The Science of Good Food: The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works

by David Joachim, Andrew Schloss, A. Philip Handel

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.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Cookbooks, Nonfiction, Reference, Science, Food Science

576 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2008

Reviews

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I checked this out from the library and I am definitely going to put it on my wish list. It's an excellent reference guide and I'm so going to make that beta-carrotene cake! And I'm not a good baker so I'm sure I'll be referencing the "cake disaster" table.

It's pretty comprehensive information on why and how certain cooking techniques, equipment and ingredients work interspersed with recipes, fun facts and tables from A-Z.

I didn't give it 5 stars because there were a few things I didn't think belonged.

[Amyebayer · Rating 2 out of 5]

TL;DR: If you are interested in the same topics the authors find interesting, you will enjoy this book. If you’re not, you won’t.


This book is extremely uneven. It is arranged in dictionary format, which I find fine, but could be off-putting for some readers. The entries range from Excellent (well researched, well written and informative) to mediocre (“Let’s slap two paragraphs together & call it done”).

What bothers me the most, though, is that the authors had the audacity to subtitle this book as an ‘Ultimate Reference’ but have significant gaps. For example, the ‘dumpling’ entry has a sentence that mentions Asian filled dumplings, but there is no other conversation about filled dumplings. No talk of pierogi, ravioli, or samosa. The dumplings that *are* mentioned are drop dumplings, spaetzle, and gnocchi (with the primary focus on gnocchi). Accurate, but limited. Nothing like an ‘Ultimate Reference’

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole thing, probably only 40% or so. But I really liked its style. Easy to read, clear scientific explanations, full of trivia I never knew about various foods.

[Jessica Hembree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this reference! An A to Z of scientific food terms. It is a great reference book with tons of photos. Very easy to read.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book clearly explains why we do the things we do in the kitchen in simple terms. Most entries have subheadings of "what it is", what it does, and "how it works." Other tidbits are "science wise" 'fast facts' and "kitchen wisdom'. While there are few recipes in this book, it is not a recipe book. Well written and beautifully photographed, this one is on my shelf for the long haul.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been hoping to find a book like this ever since my biology teacher in my freshman year of college explained to me the chemistry of beating egg whites, and why they sometimes fail. This is just what I always wanted...well-written, nice bits of photography throughout and even the extra nerd-factor of being formatted like a dictionary. It's so fun to flip through. Highly recommend.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reference for foodie nerds.