning about food, etc. I find it all fascinating!

It's not just for cooks.
As a cook and a former chemistry teacher, I find this a great resource for the "whys" of techniques and choices of ingredients.It enables the reader to substitute or delete with confidence. ... Read more

Product Description
Now in its fifth edition, Food Science remains the most popular and reliable text for introductory courses in food science and technology. This new edition retains the basic format and pedagogical features of previous editions and provides an up-to-date foundation upon which more advanced and specialized knowledge can be built. This essential volume introduces and surveys the broad and complex interrelationships among food ingredients, processing, packaging, distribution and storage, and explores how these factors influence food quality and safety. Reflecting recent advances and emerging technologies in the area, this new edition includes updated commodity and ingredient chapters to emphasize the growing importance of analogs, macro-substitutions, fat fiber and sugar substitutes and replacement products, especially as they affect new product development and increasing concerns for a healthier diet. Revised processing chapters include changing attitudes toward food irradiation, greater use of microwave cooking and microwaveable products, controlled and modified atmosphere packaging and expanding technologies such a extrusion cooking, ohmic heating and supercritical fluid extraction, new information that addresses concerns about the responsible management of food technology, considering environmental, social and economic consequences, as well as the increasing globalization of the food industry. Discussions of food safety an consumer protection including newer phychrotropic pathogens; HAACP techniques for product safety and quality; new information on food additives; pesticides and hormones; and the latest information on nutrition labeling and food regulation. An outstanding text for students with little or no previous instruction in food science and technology, Food Science is also a valuable reference for professionals in food processing, as well as for those working in fields that service, regulate or otherwise interface with the food industry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Food Science
This book was nominated for the referencebook for my Masters of Food Science and technology to the "Principles of food science" subject/course. Contents of this book is very informative and useful for a beginner in food science. It helped me lot to get a good grade of my course work.

Milestone reference text!
Conceptually this book became a truly essential consult book and invaluable reference for all those involved in a real Food Engineering.

In twenty four chapters Potter clasps the main themes concerned with this passionate science: conservation and processing foods through the heat, refrigeration. Dehydration and concentration of aliments.

An invaluable guide and continuous learning process around the accurate temperature to preserve fruits, cereals, fishes, fruits, vegetables, beverages and all kind of meats.

Go for this. It will be very helpful for Industrial and Chemical Engineers and obviously for Pre Grade students.

Excellent
Excellent textbook for students.

good for very beginners
As a prescribed book at varsity, I was very glad I didn't waste my sparce finances on this one. Good for your first aquaintance with food science, but very quickly outgrown. ... Read more

Product Description

The science of cooking is the most fascinating and influential development in cuisine.

Award-winning chefs and cutting-edge restaurants around the world are famous for using the principles of chemistry and physics to create exciting new taste sensations. From Ferrán Adrià of El Bulli restaurant in Spain to Homaro Cantu of Moto in Chicago, great chefs combine unexpected textures and flavors with secrets of new cooking techniques in great dishes.

This is the first reference to bring the science of food to home cooks and professional chefs alike. Organized from A to Z, this highly readable book has more than 1,800 entries that clearly explain the physical and chemical transformations which govern all food preparation and cooking. Entries vary from agriculture and food safety to animal husbandry and flavor science.

Each entry begins with an explanation of the science behind the food, equipment or cooking method. Extensive cross-references encourage the reader to delve more deeply into topics of interest.

More than 200 illustrations and photographs help home cooks visualize the basic principles of food science. Also included are 100 recipes that demonstrate those principles, from how deep-frying works to how to keep red cabbage from turning blue.

The Science of Good Food provides straightforward explanations of the what, the how and the why of food and cooking, encouraging cooks at all levels to be more confident and creative.

Customer Reviews (9)

Fun for all ages
This is a great book. As an adult I enjoy reading it and have learned a lot about food and cooking. And my kids have learned a lot too. It would make a great homeschool cooking and science class!

If you like science facts this book is for you
Very well written and full of useful information.
I always wanted to understand how the ingredients interacted with themselves in the recipes. It is such an easy and enjoyable reading that I could bet that everyone (even people that do not like cooking) would like this book.

Best reference by far.
This book is an encyclopedia format, in your face, right to the facts book about; food, cooking methods, techniques, meat identification, and basically anything you need or want to know with anything that has anything to do with food.I can honestly say it has made an impact on the way I cook and think about food.Some of the reading is hard to follow, for instance when they describe the exact molecules that produce flavor (amexlycyclitecaratine) that is not a real word but they do appear like that in the book.

"Ya did good, Gi"
Saw ad for this book in a Curves mag. Knowing how my family enjoy cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, I bought each member this book for Christmas and had them sent as I live in GAand they are in CO and OH.My sister says, "Ya did good, Gi" as the family were talking about the book at Christmas dinner!Yay! Now I need to order my own copy, as I gave them all as gifts!

