Complete Book Of Fruits & Vegetables

Customer Reviews:

A "MUST HAVE" for any Botanical Art Enthusiast or Artist.......2002-11-26

This book, illustrated by Marilena Pistoia, is an invaluable addition to the library of botanical artists or lovers of botanical art. There are 110 paintings depicting 400 plants, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices...all beautifully painted and reproduced. Some of the fruits are so realistic they almost make your mouth water.

The composition and combinations of the fruits and vegetables used in the individual paintings is very imaginative and complimentary in shape, form and colors.

Customer Reviews:

I liked it.......2006-05-09

I had to buy this book for my Quantity Foods course as a part of my Dietetics major. I actually liked the book, and I am going to keep it for later use. I thought the book was organized very well. Some of the charts in Chapter 2 and 5 that we used quite often were a little hard to find (because there are so many!).
It also presented a good overview of things you wouldn't think would be in the book, such as the school lunch program, etc.
I liked it!

Wow!!! A must have for all chefs.......2006-02-25

I had seen this book at a friends business and thought it was good. Since I have ordered and received it I have had the chance to really review the contents and find it one book that I can use daily. The CD rom is also fantastic in the number of recipes it contains. One nice feature is that you can size the recipes to what you need. Another great plus. Well worth the money. Tom Elliott, CEC

Food For Fifty.......2006-02-25

Very well written book, leaves nothing for the mind to question,I would highly recomend this book!

Love this book.......2005-07-23

This book is so helpful to me. I'm a new head cook at a Public school and plan to use many recipes from this book. Besides the great recipes it helps me with Nutritional planning, Variety menu planning with eye appeal, specific food information such as heating temps and storing food, and recipe adjustment. This book will be a tool I will use daily at work. I love that each recipe has the nutritional values per portion.

A vital MUST HAVE handbook for professionals!.......2003-06-09

Whether one is cooking in a restaurant or a school kitchen, this is the most valuable handbook. You'll want it at ready reference. I know, because never a week went by that I didn't consult it while running my bakery/deli in the Oregon Cascades.

I must confess that I didn't tell customers my recipe source. I preferred they think me a genius or as having come from a family steeped in cooking history. They knew I was no genius (hell, they knew I wasn't even very smart) but they did like the foods we provided. And, when I decided to produce a new, tasty meat pie, it was this book that I consulted to improve upon my concept.

Book Description

Nutrition for Foodservice and Culinary Professionals is the must-have reference for the most thorough, up-to-date information on nutrition and diet. New and expanded material in this Sixth Edition addresses important topics such as the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid, balanced menu options and recipe ideas for morning and afternoon breaks, basic principles of food presentation, meeting special dietary needs, weight management, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Future for nutrition.......2007-04-15

The Food Service is each day an wide open door for nutritionists. This book in particular is very helpfull on understanding the basic and advanced qualities needed for a professional acting in this area.

Great Text for Culinary Nutrition Class.......2004-10-03

I was assigned this text in my nutrition class in culinary school. The book was a joy to read because it was fun and easy to read. I really liked the section on vitamins and food sources of each vitamin. However, if you really want to know the type of questions asked in nutrition class in culinary school get the following. "Nutrtion Study Guide for Food Service and Culinary Professionals: Key Review Questions and Answers by Melissa Heilman. The isbn of this book is 1933023058. This book is right on with the type of questions that I accounted on my tests. With the help of these two books getting an "A" was quite easy.

A great guide for nutrition........2003-09-03

Very knowledgable book on nutrition including information for children and older adults. As a culinary professional I wanted to read up on the latest nutrition especially on soy and to improve my diet. I am also considering taking some courses, one of them is Sanitation. The Study Guide for the National Servsafe Exam by Dr. Leonardi was a book I found also very knowledgable and I am certain that it will help me with my exam once I decide when to take it.

Exactly what I needed........2002-07-19

This book was exactly what I needed. It contains all the information I needed. A great learning tool. The part of the book I am most impressed with is the section of infant nutrition. It explains month by month what you can feed your infant. An example is the 4th month of life, you can start your child on iron enriched cereals.

Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best

Average customer rating:

Good Reference
Cheese Maven's Choice
... and then came the Book of Cheese
A Course on Cheese
Remarkable! Essential for Anyone Interested in Cheese

Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best
Max Mccalman , and David Gibbons
Manufacturer: Clarkson Potter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400050340
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Book Description

Filled with indispensable information from America’s foremost authority, Max McCalman, Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best is your road map to exploring the world of fine cheese. As the maître fromager at New York’s acclaimed Picholine restaurant (the first in the country to offer a serious cheese program) and author of the widely acclaimed The Cheese Plate, McCalman has selected, tasted, and studied hundreds of cheeses, serving them to thousands of cheese lovers. And now he has created the definitive reference on the subject. Cheese profiles about 200 of the world’s best cheeses—and only the best—complete with all the practical information you could need and all the fascinating details you could want.

An incredible variety of real cheeses from around the world—including right here in the United States—are becoming more widely available. From distinguished Cabrales to oozing Reblochon and buttery Fontina d’Aosta, real cheese can rival the most spectacular creations of chefs, and all you have to do is buy the good stuff and serve it properly. Cheese is the ultimate guide to doing just that. Profiles of the cheeses include not only McCalman’s evocative descriptions but fascinating information on how each cheese is made, who the best producers are, similar cheeses to seek out, and even tips on what time of year the cheese is at its peak, how to store it, and how to serve it for maximum enjoyment.

Of course, wine is cheese’s favorite companion, so McCalman taste-tested thousands of wine and cheese combinations to offer unprecedented guidance on exactly which wines are most compatible with each and every cheese.

From the A of Aarauer Bierdeckel to the Z of Zamorano, Cheese is an illuminating, seductive guide to the very best that the world’s cheesemakers have to offer.

Customer Reviews:

Good Reference.......2007-01-12

This my second cheese book. My first one, "Cheese Primer" didn't list many of the cheeses our local gourmet store carries. This does, and then some. I don't always agree with his ratings, but the descriptions are accurate. Best read if you already know something about cheese and want to expand your horizons.

Cheese Maven's Choice.......2007-01-04

Cheese is not only my profession, it is my passion. I have a large collection of books about cheese. "Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best" is an excellent reference, and the perfect complement to McCalman's "The Cheese Plate." Although less comprehensive than the classic "Cheese Primer" by Steven Jenkins, I find McCalman's guide, with its luscious photos, truely a "connoisseur's guide" rather than an encyclopedia. Unfortunately, the majority of the world-class cheeses that McCalman so beautifully depicts and describes, are not widely available throughout the US. What a shame!

... and then came the Book of Cheese.......2006-06-25

From Quebec's Chaput Vacherin Mont d'Or to Ireland's Ardrahan and Roomano of Holland to Switzerland's Sbrinz, Cheese - A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best by Max McCalman and David Gibbons is a sumptuous feast for mind and eye to 200 of the world's finest cheeses. Listen to what McCalman has to say about Epoisses - "the King of Cheeses" - "Take it out of the fridge, put it on a plate, wait for it to turn meltingly soft and alluring, then cut in and enjoy the beautiful essence of controlled milk spoilage." No wonder this book has become my guide when seeking out a new world of artisanal cheese to explore!

Several suggestions in a new edition -

(1)a description of the 100 point scale used in rating cheeses would be interesting and informative, and would be helpful in making the ratings appear less arbitrary and
(2)a reference list to other informative and authoritative books on cheese consulted by the authors in preparing the book or of potential interest to readers.

A Course on Cheese.......2006-06-01

I love a good piece of stinky cheese. I enjoy taking it out of the fridge and letting its nasty old stank peel the paint off my walls, knockout my cat, and make the local children cry. It's how you know you gots yerself sum quality cheese right there.

Unfortuneatly, I must admit, my cheese knowledge is limited to about, oh, whatever I might have picked up from a cookbook or Food Network. Thank heavens for Max McCalman, may chiors sing his spoiled milk praises! For those who don't really know this guy, he is the man and fromager (cheese brainiac) who pretty much single handedly spearheaded the idea of presenting true artisinal cheeses, cheese courses, and giving cheese the kind of credit we give to wine here in America. He has become well known for his work in the New York restaurants Picholine and Artisinal, and luckilly for those of us not living shibby in New York, has gone out of his way to create a wonderful guide to the best of the best in his second book, Cheese: A Connoisseur's Guide to the World's Best.

