Books › On food and cooking
On food and cooking
896 pages
A masterclass in culinary alchemy that transforms the kitchen into a laboratory of delicious discovery.
What it feels like
Reading this encyclopedic masterpiece feels like unlocking the hidden source code of the culinary universe. It is not a book you rush through, but rather a steady, illuminating companion that you consult when curiosity strikes. The prose is remarkably clear, translating complex chemistry and biology into accessible, fascinating insights that fundamentally change how you look at a searing steak or a rising loaf of bread. The mood is deeply intellectual yet grounded in the sensory pleasures of the kitchen, blending the rigorous precision of a laboratory with the warmth of a bustling hearth. It is an absolute delight for inquisitive home cooks, professional chefs, and science lovers who crave a profound understanding of the everyday magic that happens when heat meets ingredients.
- Mood
- illuminating
- intellectually satisfying
- grounded
- Tone
- authoritative
- curious
- analytical
- accessible
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the science of everyday life · culinary alchemy · mastery through understanding · intersection of nature and culture
- The writing
- Clear, precise, and encyclopedic, translating complex chemistry into accessible, engaging explanations.
- The arc
- Moves from everyday culinary curiosity to a profound, scientific appreciation of the natural world and human ingenuity.
- Who it's for
- Curious home cooks, professional chefs, and science enthusiasts who want to know the why behind the how in the kitchen.
Content notes
- scientific descriptions of animal processing
About the book
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, and 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.
Description from Open Library.
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