Good information, but not sexy.
This was purchased as a gift for my son, the geeky gourmet, and he likes it. It's a big, thick book that works and reads rather like an encyclopedia. In my quick review of it I found it does cover the science of food and cooking in a detailed and thorough way. However the format of the pages and presentation of the information is a bit dull. Alton Brown's books (I'm Just Here for the Food, for example) cover similar, though less scientific, ground and make it more fun. ... Read more

Product Description
A kitchen is no different from most science laboratories and cookery may properly be regarded as an experimental science. Food preparation and cookery involve many processes that are well described by the physical sciences. Understanding the chemistry and physics of cooking should lead to improvements in performance in the kitchen. For those of us who wish to know why certain recipes work and perhaps more importantly why others fail, appreciating the underlying physical processes will inevitably help in unraveling the mysteries of the "art" of good cooking. Dr. Peter Barham has long been involved in popularizing science in Great Britain where he has lectured and been on radio and television shows on the science of food. In 1999, he won the IOP Prize for Promoting the Public Awareness of Physics.

FROM THE REVIEWS:

"This year, at last, we have a book which shows how a practical understanding of physics and chemistry can improve culinary performance . . .[Barham] first explains, in a lucid non-textbooky way, the principles behind taste, flavour and the main methods of food preparation, and then gives fool-proof basic recipes for dishes from roast leg of lab to chocolate soufflé."-FINANCIAL TIMES WEEKEND

"This book is full of interesting and relevant facts that clarify the techniques of cooking that lead to the texture, taste and aroma of good cuisine. As a physicist the author introduces the importance of models in preparing food, and their modification as a result of testing (tasting)."-THE PHYSICIST

"Focuses quite specifically on the physics and food chemistry of practical domestic cooking in terms of real recipes. Industrial food technologists and process engineers will not find design equations or process flowsheets. Instead they, and those with more immediate home cooking interests, will find a clear, fascinating, informative and serviceable description of the scientific phenomena occurring during domestic cooking, and how to exploit an understanding thereof to achieve results consistently, adapt recipes confidently and adeptly rescue catastrophes. Each chapter starts with an overview of the scientific issues relevant to that food group, e.g. toughness of meat, thickening of sauces, collapse of sponge cakes and soufflés. This is followed by actual recipes, with the purpose behind each ingredient and technique explained, and each recipe followed by a table describing some common problems, causes and solutions. Each chapter then ends with suggested experiments to illustrate some of the scientific principles exploited in the chapter."-FOOD & DRINK NEWSLETTER

"Will be stimulating for amateur cooks with an interest in following recipes and understanding how they work. They will find anecdotes and, sprinkled throughout the book, scientific points of information...The book is a pleasant read and is an invitation to become better acquainted with the science of cooking."-NATURE

"You do not have to be a chemist or a physicist to cook a meal, any more than you need a qualification in engineering to drive a car; but in both cases a little technical knowledge can help when things go wrong. That is the reasoning behind this odd volume that combines an explanation of the scientific principles of cooking with a down-to-earth guide to kitchen utensils, ... some experiments to try at home, and a random collection of around 40 recipes."-THE ECONOMIST

"A physicist at Bristol University, Barham combines a love of science with a passion for cooking (and food) into this small and enjoyable book...Even if you prefer not to turn your kitchen into a laboratory, you will find this book worthwhile."-SCIENCE ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

I love this book!
I would have never known about this book until Alton Brown brought it to my attention. Through reading it, I have been able to copy many exciting ways to show my children and myself funner ways to realize exactly what happens with different ingredients inside and outside of the kitchen.
Not only has it opened different ways at looking at cooking but has helped understand how different ingredients, cooking structures, utensils, and cookware can be used best through different climates, time zones, altitudes and different areas of the United States. Instead of worrying about looking for other peoples recommendations my family uses local science. I can simply read temperature of where I am, degrees of what ever electrical or gas run ranges, altitude and with the humidity I can assess how or what needs to be changed in any ingredient to make what ever I want to prepare turn out best.
For any teacher, parent, or cook I would highly recommend this book!

Good Food Book
Good book, easy read and to follow.A good way to learn about the chemistry and the science of foods.

The Science of Cooking
A review for science teachers:

Peter Barnam's The Science of Cooking (Springer, 2000) is a classic, much quoted in New Scientist and The Science of Christmas. After a general introduction at about a year 9 chemistry level it quickly moves on to Maillard reactions (which develop the flavours in cooked meat), the formation of insoluble gluten (from the proteins gliadin and glutenin) when flour is hydrated and kneaded, and the role of fats and oils in carrying aromatics (or emulsifying finely ground cocoa to make chocolate).

Most of all I enjoyed this book for the experiments it suggested (adaptable to inquiry learning). For example: How could you prove fructose is sweeter than glucose? Easy: Use a control, such as an artificial sweetener. But not all people will give the same interpretation when faced with the sugars. How can we show that they are detecting the control in a consistent way? And so on...Secondly, the text is punctuated with anecdotes about demonstration lectures on the Physics of the Black Forest Gateau or Soufflé Chemistry ...you can almost hear this born teacher, winner of the Institute of Physics Prize for Promoting the Public Awareness of Physics, script a unique lesson for your students.

This little recipe book promises a few mouthwatering improvements to my own kitchen alchemy, and comes highly recommended.

scientifically informative but far from complete in the cooking aspect
Pros: Scientifically informative and solid. Knowing the chemical and physical facts behind cooking methods applied to certain group of food would definitely help one to produce constantly good cooking result. And the text is very well written, _no_ part of this book is boring to read.

