false 3951606 1 From its intriguing opening question--"How can we reasonably judge a meal?"--to its rewarding conclusion, this beautiful book picks up where Brillat-Savarin left off almost two centuries ago. Hervé This, a cofounder (with the late physicist Nicholas Kurti) of the new approach to studying the scientific basis of cooking known as molecular gastronomy, investigates the question of culinary beauty in a series of playful, lively, and erudite dialogues. Considering the place of cuisine in Western culture, This explores an astonishing variety of topics and elaborates a revolutionary method for judging the art of cooking. Many of the ideas he introduces in this culinary romance are illustrated by dishes created by Pierre Gagnaire, whose engaging commentaries provide rare insights into the creative inspiration of one of the world's foremost chefs. The result is an enthralling, sophisticated, freewheeling dinner party of a book that also makes a powerful case for openness and change in the way we think about food. 3997251 1 10 2008 Cooking: The Quintessential Art (California Studies in Food and Culture) total:1|4:1| 1 4 8 1 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue May 05 20:49:52 -0700 2009 Wed May 06 09:35:48 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Jul 29 08:58:12 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 08:58:12 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Jun 17 08:29:36 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 17 08:29:36 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jun 01 12:17:30 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 06 21:44:01 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 12:17:30 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Dec 11 11:45:59 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 11 11:45:59 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Mon Nov 24 04:51:24 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 24 04:51:32 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Sun Nov 16 12:01:54 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 11 08:47:13 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Sep 09 10:38:45 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 09 10:38:45 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3951606