While McCalman's first book, The Cheese Plate, co-authored by David Gibbons, was a chic everyperson's guide to wine and cheese pairings, Cheese simply gives us 200 of the world's best cheeses. Listed in alphabetical order, each cheese is described beautifully and concisely noting where it is produced, how it is produced, how best to enjoy it, and the underlying flavors you should expect when experiencing it. I use the word experience, because after trying some of these selections, it really is the only appropriate word that the English language can offer me. McCalman also goes ahead to offer with each cheese a variety of different wines (red, white, and blush) and even some sparkling wines that should help you wow your party guests' palates.

McCalman, also understanding our blind kitten approach to cheese, also guides you through various aspects of cheese. Early chapters deal with how to select, store, prepare, serve various kinds of cheese. Later on we are given a thurough lesson on how to pair cheese with various breads, fruits, and nuts, or how to simply lay back and enjoy a piece unmolested by any other food. Basics for how to create and serve a cheese course or a cheese tasting party will inspire you to host your own (I know I plan to have a truly stinky one shortly!). Lastly, of course, an extensive, though maybe a bit too much so, course on how to pair wine and cheese. The watchful and caring teacher, he does this in a simple, plainspoken manner, allowing any reader to understand not only how to preform each task, but the why behind it as well.

I have to say, I would not have discovered my love of Lancaster, my passion for Prattigauer, my desire for Doddington, and how I give resounding praise to Roaring 40's Blue!

Overall, I give Cheese a 5 out of 5. This book is a wonderful addition to any food lover's bookshelf. It's susinct, informative, and covers a wide variety of cheeses you can find from California to Italy.

Remarkable! Essential for Anyone Interested in Cheese.......2006-06-01

This book, written by one of America's foremost authorities on cheese, is remarkable. The material is well researched, the photographs are stunning, and the recommendations are top notch. Particularly important are the wine pairings, which are insightful and very useful. Like McCalman's "The Cheese Plate," this book looks as elegant as a coffee table book, however it contains a wealth of information valuable to any cheese enthusiast.

Average customer rating:

Concepts in Wine Chemistry
Yair Margalit
Manufacturer: Wine Appreciation Guild
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1891267744

Book Description

First published in 1997, CONCEPTS IN WINE CHEMISTRY was the first text and reference book in decades to explain the basic science behind the chemistry of wine. This new edition is now fully revised and updated to meet the field's most recent developments and give the chemistry backbone to the broader science of winemaking. The chapters are logically organized from the musts and juice composition through each step of the winemaking process: fermentation, phenolics, oxidation, oak products, sulfur dioxide, cellar process and wine defects. Also included is a chapter on the history of wine chemistry and ancient winemaking practices, and a thorough index and chapter outlines.

Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

Average customer rating:

Entertaining but not the best cooking reference
We're that much closer to Jetson style food pills
good, but
Disappointing
Trick in the kitchen

Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)
Hervé This
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 023113312X

Book Description

Hervé This (pronounced "Teess") is an internationally renowned chemist, a popular French television personality, a bestselling cookbook author, a longtime collaborator with the famed French chef Pierre Gagnaire, and the only person to hold a doctorate in molecular gastronomy, a cutting-edge field he pioneered. Bringing the instruments and experimental techniques of the laboratory into the kitchen, This uses recent research in the chemistry, physics, and biology of food to challenge traditional ideas about cooking and eating. What he discovers will entertain, instruct, and intrigue cooks, gourmets, and scientists alike.

Molecular Gastronomy, This's first work to appear in English, is filled with practical tips, provocative suggestions, and penetrating insights. This begins by reexamining and debunking a variety of time-honored rules and dictums about cooking and presents new and improved ways of preparing a variety of dishes from quiches and quenelles to steak and hard-boiled eggs. He goes on to discuss the physiology of flavor and explores how the brain perceives tastes, how chewing affects food, and how the tongue reacts to various stimuli. Examining the molecular properties of bread, ham, foie gras, and champagne, the book analyzes what happens as they are baked, cured, cooked, and chilled.