Cons: This book is focused on western cooking methods, many highly interesting cooking methods which are very popular, even dominating in East Asia are not even mentioned in this book. For example, there is a chapter for sauces but soup was hardly mentioned in this book, as if soup is not a kind of dishes. However the art/science of soup cooking is very important for many people. I, for one, really looked for information for soup cooking in this book but was disappointed. And, the author seems think any sauce has to be at least a bit thick (containing reasonable amount of starch). But this is not true in Asia countries. We have many kinds of really tasty sauces which are totally fluid, almost as light as water. These light sauces are not only tasty but also have really nice aroma, nice colours, contains very little energy and they attach onto the main food very well. In the fish chapter, he said salted/dried fishes are very difficult to regain the good texture and taste, and wrote up 2 pages about a Norwegian disaster of fish making. But in east China, people steamsalted sea eels and the result is so, so delicious. He should really have tried it out himself. In this book, the science of vegetable cooking is not mentioned. Nevertheless I think vegetable cooking is very important and I really want to learn the science of vegetable cooking from the author, I like his writing so much! And, in this book all doughs are baked but there are many people (mostly from East Asia) who steam doughs and the results are excellent too. For beef steak cooking, many professional cooks saute/shallow fry every side of a 2-3cm thick steak first (every side one minute) and then put it into pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes. This cooking method is not mentioned in this book and actually I did want to know the advantage of the post-fry oven handling of a beef steak.

I really hope there will be a second edition of this book. I seriously suggest the author travel to Hong Kong and try out reasonably many different kinds of food in non-western restaurants in Hong Kong. Especially the famous soups, all kinds of vegetable dishes and all kinds of steamed dough-based snacks....

behind the kitchen
This book will teach you the chemical secrets of the techniques that usually are used in gastronomy,from the basic concepts to most complex.Knowing the scientific basis of the culinary processes, Peter Barham describes kitchen recipes in detail, of this way, will not fail any more.
This book also has some very interesting experiments to do at home, and that will offer help to understand of more practical way, the physical-chemistries concepts that try to explain.
If you are interested in cooking, and science doesn't bore to you, read this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice provides an in-depth discussion of the federal statutes, regulations, and regulatory agencies involved in food regulation. After an introduction to U. S. food and drug regulation, it covers current food regulations, inspection and enforcement, international law, the Internet, and ethics. While it contains detailed discussions of policies and case studies, the book is accessible to students and professionals. This is an excellent text for courses in food science, food law, etc., and a practical reference for food industry professionals, consultants, and others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Helpful resource
This book is a well organized overview of U.S. food regulation.It is easy to read, informative, and a very helpful resource for anyone trying to find their way through our complex and convoluted system of food law. A great contribution to food law and policy literature. ... Read more

Product Description
UNDERSTANDING FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY is a comprehensive introductory level text that provides thorough up-to-date coverage of a broad range of topics in food science and technology.The text begins with an explanation of the interdisciplinary nature of food science (including biology, engineering, chemistry, and physics) and describes avenues of advanced study in the field.The text explores key food commodities and food composition with an emphasis on the functional properties of each commodity.Three chapters on food chemistry cover the chemical and physical properties of foods through the use of many easy to understand figures, tables, and illustrated concepts.Next the text includes an overview of food law that provides historical perspective as well as the latest information on nutrition labeling and food regulation.Thorough coverage of processing methods in included in all major food commodities as well as a background in microbiology and fermentation, food handling and safety, food contamination, HACCP principles and toxicology.The final chapters cover food engineering concepts and applications, biotechnology and the field of sensory evaluation and food product development with coverage of marketing principles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Awwesome
Howdy Ags,

I would just like to say that dealing with this seller was one of the most pleasant experiences on amazon and i would definitely recommend this seller to anyone.

just as described
Brand new textbook, the exact same book that would have cost me $30 more, used, at the university bookstore.THanks!

Pointless textbook for a pointless class
The book itself may be great, but I purchased it for a class when I didn't have to ever read it.

Good introduction to food science
Purchased book for a high school student.I read it first and it claims to be suitable for the first two years of college.Either I got smarter or kids got dumber.This is an easy read for anybody with an 8th grade education.The book is very informative but not a hard read.I liked it a lot as it was well organized and covered a multitude of subjects relating to food science.This is even more meaingful because the book also provides a historical perspective. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (37)

for great justice
This book is a perfect blend of teaching and explanation that most cookbooks do not have. I've tried for years and years to follow cooking recipes to no avail trying to understand why it didn't work. No cookbooks really give you an explanation of why certain ingredients are used over others- you almost always learn to experiment and then fail time and time again, wasting money and time. This book has finally filled some sort of chasm that chefs have left wide open. Instead of studying food science, I just read this book to get a brief overview of what an item does in my cooking. For example : I never understood the difference between baking powder and baking soda - until now.

On top of the explanations and witty anecdotes, he also provides many intriguing recipes that I otherwise never thought I could make. One example of this was his recipe for homemade soda. I just recently finished it, and it was delicious.Really it's not I couldn't find recipes like these online - but there are so many and seldom make near as much sense as the one's he's provided here.

