On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen - Softcover

McGee, Harold

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0020346212 ISBN 13: 9780020346210

Publisher: Prentice Hall & IBD, 1988

Synopsis

This fully illustrated book, which includes photographs of food taken through an electron microscope, is a blend of culinary lore and scientific explanation that examines the history of food, its make-up and its behaviour when it is prepared and cooked. Containing historical and literary anecdotes, it covers all the major food categories, from meat and potatoes to sauce bernaise and champagne. Simple scientific explanations throw light on such mysteries as how to tell stale eggs from fresh, whether searing really seals in flavour and what happens when a cook kneads dough. A chapter on nutrition exposes the fallacies behind food fads, past and present. There is also a section on additives and one on the sensations of taste and smell.

About this title

About the Author:

Harold McGee earned his B.S. from the California Institute of Technology and his doctorate in English Literature from Yale, where he subsequently taught. He now lives in Palo Alto, California, and writes about science.

Synopsis:

Looks at the history of milk, eggs, meat, fruits, vegetables, spices, grains, nuts, bread, sauces, sugars, alcohol, and food additives, and discusses nutrition and the principles of cooking.

About this edition

• Publisher: Prentice Hall & IBD
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0020346212
• ISBN 13: 9780020346210
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 684