Looking to the future, This imagines new cooking methods and proposes novel dishes. A chocolate mousse without eggs? A flourless chocolate cake baked in the microwave? Molecular Gastronomy explains how to make them. This also shows us how to cook perfect French fries, why a soufflé rises and falls, how long to cool champagne, when to season a steak, the right way to cook pasta, how the shape of a wine glass affects the taste of wine, why chocolate turns white, and how salt modifies tastes.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining but not the best cooking reference.......2007-10-08

I was looking for something to use as a reference for how to prepare different types of food. This definitely is not it. It is an entertaining read but it does not really have the level of detail I was looking for when I got this book. The best I have gotten so far is On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen (or something like that) by Harold McGee.

We're that much closer to Jetson style food pills.......2007-06-19

Herve This is a genius and should be respected simply for the fact that he approaches cuisine with something other than blind awe of traditions that regarded as fact but are little more than a step up from superstitions and old wives' tales. Already a bit on the dry academic side and then translated from French to English, it can occassionally be a difficult read, but the unique nature of the subject makes sure it says a fascinating read. The book is broken up into sections each a few pages long asking if and why a preconceived notion regarding food is true (Does the juices of meat really contract to the center when you cook it?, Does it matter if you slowly heat your stock or use hot water from the beginning?), the nature of flavor (how salt affects sweet and bitter flavors), just what goes on with the food before we eat it (What causes cheeses to taste the way they do tracing it all the way back to the diet of the cow), and theoretical ideas to make the culinary field better (Developing new cooking techniques involving technology such as artificial vacuums and electrical fields). While the book uses specific examples, it's easy to take This's basic technique and apply it to anything food related, which you could imagine is his goal, having founded the field sharing its name with the book.

good, but.......2007-05-20

good, but, not very complete, inaccurate and simplistic. if you have read harold mcgee, it is a bit simplistic, un-scientific, and extremely biased. good for the beginner or home cook. short stories (and lack of scientific guidelines) are good for those without the patience for "on food and cooking"...

Disappointing.......2007-05-11

I was hoping to find something along the lines of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". If this is what you are looking for, look elsewhere.

Trick in the kitchen.......2007-03-20

This hardcover is divided in small paragraphs which are dealing with the different topics in kitchen science. The first section is dedicated to the tricks in cooking and is the one I like better. Then the author goes through the new discoveries about how do we perceive taste and flavour.
Good start to get in the argument of molecular gastronomy;)

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

Average customer rating:

GREAT reference book
Alton on steroids
The Hobo Philosopher
on food and cooking
Food Science Bible

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0684800012

Amazon.com

A classic tome of gastronomic science and lore, On Food and Cooking delivers an erudite discussion of table ingredients and their interactions with our bodies. Following the historical, literary, scientific and practical treatment of foodstuffs from dairy to meat to vegetables, McGee explains the nature of digestion and hunger before tackling basic ingredient components, cooking methods and utensils. He explains what happens when food spoils, why eggs are so nutritious and how alcohol makes us drunk. As fascinating as it is comprehensive, this is as practical, interesting and necessary for the cook as for the scholar.

Book Description

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
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.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT reference book.......2007-10-08

This book is exactly what I was looking for. Tons of information on why things need to be done certain ways and some history of where it came from. No recipes, but really focuses on what it takes to cook everything well.

Alton on steroids.......2007-09-24

Okay, I read a lot of cooking stuff. I'm a big Food Network fan.

One of the things I hate about most cookbooks is that I can only read the introduction and then I only read recipes as I need them.

This is NOT a cookbook. This is a culinary encyclopedia. I recently found out that my room-mate went to high school with the author in Elmhurst, IL. How cool is that? He was the one I sprung the Alton on steroids phrase to and proceeded to tell me he knew the guy. Enough gushing.

There is more in this book about culinary science than most of us need to know. It still makes for a great read. You CAN read it like a book because of that. I love the fact that it starts out with the most basic nutritional item in life, and then tells us why we really don't need it as adults. What an eye opener! Fortunately, it also explains why milk products are so useful to adults in other ways. I could never live without my Parmesano Reggiano or all those wonderful blue cheeses.

Why is meat and fish so important to our diets? Why would anyone want to be a vegetarian after reading the benefits of these high protein foods?

We should all be reading books like this so we know all the little things. Those of you that think it's too technical, go get a book on the english language.