Bravo Sir.

Great book, kindle formatting issues.
While I greatly enjoyed the book's content, the formatting was especially screwy on my kindle app on ipad: I can't recommend the book for people who are planning to read it on that platform.

A fair amount of content was in tabular form - and the tables are more or less illegible on my iPad.

For a book aimed at tech people, this is pretty unforgivable.

Wow!My current favorite cookbook
A fellow computer geek from SecondLife recommended this book to me, and what a cookbook it is.It's nearly impossible to write a book on cooking basics, yet at the same time put in things to satisfy even experienced cooks, but this book has it all.

One thing you must keep in mind is that some of the humor might get lost on you.That "u can haz cheezburger" might be a mis-spelling to some in the section on making burgers, it's a great inside joke to others.(I need to go back and check the book to see if it says "I made you a cookie, but I eated it.")To the sheer delight of both geeks and innovative cooks, many warrantee-voiding hacks to kitchen equipment are presented (like how to turn your home oven into a serious pizza oven).There a many very good interviews with all sorts of experts in cooking and science related fields (including Adam Savage of "Mythbusters" fame).

But the section of the book that blew my mind was the whole food chemistry section.And I don't just mean good general knowledge about protein chains or Maillard reaction that you'd learn on shows like "Good Eats" (not that "Cooking for Geeks" doesn't have that, too), but I mean bizarre things like "meat glue" and unusual jelling agents and maltodextrin+oil combinations.As a result that chapter, I've ordered Experimental Kit Texturas so look for my review of that after I get it.

I'm already planning this book as a Christmas gift for a few people.

From interesting science we get delicious dishes
Cooking for Geeks is one of the most fun books I have read in a long time. I don't get lost in the kitchen, but I'm certainly no great chef either. What this book does that is different from typical cookbooks is that instead of presenting a list of recipes, it talks about the science behind combining foods to create tasty dishes.

The book starts with an introduction to the kitchen; to tools, equipment, organization, and a way of thinking about them that is clear and easy to understand in the geek mindset. What does that mean? Those of us who call ourselves "geeks" have a certain way of looking at the world. We like to break things down to their components. We are not satisfied with only knowing what things do, but we want to understand how and why things work the way they do. That is what this book excels in teaching.

Chapter topics include science-based discussions of flavors, ingredients, temperatures, cooking time, and more. These things are directly related in the text to results. The information is presented in a manner that is easily understood by people used to changing one parameter over iterations of a process to discover what effect that one parameter has on the outcome. I like it.

This is not a reference book, which is what I consider most cooking related books to be. You don't pick it up and say, "Let's look for a nice dessert to make for when Aunt Mardella comes to visit." Instead, you get something more valuable; the ability to look in your cupboard to see what you have, understand how those things could fit together to make something wonderful, and pull something together based on your understanding of the ingredients, processes and interactions available. That rocks! For this reason, the book receives a very high recommendation from me for anyone interested in learning about the science behind cooking (and there are some very interesting recipes included as well, so if that is what you are looking for, you won't be disappointed either).

great book on cooking
great book on cooking.As someone who already enjoys cooking (and science & technology), this book has been great for additional tips and info and also for providing some broader context on cooking in general. ... Read more

Product Description
Following the success of the previous editions, this popular introductory text continues to provide thorough, up-to-date information covering a broad range of topics in food science, with emphasis on food processing and handling and the methodology of specific foods. Presenting a multitude of easy-to-understand figures, tables, illustrated concepts and methods, this text maintains the strengths of the previous edition while adding new information. The book opens with a revised chapter on what food science actually is, detailing the progression of food science from beginning to future. Succeeding chapters include the latest information on food chemistry and dietary recommendations, food borne diseases and microbial activity. A complete revision of HACCP is outlined, accompanied by numerous examples of flow charts and applications, as well as major additions on food labeling. Extensive updates have been made on processing methods and handling of foods, such as new procedures on: candy making; coffee and tea production; beer and wine production; soft drinks; ultra high temperature processing; aseptic packaging; aquaculture and surimi; and UHT and low temperature pasteurization of milk. In addition, there is a completely new section which includes safety and sanitation as well as laboratory exercises in sensory, microbiological, chemical quality test, and processing methods for a variety of the foods described in previous chapters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good introduction to Food Science
I bought this for a high-school student but read it myself first.The book claims to be college-level but I found it to be rather simplistic.I understand that this is an introduction to food science so it is properly represented.I was hoping for a bit more "science" and less history.Yes, Clarence Birdseye essentially created frozen vegetables but what is the science behind his innovations? ... Read more

Product Description
This book is an ideal teaching manual for high school agriscience and consumer science programs, as well as for post-secondary food science courses.It is an excellent overview for anyone interested in attaining a basic understanding of food science. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A great book for students!
I am a college instructor who teaches nutrition & food science, and make this book available for my students. It is by far the most complete and understandable dictionary for undergraduate nutrition,food science, and food service managements students that I have ever found.Many of my students have bought their own copy! ... Read more

Product Description
How does milk help me grow?

