- Paperback: 160 pages
- Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (Aug 15 1998)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805045414
- ISBN-13: 978-0805045413
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 14 x 1.1 cm
- Shipping Weight: 227 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #456,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
The science of the kitchen, an important component in the curricula of cooking schools, is a relatively new interest among the general public. The classic Joy of Cooking (LJ 10/15/97) has traditionally devoted some space to the subject, of course, but only recently has Harold McGee's seminal work, On Food and Cooking (1984), found popular expression in Shirley Corriher's Cookwise (LJ 6/15/97). Now, this broad topic has been condensed into a compact volume. The authors?two educators in cooking and the renowned San Francisco museum devoted to science, art, and human perception?have selected the most technical yet practical of culinary questions to explore: how to caramelize sugar, cooking times for various meats, and the phenomena of smell and taste, just to name a few. Eight chapters deconstruct chemistry's magical effect on vegetables, fruits, eggs, flour, salts, sugars, baking powder, yeast, flour, poultry, seafood, beef, and pork. There is a wonderfully authoritative bibliography and a good index. Highly recommended for all collections.?Wendy Miller, Lexington
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
For anyone with unanswered questions about why things happen in the kitchen as they do, Gardiner and Wilson have answers ready. They can tell readers why their poached eggs look a mess (eggs too old), why adding more baking powder to a muffin may not make it any lighter (overinflation leading to collapse), or why onions make you cry (sulfurous gases). Along the way, cooks learn a host of other scientific principles underlying cooking. Less rigorously empirical than Harold McGee's The Curious Cook (1990), this approach to the physics and chemistry of cooking appeals particularly to students looking for science fair projects. The authors' descriptions of the activities of thickening starches ignore the significantly different effects produced by root and grain starches. Simple drawings enhance the text. Mark Knoblauch
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
All cooks have moments of high drama while working in their kitchens. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
All cooks have moments of high drama while working in their kitchens. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Light yet Informative,
By
This review is from: The Inquisitive Cook (Paperback)
When I first began reading "The Inquisitive Cook", I was disappointed at its very simple, almost simplistic, style. Having slogged through "On Food and Cooking" (ISBN 0684843285), and having read "The Science of Cooking" (ISBN 3540674667), and "The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore" (ISBN 0020098014), I wondered how such an obviously lightweight and short book could teach me anything.I need not have worried, though. Even though the chapters are short and the language usage is consistent with a 6th-to 8th-grade reading level, the book is highly informative. It doesn't go into deep discussions of principles, but instead gives a simple overview of a number of processes, together with lots of short, practical examples and experiments. I was very pleasantly surprised by how many of the things in the book covered new details on the topics I had already read about without excessively rehashing what I already knew. If you really want to learn more of the science behind cooking, you might want to try one of the other books I mention above. If you're just looking to expand your knowledge of cooking in a painless and even fun way, this is the book for you. You could easily read through the whole book in one session, but it really doesn't require that kind of investment of your attention. The chapters are short (as is the whole book), and there are lots of self-contained sidebars, so this book makes an excellent addition not only to your cooking library, but also to your bathroom magazine rack.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
By
This review is from: The Inquisitive Cook (Paperback)
This book was disappointing in its lack of detail. It doesn't really get into much depth on any topic and I just didn't learn anything from it.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing,
By
This review is from: The Inquisitive Cook (Paperback)
This book was disappointing in its lack of detail. It doesn't really get into much depth on any topic and I just didn't learn anything from it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