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-13

This book is not a cook book. If you are looking for recipes buy another book. This book is for students. My Niece graduated from chef school and my gift to her was this book. This book is a history and science book on food and cooking. Here is where you learn to understanding what you are doing in the kitchen and why you are doing it. You learn all the myths and fables and the reality of what actually happens.
I bought this book when I suddenly found myself the sou chef assisting a professional French chef. By the time I finished this book, I could actually have an intelligent conversation with my new boss. When I hit him with terms like "carmelization" and "emulsification" or asked him what exactly is a burr blank sauce, I rose in stature from "good cook" to potential chef.
This book is a science and chemistry book also. It tells you what is actually happening to the food when you are cooking or processing it. Since I liked reading history and science and I was an aspiring chef - this was the perfect book. It is also great to read just for the fun of it. It is the most entertaining and informative book on food and cooking that I have ever read.

on food and cooking.......2007-08-23

I have read the first eddition, and when I heard they put out a 2nd I had to see what changed. I'm only 50 pages in to it but it is just as good as the first

Food Science Bible.......2007-08-23

This is one of the best books I've bought in a while. I now understand what's going on in my bread during all stages and with different ingredients (though it's not as in depth as some bread books), ,, why onions make you cry and what that asparagus smell is about. I recommend the updated hardcover edition if you can afford it. After checking out the paperback, I purchased the hardcover and gave the other one to my sister as a present.

Average customer rating:

scientifically informative but far from complete in the cooking aspect
behind the kitchen
http://www.bragazzis.com
Excellent Science and Culinary Technique. Highly Recommended
Great stuff for the science-minded cook

The Science of Cooking
Peter Barham
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540674667

Book Description

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 soufflé." - 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 soufflés. 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 & DRINK NEWSLETTER

Customer Reviews:

scientifically informative but far from complete in the cooking aspect.......2007-07-02

Pros: Scientifically informative and solid. Knowing the chemical and physical facts behind cooking methods applied to certain group of food would definitely help one to produce constantly good cooking result. And the text is very well written, _no_ part of this book is boring to read.

Cons: This book is focused on western cooking methods, many highly interesting cooking methods which are very popular, even dominating in East Asia are not even mentioned in this book. For example, there is a chapter for sauces but soup was hardly mentioned in this book, as if soup is not a kind of dishes. However the art/science of soup cooking is very important for many people. I, for one, really looked for information for soup cooking in this book but was disappointed. And, the author seems think any sauce has to be at least a bit thick (containing reasonable amount of starch). But this is not true in Asia countries. We have many kinds of really tasty sauces which are totally fluid, almost as light as water. These light sauces are not only tasty but also have really nice aroma, nice colours, contains very little energy and they attach onto the main food very well. In the fish chapter, he said salted/dried fishes are very difficult to regain the good texture and taste, and wrote up 2 pages about a Norwegian disaster of fish making. But in east China, people steam salted sea eels and the result is so, so delicious. He should really have tried it out himself. In this book, the science of vegetable cooking is not mentioned. Nevertheless I think vegetable cooking is very important and I really want to learn the science of vegetable cooking from the author, I like his writing so much! And, in this book all doughs are baked but there are many people (mostly from East Asia) who steam doughs and the results are excellent too. For beef steak cooking, many professional cooks saute/shallow fry every side of a 2-3cm thick steak first (every side one minute) and then put it into pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes. This cooking method is not mentioned in this book and actually I did want to know the advantage of the post-fry oven handling of a beef steak.

I really hope there will be a second edition of this book. I seriously suggest the author travel to Hong Kong and try out reasonably many different kinds of food in non-western restaurants in Hong Kong. Especially the famous soups, all kinds of vegetable dishes and all kinds of steamed dough-based snacks....

behind the kitchen.......2007-01-26

This book will teach you the chemical secrets of the techniques that usually are used in gastronomy, from the basic concepts to most complex. Knowing the scientific basis of the culinary processes, Peter Barham describes kitchen recipes in detail, of this way, will not fail any more.
This book also has some very interesting experiments to do at home, and that will offer help to understand of more practical way, the physical-chemistries concepts that try to explain.
If you are interested in cooking, and science doesn't bore to you, read this book!

http://www.bragazzis.com.......2006-03-25

A little to heavy on the science for my liking!...but there are some useful theories for beginners!