Where do vitamins come from?

Do carrots really strengthen my eyesight?

Find out these answers-in Janice VanCleave's Food and Nutrition for Every Kid. To the delight of children, parents, and teachers everywhere, America's favorite science teacher brings a welcome addition to the popular Science for Every Kid series. Through fun, safe, and easy-to-do experiments, Janice VanCleave teaches kids ages eight to twelve all about food and nutrition.

Kids can learn about leavening agents by mixing baking soda with vinegar. They'll explore why different sweeteners vary in sweetness, how to use natural food dyes to dye a T-shirt, and what the food pyramid is-plus much more.

Each experiment is broken down into a purpose, list of materials, step-by-step instructions, expected results, and explanations that kids can understand. Every project has been tested and can be performed safely and inexpensively using ordinary household materials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Food & Nutrition for Every Kid
I sent this book to my over weight granddaughter to help her see the importance to good food decisions.I want her to like herself but understand keeping her weight under control is in good food choices.She is in another town so unfortunately I have not seen the book and am judging this by her phone call. When I did come to town, she couldn't find it.She is a good reader."Grandma, the book looks interesting but it is really a big book and the pictures aren't as good as the cookbooks you also sent that I am enjoying much more.I guess I will read it however I am on only page 29".My thought is it will a book she can refer to if she needs information.

Great Introduction To Food and Nutrition for Kids!
This is the second Janice Van Cleave book I have purchased for our homeschool and I LOVE it!
Our family utilizes the Sonlight homeschooling curriculum but our child keeps begging for "more science" so I purchased a copy of "Food and Nutrition for Every Kid."
This book is divided into twenty five chapters which cover the subject of nutrition from "Why Water is Essential to Life to How to Make Food Last." At the beginning of the book Janice has written an introduction to share with you how to utilize this book.
Each chapter contains "What You Need to Know, Exercises, Activity (which is a science experiment) and Solutions to Exercises."
This book provides you with a complete hands on science curriculum which is fun for both parent and child!

Good Resource Tool
We have been using this book with Sonlight Curriculum this year.My children range in age from 6 to 12 years old.The book at times is too difficult for the 6 year old and too easy for the 12 year old, but in general it has been very useful.The chapters are short and difficult concepts are clearly explained.My children are alwys excited to get to the activity section of each chapter, but are disappointed about half the time.The 'activities' usually always work, but they are not always very fun or interesting. ... Read more

Product Description
"Like having a scientist at your side toanswer your questions in plain, non-technicallanguage."—Science NewsWhy is red meat red? How do they decaffeinatecoffee? Do you wish you understood the scienceof food but don't want to plow through dry,technical books? In What Einstein Told HisCook, University of Pittsburgh chemistryprofessor emeritus and award-winningWashington Post food columnist RobertL. Wolke provides reliable and wittyexplanations for your most burning foodquestions, while debunking misconceptions andhelping you interpret confusing advertising andlabeling. A finalist for both the James BeardFoundation and IACP Awards for best foodreference, What Einstein Told His Cookengages cooks and chemists alike.Amazon.com Review
Why do recipes call for unsalted butter--and salt? What is a microwave, actually? Are smoked foods raw or cooked? Robert L. Wolke's enlightening and entertaining What Einstein Told His Cook offers answers to these and 127 other questions about everyday kitchen phenomena. Using humor (dubious puns included), Wolke, a bona fide chemistry professor and syndicated Washington Post columnist, has found a way to make his explanations clear and accessible to all: in short, fun. For example, to a query about why cookbooks advise against inserting meat thermometers so that they touch a bone, Wolke says, "I hate warnings without explanations, don't you? Whenever I see an 'open other end' warning on a box, I open the wrong end just to see what will happen. I'm still alive." But he always finally gets down to brass tacks: as most heat transfer in meat is due to its water content, areas around bone remain relatively cool and thus unreliable for gauging overall meat temperature.

Organized into basic categories like "Sweet Talk" (questions involving sugar), "Fire and Ice" (we learn why water boils and freezers burn, among other things), and "Tools and Technology" (the best kind of frying pan, for example), the book also provides illustrative recipes like Black Raspberry Coffee Cake (to demonstrate how metrics work in recipes) and Bob's Mahogany Game Hens (showing what brining can do). With technical illustrations, tips, and more, the book offers abundant evidence that learning the whys and hows of cooking can help us enjoy the culinary process almost as much as its results. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (65)

Interesting book! Lots of brain candy.
I have only read the first three chapters, but so far this is an excellent book. Cooking makes a lot more sense when the science behind it is explained.

Not that interesting and nothing to do with Einstien
I usually wait until I have finished a book before I say anything about it. I am halfway through and don't think I'll finish it.

I was lulled into buying this book by the title. What could be more enlightening than Albert writing about food? Unfortunately this book has nothing, and I mean nothing to do with Einstein. The book has a nice folksy tone and is easy to read but if you are a foodie at all you will know practically everything in it. As opposed to its title it is very basic. The author and I disagree quite a bit philosophically about food but I don't knock him for it, I just disagree. "

Simply put if you don't know much about food this book is an easy read but if you know what brining is, why not to put a thermometer near a bone in a roast, etc. then this book is not for you. If you want to go deeper then get 'On Food and Cooking' by Andrew McGee.

