In a light, anecdotal, but highly informative style, seasoned cooking writers reveal the unexpected and always practical science of the kitchen. Covered are such subjects as the amazing alchemy of granules and powders, the astonishing egg, the effects on food of different cooking methods, the biology and psychology of flavor, the remarkable chemistry of doughs, spices, and much, much more. Amusing anecdotes, sidebars and illustrations en-liven the text. Throughout, there are "cook's queries," quick tips, and even recipes that will delight anyone interested in becoming a more knowledgable cook.

Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, husband-and-wife chefs and the forces behind the popular blog Ideas in Food, have made a living out of being inquisitive in the kitchen. Their book shares the knowledge they have gleaned from numerous cooking adventures, from why tapioca flour makes a silkier chocolate pudding than the traditional cornstarch or flour to how to cold smoke just about any ingredient you can think of to impart a new savory dimension to everyday dishes. Perfect for anyone who loves food, Ideas in Food is the ideal handbook for unleashing creativity, intensifying flavors, and pushing one’s cooking to new heights. This guide, which includes 100 recipes, explores questions both simple and complex to find the best way to make food as delicious as possible. For home cooks, Aki and Alex look at everyday ingredients and techniques in new ways—from toasting dried pasta to lend a deeper, richer taste to a simple weeknight dinner to making quick “micro stocks” or even using water to intensify the flavor of soups instead of turning to long-simmered stocks. In the book’s second part, Aki and Alex explore topics, such as working with liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide—techniques that are geared towards professional cooks but interesting and instructive for passionate foodies as well. With primers and detailed usage guides for the pantry staples of molecular gastronomy, such as transglutaminase and hydrocolloids (from xanthan gum to gellan), Ideas in Food informs readers how these ingredients can transform food in miraculous ways when used properly. Throughout, Aki and Alex show how to apply their findings in unique and appealing recipes such as Potato Chip Pasta, Root Beer-Braised Short Ribs, and Gingerbread Soufflé. With Ideas in Food, anyone curious about food will find revelatory information, surprising techniques, and helpful tools for cooking more cleverly and creatively at home.

Packed with expert information on every aspect of buying, preparing and cooking meat. Tim Wilson and Fran Warde have teamed up to create this comprehensive reference work and inspirational collection of recipes. For each type of meat, the book recommends the best breeds, advises which cuts suit which style of cooking and tells you what to ask your butcher in order to buy the best quality. There are more than 100 recipes arranged according to season, from Sticky citrus-marinated pork chops in April through Moroccan chicken with preserved lemons in July to Slow-baked herb-crusted leg of mutton in December. Through monthly farm diaries, the book also reveals what life is really like on a thriving British farm. Packed with specially commissioned photographs taken on the farm as well as in the kitchen by renowned photographer Kristin Perers, this is a uniquely beautiful and useful book.

Do you know why honey drips whereas ketchup refuses to budge in the bottle? Or what kettles have in common with power stations, or how to cook with radar? This delightful and accessible book provides a smorgasbord and a whirlwind tour of the multitude of physical phenomena that occur in a kitchen: from the diffusion of nutrients during cooking to how an extractor fan works, how smells disperse, and where quantum effects are hidden. These and numerous other fascinating phenomena are served up in an engaging manner that will fascinate and tantalise the taste buds of anyone who enjoys eating, cooking or simply spending time in the kitchen. No specialist technical or mathematical knowledge is required to enjoy this book. Tuck right in and discover the universe of physical laws in your very own kitchen...

From the author of the most groundbreaking student cookery books of recent times comes this ultimate collection. Great sales, rave reviews and the creation of a community behind the Beyond Baked Beans series of books - www.beyondbakedbeans.com and a Facebook group - spawned a community of student followers. Three such students have joined Fiona for this ultimate collection, which comprises more than 200 recipes - each featuring extra tips and updates from Fiona and her student cooks. There are lots of new recipes from Fiona and half a dozen recipes too from each of the students Beautifully designed, practical and with more than 100 colour photographs, this is the book that every student will want and - at the incredibly purse-friendly price of £10 - can afford. It's nothing less than The Ultimate Student Cookbook.

A fun approach to teaching science that uses cooking to demonstrate principles of chemistry for undergraduate students who are not science majors, high school students, culinary students, and home cooks. How does an armload of groceries turn into a culinary masterpiece? In this highly accessible and informative text, Sandra C. Greer takes students into the kitchen to show how chemistry—with a dash of biology and physics—explains what happens when we cook. Chemistry for Cooks provides all the background material necessary for nonscientists to understand essential chemical processes and to see cooking as an enjoyable application of science. Greer uses a variety of practical examples, including recipes, to instruct readers on the molecular structure of food, the chemical reactions used in cooking to change the nature of food, and the essentials of nutrition and taste. She also offers kitchen hints and exercises based on the material in each chapter, plus do-it-yourself projects to encourage exploration of the chemistry that takes place when we cook food. Features Perfect for science courses aimed at non–science majors: does not require prior knowledge of chemistry, physics, or biology Equally useful for general readers, home and professional cooks, and culinary students Topics include what matter is made of, how the structure of matter is altered by heat, how we treat food in order to change its microscopic structure, why particular procedures or methods are used in the kitchen, and how to think critically about various cooking methods A reference section at the end of each chapter points readers to resources for further study Additional online resources include a solutions manual, a sample syllabus, and PowerPoint slides of all tables and figures

No more burnt offerings! Whether it’s nachos or crock-pot kielbasa, a party, something quick for the kids’ lunch, a romantic date night, or dinner-for-one, this guy-friendly cookbook features over 230 real-food recipes for everything from vegetables, pasta, and desserts, to leftovers, appetizers, and grilling. Instead of relying on shortcuts, canned food, or unhealthy processed ingredients, it pares down complex cooking instructions, explains basic cooking terms, figures in prep time and cook time, and allots larger portion sizes. • Notes high-salt or high-cholesterol recipes. • Includes more than 230 recipes. • Provides special tips, advice, and recipe construction for beginners, plus bigger portion sizes for hungry men.

Explains how to incorporate antioxidant-rich foods into daily meals to fight disease, increase vitality, and slow the aging process, providing more than 100 simple recipes that use such ingredients as berries, tomatoes, and soy.

Mayonnaise "takes" when a series of liquids form a semisolid consistency. Eggs, a liquid, become solid as they are heated, whereas, under the same conditions, solids melt. When meat is roasted, its surface browns and it acquires taste and texture. What accounts for these extraordinary transformations? The answer: chemistry and physics. With his trademark eloquence and wit, Hervé This launches a wry investigation into the chemical art of cooking. Unraveling the science behind common culinary technique and practice, Hervé This breaks food down to its molecular components and matches them to cooking's chemical reactions. He translates the complex processes of the oven into everyday knowledge for professional chefs and casual cooks, and he demystifies the meaning of taste and the making of flavor. He describes the properties of liquids, salts, sugars, oils, and fats and defines the principles of culinary practice, which endow food with sensual as well as nutritional value. For fans of Hervé This's popular volumes and for those new to his celebrated approach, The Science of the Oven expertly expands the possibilities of the kitchen, fusing the physiology of taste with the molecular structure of bodies and food.