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On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen |  | Author: Harold McGee
Publisher: Scribner
Category: Book
List Price: $40.00
Buy New: $21.25
as of 8/1/2010 03:06 MDT details
You Save: $18.75 (47%)
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 1079
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Rev Upd
Pages: 896
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.9 x 1.9
ISBN: 0684800012
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.5
EAN: 9780684800011
Publication Date: November 16, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| | ISBN13: 9780684800011 | | | Condition: New | | | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
A classic tome of gastronomic science and lore, On Food and Cooking delivers an erudite discussion of table ingredients and their interactions with our bodies. Following the historical, literary, scientific and practical treatment of foodstuffs from dairy to meat to vegetables, McGee explains the nature of digestion and hunger before tackling basic ingredient components, cooking methods and utensils. He explains what happens when food spoils, why eggs are so nutritious and how alcohol makes us drunk. As fascinating as it is comprehensive, this is as practical, interesting and necessary for the cook as for the scholar.
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.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Exactly what I wanted July 16, 2010
S. Morgan (Clyde, MI USA)
This was a gift for my Dad - he always gets caught up in the science of cooking when sharing recipes. I've been looking for a book that explains the science behind cooking for awhile for him, and this was exactly what I was looking for. If you are looking for a cookbook with recipes, keep looking; this book isn't for you. If you're looking for a better understanding of food preparation, this is it! This is a reference book, not a read through book.
A fascinating read July 7, 2010
The Bludger
If you have ever wondered why your Custard separates and turns to scrambled eggs or how to cook the perfect steak, this is a book for you.
Mr McGee explains in simple terms the science behind cookery. In the process he overturns many of the truths that we learnt from our mothers, and many of the "truths" that many of us still apply within our kitchens. It is a long book, a big book, a book that takes food from its origins in the fields and pastures to how it gets on to our plates. For example the first chapter on Milk traces its production in the cow, to the products that it makes including Cheese, Butter, Yoghurt and Milk itself. It discusses the difference between the Milk from Cows, Sheep, Goats and Buffalo plus humans as a bonus.
McGee's writing is factual, unemotional, precise but still remains interesting, I think because of the way he treats each subject. It is not dry.
You can treat this as a read from end to end or a reference and pick and choose your chapters or sections.
After reading this book you begin to understand modern cooking techniques like vacuum sealing meat and cooking it in a water bath. Incidentally that has produced the most tender and tasty steak that I have ever had, although visually not as appealing as a seared steak on a BBQ.
I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in cooking, wanting to improve their home cooking skills or considering becoming professional.
Great Reference Book!! July 1, 2010
Leah C. Howard
I am a food science major and love books that I can go to when I have a quick question about something. This book is perfect for just that! I haven't sat down and actually read through it, although I would like to, but it has yet to not answer any question I may have about pretty much any food imaginable. It is filled with information about basic food science and chemistry. It is detailed enough to interest someone like me, but is written in simple enough language that anyone could read and understand it. I highly recommend this for anyone who has an interest in what is actually going on with the food they are eating!
Helpful book June 16, 2010
Beth Gray (NEWTON, KS, US)
I really appreciate the information in this book. I have been using a starter to make bread, but the bread didn't always rise the way it should. The book helped me figure out what I needed to change. It is a great reference book to explain why ingredients act and react the way they do. There aren't any recipes, but there are thorough explanations regarding food and cooking. I recommend this book to those who want to know the scientific explanations.
food nerds unite! June 5, 2010
Derek B. Crowe (Rochester, NY)
if you are someone who wonders what (molecularly) makes your morning latte all foamy or why french roasts taste like burning or why onions get gooey and sweet when you cook them or the what makes a quiche different than a frittata or anything else about the food you eat, cook, buy, or grow then GET THIS BOOK!
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