Good
I received the book in 9 days. The book was in very good shape. Thanks

Fun and Educational!
I originally ordered this as a gift for a friend, but in thumbing through it, I liked it so much I ordered one for myself. If you enjoy cooking at all, and if you appreciate science, this is for you. It is filled with facts as to the why's in cooking. Just fun reading, and something you can read for a few minutes, put down, and then pick up again whenever you like.

Interesting and annoying
There were some interesting tidbits in this book, but nothing you couldn't find online if you're really wondering. It doesn't have an interesting narrative, and the author is way too pleased with himself for the book to be very entertaining. Maybe worth a bargain read, or borrow from a friend but don't pay even half price for this fluff. ... Read more

Product Description

This work lists comprehensively over 20,000 terms commonly used in food science with their Chinese equivalents. It is a useful and valuable reference, especially when biotechnology, environmental protection, organic and natural food nutrition, etc. have become popular topics of discussion among people.

Product Description
The study of food science and technology is the understanding and application of science to satisfy the needs of society for sustainable food quality, safety and security. Supported by IUFoST, this brand new comprehensive textbook is an invaluable tool, designed to cover all elements of the contemporary food science and technology course.

Chapters in the book are drawn from an international team of authors comprising industry experts, teachers and researchers, with a view to ensuring applicability to the increasingly international way that the subject is taught. Carefully peer reviewed and edited, the book is an essential piece of equipment for all students and teachers, and also serves as a reference for qualified professionals already working in the food industry worldwide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Food Science and Technology book review
I bought the book for my daughter who is a food science major at UConn.She loves the book.Her assessment is that the book is a great reference and basically covers her entire major.It has diagrams, formulas and pictures of some lab equipment.She'll use it as a reference for her food chemistry class next semester. ... Read more

Product Description
An award-winning author and artist explain how every link in a food chain is important because each living thing depends on others for survival. "Clear, simple drawings illustrate the clear, simple text. Informative and intriguing, this basic science book leads children to think about the complex and interdependent web of life on Earth."'BL.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1996 (NSTA/CBC) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great explanation -- awesome illustrations
This book works well with the picture book "The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten" or "MSB Food Chain Frenzy".Best thing of all is the illustrations in this book -- they really convey the information.My kids really "get" it from the visuals.

Food chain
This book realates de food chain to children in an understandable and fun way.I plan to use it in my science class this summer.Very intersting book for first graders to about third grade.

love it
I used it to make an interactive bulletin board for my classroom.It is simple but it gets the point across.I use it with my 8th and 9th grade students, and they don't mind that it's a picture book.

Who Eats What? Food Chains and Food Webs
I found this book to be very entertaining and I feel the children's interest held to the very end of the story.

Food Chains and Food Webs
Detailed examples of food chains and food webs, but hard to follow the arrows in the illustrations in food chains.

My son would prefer just reading about the types of meals each animal species eats and how they kill it as opposed to the food chain process. There are several pages that have arrows pointing from one item to another and it gets confusing trying to sort it all out.

We begin with seeing a caterpillar eating a leaf on an apple tree until he becomes the dinner of the arriving wren. When a hawk comes around he eats the wren. In this example the food chain begins with the leaf and ends with the hawk. It is described how the animal at the top of the food chain is the last eater because it is the one no one else will eat.

There are other short chains like when you eat an apple off a tree or drink milk in a glass. The cow eats the grass and the milk comes from the cow. There is a detailed diagram with a girl eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, an apple and a glass of milk. Food keeps us alive and animals need to catch the food they need to survive. First we begin with green plants, as they are the only living things that can make their own food and do not need to eat something else. Animals depend on green plants as well.

During the summer months Antartica comes alive with tiny green plants that are eaten by krill. The squid will in turn eat the krill, which looks like shrimp. The killer whale can eat a sperm whale or a blue whale.

When you change your eating patterns you are changing the food chain as well. Fishermen kill krill but they cannot kill them all since this is what happened when they almost wiped out the sea otters in the Pacific Sea. It is important to take care of the earth so all living things have something to eat and in turn we help them and ourselves in the process.
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Knowledge of food science is applicable to all persons, in diverse college majors. This text is designed with a user-friendly approach to Food Science for the non-major.

This text reviews an Introduction to Food Components – quality and water. Next it addresses carbohydrates – including starches, pectins and gums, breads and pasta, vegetables and fruits. Then proteins – meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, milk and milk products are presented. Following proteins are fats and emulsions. Then sugars and sweeteners, and baked products, the latter of which builds upon basic food component knowledge.

Various aspects of Food Production are examined, including food safety, preservation and processing, food additives and packaging. Government regulation and labeling complete the chapter information.

New in this edition are "Culinary Alerts!" scattered throughout chapters. Their inclusion allow the reader to more easily apply text information to cooking applications. Also new are the Appendices, which cover the following:

• Biotechnology. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s)
• Functional foods
• Nutraceuticals
• Phytochemicals
• Medical foods
• USDA Food Pyramid
• Food Label Heath Claims
• Research Chefs Association – certification as a culinary scientist and more

Using a multidisciplinary approach, Essentials of Food Science, Third Edition combines food chemistry, food technology, and food preparation applications into one single source of information.

