Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66954 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 244 pages

Financial Times - Weekend, 16 December 2000
"at last, we have a book which shows how a practical understanding of physics and chemistry can improve culinary performance."

Nature, Vol. 409, 25 January 2001
"The Science of Cooking will also be stimulating for amateur cooks interested in following recipes and understanding how they work."

Synopsis
A kitchen is no different from most science laboratories and cookery may properly be regarded as an experimental science. Food preparation and cookery involve many processes which are well described by the physical sciences. Understanding the chemistry and physics of cooking should lead to improvements in performance in the kitchen. For those of us who wish to know why certain recipes work and perhaps more importantly why others fail, appreciating the underlying physical processes will inevitably help in unravelling the mysteries of the "art" of good cooking.Strong praise from the reviewers - 'Will be stimulating for amateur cooks with an interest in following recipes and understanding how they work. They will find anecdotes and, sprinkled throughout the book, scientific points of information...The book is a pleasant read and is an invitation to become better acquainted with the science of cooking' - "Nature". 'This year, at last, we have a book which shows how a practical understanding of physics and chemistry can improve culinary performance.

[Barham] first explains, in a lucid non-textbooky way, the principles behind taste, flavour and the main methods of food preparation, and then gives fool-proof basic recipes for dishes from roast leg of lab to chocolate souffle' - "Financial Times Weekend".'This book is full of interesting and relevant facts that clarify the techniques of cooking that lead to the texture, taste and aroma of good cuisine. As a physicist the author introduces the importance of models in preparing food, and their modification as a result of testing (tasting)' - "The Physicist". 'Focuses quite specifically on the physics and food chemistry of practical domestic cooking in terms of real recipes...Each chapter starts with an overview of the scientific issues relevant to that food group, e.g. toughness of meat, thickening of sauces, collapse of sponge cakes and souffles. This is followed by actual recipes, with the purpose behind each ingredient and technique explained, and each recipe followed by a table describing some common problems, causes and solutions.

Each chapter then ends with suggested experiments to illustrate some of the scientific principles exploited in the chapter' - "Food and Drink Newsletter".

Customer Reviews

The best book about cooking I've ever read
This book is a rare gem - instead of just providing a list of recipes like most books about cooking do, it gives you detailed descriptions of how various methods of food preparation work.

The book presents both scientific theory behind the techniques and practical instructions on how to use it in everyday cooking.

Definitely a must have for everybody seriously interested in good food.

An excellent book to find out what is really happening in your kitchen
Peter has an obvious analytical passion in this book. He answers a lot of the questions I had about why certain things happen as they do when I'm cooking. A really interesting and good fun read.

Food from a physycist
The contents of the book are fascinating, and Peter enlivens thing with his personal narrative on occasion. Unfortunately his style is a little dry but the amount of information packed into this book is well worth the effoprt involved in reading it. Peter is a superb lecturer and if you get the chance go to one of his food science days run occasionally at Bristol University. Not only will Peter make ice cream using liquid nitrogen (beating Heston Blumenthal by many years) but will also freeze and shatter his tie for the amusement of his audience. Then you get to eat the practical.