Ian

http://www.bragazzis.com

Excellent Science and Culinary Technique. Highly Recommended.......2004-12-21

Reviewing `The Science of Cooking' by Bristol University (UK) don Peter Barham gives me the pleasure of commenting on a book with differential equations, a subject for which I received my all time lowest grade (a D) in school. Luckily you, dear reader, these equations are no more than window dressing in a sidebar on thermodynamics which, if nothing else, convince us that Dr. Barham knows what he is talking about. And yes, dear reader, Dr. Barham most certainly knows of what he speaks. And, he does an excellent job of communicating this information to the layman.

This excellent book can be evaluated on at least three different levels. On the highest level, where Barham talks about the relevance of science to cooking, the author is just a bit weak. Early in the book, he compares a cook's following a recipe to the conduct of an experiment, and I think this metaphor simply does not work, and, I think the author repudiates this notion later in the book when he does a true description of how a recipe would be written if it were an experiment. A second major weakness in his talking about science is where he describes both a recipe (experiment) and a theory as a model. Philosophers of science clearly distinguish experiment from explanation (theory) and while `model' is a good word for theory, it is definitely not a good word for experiment. Oddly enough, there are important roles for experiment in cookery, but only when one is truly developing recipes and examining the properties of a new foodstuff product. Thankfully, the author gets on to the important business at hand of actually describing science and applying it to cooking, two tasks he does with great skill.

Unlike Harold McGee, Barham correctly puts his introduction to basic chemistry in the front of the book. I am sure that thousands of people will stumble over this with unprintable mutterings in an effort to get to the writing about pots and potatoes, but you must gives serendipity a fighting chance. A fair number of readers will pick up on this stuff and it will clearly improve their understanding of what follows. This is especially true as Dr. Barham or his book design team has done an excellent job of selecting illustrations of the basic organic molecules of which he speaks. There is a risk here that since I studied organic chemistry I may not have the same eye of a chemical innocent, but I think not. I believe reasonably intelligent people prefer the straight skinny rather than explanations tailored for 12 year olds. In addition to basic chemistry, Dr. Barham opens the subject of cooking with an overview of the science of food and heat and food and the senses. Here begins what is Dr. Barham's greatest single contribution to food science writing, and the thing that would make this book a superb textbook on food science. In each chapter, Barham supplies two or more experiments on food science that can easily be done at home or in a standard school chemistry lab with no expensive special equipment.

I must also note that Dr. Barham is crystal clear on methods of heat distribution. This is important, as Alton Brown's first book has a major error in its opening discussion of heat transfer methods in that he does not rate convection with as much importance as conduction and radiation. Dr. Barham corrects this error by citing that in fact, convection is the most important means of heat transfer in ovens.

The next chapter deals with cooking tools and the materials from which they are made. While this chapter is no match for the detail in Alton Brown's book on kitchen equipment, it does include a few cautions that I do not recall Alton's having mentioned. The most interesting is the warning against the very expensive stainless steel sheathed pots with copper or aluminum cores that extend all the way up the sides of the pot. While others have recommended this, the author warns this may cause hot spots high up on the wall of the saucepan that may have undesirable consequences if hot liquid splashes against the even hotter metal high in the pan. Unfortunately, the good doctor does not back this observation up with a demonstration, so it is no better than an anecdotal observation, but I will feel a bit more respectful to the cookware lines with only a disk of high conducting metal in the bottom.

The first real foody subject is `Meat and Poultry'. I find it a bit odd that the author says that meat cookery is the one place where an understanding of science can make the biggest difference in cooking results. I can say with confidence that a scientific view of things is probably at least as important, if not more so in baking, where the effect of errors in measuring ingredients can be truly disastrous (or inventive, depending on how you look at it).

This chapter is the first appearance of actual recipes and the second great contribution to food science writing (first being the experiments). Here, Dr. Barham not only gives excellently explained recipes; he also gives great little tables of problems that may arise with various cooking methods and how to solve the problems. There is little that is new here except that the presentation gets a lot of the ideas across more effectively than simple narrative. Shirley Corriher uses a similar tabular presentation, although her information is more proactive than diagnostic in that it explains the reasons for steps in the procedure rather than giving solutions for problems.