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Gluten-Free Food Science and Technology provides an overview for the food industry of issues related to the increasing prevalence of coeliac disease and gluten intolerance. The properties of gluten are discussed in relation to its classification and important functional characteristics, and the nutritional value of gluten-free products is also addressed. The book examines the diversity of ingredients that can be used to replace gluten and how the ingredient combinations and subsequent rheological and manufacturing properties of a range of gluten-free products, e.g. doughs, breads, biscuits and beer may be manipulated. ... Read more

Product Description
What melts in your mouth and not in your hands, plumps when you cook it, and comes in more than forty-eight scrumptious flavors? Give up? The correct answer is: Science!

With The Science Chef you'll learn loads of basic science by doing fun, easy-to-perform cooking projects. And you get to eat the results when you're finished!

Why do onions make you cry? How does yeast make bread rise? What makes popcorn pop, whipped cream frothy, and angel food cake fluffy? You'll discover the scientific answers to these and dozens of other tasty mysteries when you prepare kid-tested recipes for everything from Cinnamon Toast and Basic Baked Potatoes to Stromboli Pizzoli and Monkey Bread.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced cook, you can become a great Science Chef. All 100 experiments and recipes require only common ingredients and standard kitchen utensils. And The Science Chef includes rules for kitchen safety and cleanup, plus a complete nutrition guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

a little disappointed
This book is good, however it doesn't go far enough - the "experiments" are not really experiments, I guess we expected a little more instant results than growing basil or potatoes.By the time the plant is grown the desire for the recipes is forgotten.Also expected more involved experiments, not just watching water freeze or whether to butter bread before or after toasting!

Cooking and Science with kids book
I sent this book and two others to my son and granddaughter since he was doing a "Cooking and Science" class with her and another 5 year old girl.The three books have been a hit.Gramma

great start for experimenting n the kitchen
Our first-grade granddaughter was assigned a science project, and she chose to make cottage cheese from different milks, e.g., organic, skim, heavy cream and whole and compare the results.We used information from "Science Chef" about making cheese as one of our sources.Thenwe went beyond with growing penicillin mold on lemons and floating eggs in highly salinated water. Great learning device!

Kids love to learn
This book is fascinating and exciting.Not only do children enjoy the recipes, but they learn in a fun way.It is an easy way of learning new information and keeps them interested. ... Read more

Product Description

An international celebrity and founder of molecular gastronomy, or the scientific investigation of culinary practice, Herv& eacute; This is known for his ground-breaking research into the chemistry and physics behind everyday cooking. His work is consulted widely by amateur cooks and professional chefs and has changed the way food is approached and prepared all over the world.

InKitchen Mysteries, Herve This offers a second helping of his world-renowned insight into the science of cooking, answering such fundamental questions as what causes vegetables to change color when cooked and how to keep a souffl& eacute; from falling. He illuminates abstract concepts with practical advice and concrete examples& mdash;for instance, how saut& eacute;ing in butter chemically alters the molecules of mushrooms& mdash;so that cooks of every stripe can thoroughly comprehend the scientific principles of food.

Kitchen Mysteries begins with a brief overview of molecular gastronomy and the importance of understanding the physiology of taste. A successful meal depends as much on a cook's skilled orchestration of taste, odors, colors, consistencies, and other sensations as on the delicate balance of ingredients. Herv& eacute; then dives into the main course, discussing the science behind many meals' basic components: eggs, milk, bread, sugar, fruit, yogurt, alcohol, and cheese, among other items. He also unravels the mystery of tenderizing enzymes and gelatins and the preparation of soups and stews, salads and sauces, sorbet, cakes, and pastries. Herv& eacute; explores the effects of boiling, steaming, braising, roasting, deep-frying, saut& eacute;ing, grilling, salting, and microwaving, and devotes a chapter to kitchen utensils, recommending the best way to refurbish silverware and use copper.

By sharing the empirical principles chefs have valued for generations, Herv& eacute; This adds another dimension to the suggestions of cookbook authors. He shows how to adapt recipes to available ingredients and how to modify proposed methods to the utensils at hand. His revelations make difficult recipes easier to attempt and allow for even more creativity and experimentation. Promising to answer your most compelling kitchen questions, Herv& eacute This continues to make the complex science of food digestible to the cook.

Customer Reviews (10)

A scientific approach to cooking
Herve This brings an interesting idea to the table (no pun intended): by understanding the underlying (molecular) structure of the components of cooking, you can better understand why certain foods are cooked the way they are, and how to improve your gastronomical results.He also brings a scientific approach to his studies: by experimenting with very basic ingredients and recipes, he makes conclusions based on observation, not word-of-mouth or tradition.

Of course, as a gourmand, Herve This is not immune to waxing rhapsodic about the taste benefits of butter, or a good seared roast, or of salt or alcohol.This is not a nutrition book!It is a book about French cuisine as traditionally practiced - things are fried in butter, stock is created by boiling bones, salt is studied as a necessary ingredient (it's not whether salt should be added, but when), and fatty animal cuts are praised because flavenoids are located in fat, not the protein of the actual meat.Fortunately, he gives rational explanations for these things - e.g. flavenoids are hydrophobic and prefer oils/fats rather than polar locations such as water or proteins.

