Product Description
An international celebrity and founder of molecular gastronomy, or the scientific investigation of culinary practice, Herv& eacute; This is known for his ground-breaking research into the chemistry and physics behind everyday cooking. His work is consulted widely by amateur cooks and professional chefs and has changed the way food is approached and prepared all over the world. In Kitchen Mysteries, Herv& eacute; This offers a second helping of his world-renowned insight into the science of cooking, answering such fundamental questions as what causes vegetables to change color when cooked and how to keep a souffl& eacute; from falling. He illuminates abstract concepts with practical advice and concrete examples& mdash;for instance, how saut& eacute;ing in butter chemically alters the molecules of mushrooms& mdash;so that cooks of every stripe can thoroughly comprehend the scientific principles of food. Kitchen Mysteries begins with a brief overview of molecular gastronomy and the importance of understanding the physiology of taste. A successful meal depends as much on a cook's skilled orchestration of taste, odors, colors, consistencies, and other sensations as on the delicate balance of ingredients. Herv& eacute; then dives into the main course, discussing the science behind many meals' basic components: eggs, milk, bread, sugar, fruit, yogurt, alcohol, and cheese, among other items. He also unravels the mystery of tenderizing enzymes and gelatins and the preparation of soups and stews, salads and sauces, sorbet, cakes, and pastries. Herv& eacute; explores the effects of boiling, steaming, braising, roasting, deep-frying, saut& eacute;ing, grilling, salting, and microwaving, and devotes a chapter to kitchen utensils, recommending the best way to refurbish silverware and use copper. By sharing the empirical principles chefs have valued for generations, Herv& eacute; This adds another dimension to the suggestions of cookbook authors. He shows how to adapt recipes to available ingredients and how to modify proposed methods to the utensils at hand. His revelations make difficult recipes easier to attempt and allow for even more creativity and experimentation. Promising to answer your most compelling kitchen questions, Herv& eacute This continues to make the complex science of food digestible to the cook.
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 A cooking, C science ( prosha )
This book is entertaining and full of interesting anecdotes and culinary notes. The science is described with lively enthusiasm, but it is often imprecise or simply wrong. Some of it may be an artifact of the translation, but one is left hoping that the next edition is read by a chemist and a physicist before publication. Beware quoting this book in an educated company, or on your final exam!
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 good book, lacks depth, poor English
This book contains what the title says it does, however it is not compehensive like On food and Cooking, it is much smaller. This books strengths are its small size, and the information is easy to apply.
The book has been translated from French poorly. It is very awkward English, where I constantly found myself re-reading things.
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 A witty guide to cooking through chemistry ( bookmaven987 )
The first things French chemist and gastronomist This clarifies are the terms gourmand and gourmet. A gourmand is not a glutton. A gourmand is a gourmet. A gourmet is actually a connoisseur of wine. Got that? Good. Cause it doesn't get any easier.
This' eye-opening book is all about molecules and atoms in motion and what things like heat, moisture, acid and fat do to transform them into succulent meals - or into fallen soufflés, tasteless pot roasts, and rubbery eggs.
After a brief overview concerning the physiology of taste and the basics of saucepan chemistry, This concentrates on various common ingredients and techniques - milk, eggs, sugar, wine, steaming, braising, frying, sauces, salads, pastry - to name a few. We know that oil and water do not mix, and that microwaved beef is gray and unappetizing. This explains why.
He then goes on to show us how to whip up the perfect hollandaise or mayonnaise, and how to keep the succulence in beef. While the microwave plays no part in this last, This is enthusiastic about this appliance and shows us how to use it properly for making caramel, reheating vegetables and - producing a Cointreau-infused duck a l'orange!
This is witty and humorous and sprinkles his clear and effervescent prose with bons mots from such brilliants as Escoffier, Harold McGee and the great Brillat-Savarin. Readers (like me) whose eyes glaze over at the very mention of electrons may find themselves becoming entranced by This' graceful descriptions of essential chemical reactions.
He explains when and why to salt and answers numerous questions, i.e., why soup cools when you blow on it, why babies shouldn't eat sausage, why use so much oil for deep-frying.
Crisply organized, This' compact volume ends with a glossary of cooking and chemistry terms. The first entry is:
"AAAH: The cry of delight guests utter when the first dish arrives. The sleight of hand responsible for the most beautiful `aaahs' cannot be explained in terms of physical chemistry."
Enjoy.
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kitchen science, awkwardly translated
In culinary science, dominated by Harold McGee's lucid and entertaining "On Food and Cooking," a new book has to deliver a lot. "Kitchen Mysteries" does not quite measure up. Much of the problem is the translation from French: I can HEAR the author talking in French, since the translator has kept the idiomatic elegant French constructions that sound so awkward and rambling in English. The content is interesting and has novelty, such as making duck a l'orange by injecting Cointreau into the thighs before you microwave them. Quel horreur!
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How to cook great food
This is not about making cookies or cooking a thanksgiving turkey in time. This book is about the chemical subtleties that make a good dish a great dish. The chemistry is fairly easy while the cooking is a lot harder here.
It isn't about healthy foods (even if there are some good healthy cooking hints) and it isn't about quick cooking (even if there are some interesting suggestions about how, for example, render the microwaved food better tasting).
The two biggest shortcomings in my opinion are a truly lame index and too much quoting from the old masters. Even if I prefer Italian cooking, I can forgive his French cooking slant.
I consider the shortcomings negligible, and thus I stick to 5 stars.
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