Perhaps most useful for the aspiring chef are the chapters on sauces and thickening agents.A number of thickening agents are investigated, and age-old questions such as why it's fatal to a meringue of egg whites to have any yolk contamination are explained.He even gives tips on repairing failed recipes (if your mayonnaise curdles, or if your gravy fails to thicken).All the time it's based on the molecular structure of the materials making up the food(s).That's not to say that there isn't some "art" involved - his chapter on jams is especially interesting, as he describes an experiment where jams are tested based on differences in consistency (with the same taste) or colour (again with the same taste).His results confirm that many sensations - colour, texture, odour - will affect the enjoyment of a food, and that human beings are remarkably similar in their preferences (e.g. brighter-coloured vegetables are always considered more "tastey", as is slightly runny jam).

So if I enjoyed the book, and learned from it, why only a 3-star review?Well, mainly because the book tends to repetition (and therefore is a little dull).Beaten egg whites make many appearances, and the same information is imparted each time.Presumably this is a choice made by the author, who divided the book into short, self-contained chapters.(but because each chapter is self-contained, material will be repeated)Part of it may also be because it's a translation.And there are some minor errors in the science in places (perhaps deliberate for readability).Overall, though, it was a fun book, and it has some good advice.

An interesting read, but I will buy a different book
There's definitely some interesting parts and useful suggestions herein, but I preferred two other books. Wolke's "What Einstein Told His Chef" was arguably somewhat clearer, if less thorough. The clear winner is McGee's classic "On Food and Cooking," 2nd ed. Even Herve This references and praises McGee's book, and that is where your time and money are best spent.

Whether or not you like this book probably depends on your personality. As a detail-oriented engineer, I found myself frequently frustrated by his incomplete and ambiguous explanations that often followed glowing promises to reveal treasured secrets.

Just for example, his section titled "How Can We Not Spill the Tea When Pouring It?" explained the phenomena of dribbling spouts with a mediocre desription of the Bernoulli effect causing a decrease of pressure on the underside of the spout. (That's what gives lift to an airplane wing, isn't it?) He doesn't say anything about choosing a spout of a particular shape nor my grandmother's trick of wiping a smear of butter under the spout. More to the point, he never answers the question he posed!

Little incoherencies like the above example drove me crazy, but another reader of different temperment might just sail on by and enjoy the illusion of having learned something useful.

He does give some practical cooking advice, and his scientific explanations hint at the reasons. It just seems like there is some slight disconnect between them, and I wondered whether it related to the translation from French (which sometimes shows trivial irritants like wrong verb tenses).

I don't disagree with any of the reviews, even the 5 stars, but I'm glad I borrowed this from the library and will put my money on buying a copy of McGee instead.

interesting
it is a very well written book.A good portion of it is very funny as to how they looked at the science of cooking all those years ago.Most of the book is pure fact though.It's good for the beginning home cook that wants to learn a bit more before making that clams casino or the the veteran chef running their own kitchen wanting to make the perfect soufle that doesn't fall.

Who ever you are I suggest picking this book up, if nothing else it is a wonderful coffee table book

Highly scientific
The book essentially summarizes MacGee's On Food and Cooking but is a tad more scientific. Yet it remains informal at all times, if a little difficult due to the translation from French. For instance "evaporation" is routinely used to mean boiling.

A cooking, C science
This book is entertaining and full of interesting anecdotes and culinary notes. The science is described with lively enthusiasm, but it is often imprecise or simply wrong. Some of it may be an artifact of the translation, but one is left hoping that the next edition is read by a chemist and a physicist before publication.Beware quoting this book in an educated company, or on your final exam! ... Read more

Product Description
Discover the delicious answers as you satisfy your hunger for science!

The Science Chef Travels Around the World is serving up a feast of fun with over 60 easy-to-do food experiments and recipes. Come and join the adventure! You'll travel to 14 fascinating countries—starting in Canada and ending in Ghana—and along the way you'll explore the science secrets of food.

Why does orange soda fizz? Do vegetables really die when you pick them? What makes peanut butter smooth? You'll discover the scientific answers to these and dozens of other yummy mysteries. Plus you'll get to make and eat Sizzling Mexican Chicken Fajitas, tasty Italian Cannoli, Awesome Chinese Egg Rolls, and many other delicious dishes.

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced cook, you can become an International Science Chef, too. All experiments and recipes are kid-tested, include metric equivalents, and require only common ingredients and kitchen utensils. The Science Chef Travels Around the World also includes rules for kitchen safety and a complete nutrition guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Book!
This Book is a great but can get a little boring. The recipes are really fun to make and eat. The discriptions about the countries were very interesting to read. But the one thing I didn't like was the experiments. Ididn't think the book needed them and they were weird. example:determiningthe specific gravity of potatoes. I enjoyed this book and i hope you willtoo(if you buy it). this book is great for kids and adults alike. They willenjoy learning about different contrys,foods,and coultres. ... Read more