Be warned that all units are metric and there are some unexplained English references here and there, such as the term `A4' for letter paper. I recommend this book very highly. It doesn't have Alton Brown's humor or Shirley Corriher's southern charm, but it is a very, very sound book, once you get past the first three pages.

Great stuff for the science-minded cook.......2004-04-22

Fascinating exploration into the physics of cooking, written in an engaging and detailed style. Probably better for the scientist who cooks than for the cook who's into science, since the language is sometimes a little dense for the layperson. Worth working through, though, if only for the gorgeous and elegant formula for figuring out how long to boil your eggs to get them EXACTLY right.

One caveat: the author is British, and recipes, measurements, and terms are geared for the British/European cook. This means you'll find a complete explanation of sausage rolls and nothing about popcorn. Just FYI.

Sous Vide and Cook-Chill Processing for the Food Industry (Chapman & Hall Food Science Book) (Chapman & Hall Food Science Book)

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FIRST EVER SERIOUS TECH/BOOK ON SOUS-VIDE

Sous Vide and Cook-Chill Processing for the Food Industry (Chapman & Hall Food Science Book) (Chapman & Hall Food Science Book)
Sue Ghazala
Manufacturer: Springer Verlag
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0751404330

Product Description

This book provides a comprehensive and innovative overview of new and emerging sous vide and cook-chill techniques that are, or soon to be, commercially used for the food industry. Written by a range of international experts, the book integrates all subjects relative to sous vide and cook-chill processing, allowing food industry personnel to assimilate quickly the essential principles behind each technique and their applications. It is an essential reference for food scientists and technologists in industry, research and teaching, especially food process engineers involved in product development, quality assurance, packaging and production.

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FIRST EVER SERIOUS TECH/BOOK ON SOUS-VIDE.......1999-05-07

I HAVE BEEN READING AND ABSORBING THIS FABULOUS BOOK NO ONE HAD BEEN ABLE TO GATHER SO MANY PRECIOUS INFORMATION ON SOUS-VIDE TECHNOLOGIE THIS IS THE BEST OF ITS KIND. REFERENCE ARE FROM WORLD WIDE DATA .ANYBODY FASCINATION FOR THE PROCESS WILL BE FULLFILLED BY ALL OF THE UNCOVERED SECRETS.

How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science

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Baking
Very useful and clear work
Easy text book style reading
A "must" for everyone who bakes!!!!

How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science
Paula I. Figoni
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0471268569

Book Description

Accessible coverage of the science of baking
Underlying the artistic considerations involved in baking is science, and no other text offers as in-depth coverage of the "whys" of baking as How Baking Works. By helping bakers and pastry chefs better understand the major ingredient groups and reactions ingredients undergo during basic baking techniques, this insightful book is an essential key to mastering skills, effectively adapting to today's quickly evolving trends, and understanding a wide array of ingredients from different cultures.
In a clear, easy-to-understand format, How Baking Works explains how sweeteners, fats, leavening agents, and other ingredients work, as well as how to apply scientific knowledge to answer such questions as: By doubling the sugar in a pound cake, how does that affect the appearance, flavor, and texture of the end product? Each chapter concludes with helpful review exercises and lab experiments, making this book an engaging learning tool.
Complete with dozens of informative illustrations, How Baking Works is a versatile instructional book for students in culinary and baking programs and professional bakers and pastry chefs.

Customer Reviews:

Baking.......2007-08-29

This book is great. We use it in my culinary arts course in college.

Very useful and clear work.......2004-11-25

Like most young people who bake today at home, I did not grow up learning from my mother or grandmother what happened when I added more flour or orange juice to a cake recipe. Without this knowledge, changes to recipes produce difficult-to-predict results. Though Ms. Figoni writes more for the professional pastry chef, her clear explanations of the chemistry of baking should enlighten the home baker as well.

I have used this book recently as I have tried to modify my American recipes while living in France. Before coming to France, I always followed my recipes exactly with pleasing results, but that is impossible in a different country, as various products are not always available. While for my regular cooking, this has rarely proved to be a problem, in pastries and breads, there is a complicated chemistry (particularly with products that rise) which can simply fail. Ms. Figoni's book has proven to be extremely useful in trying to deal with differently milled flour, finding baking powder (knowing the chemical composition helped), and understanding substitutions of ingredients. More importantly, reading the book has given me a more profound understanding of baking, allowing me to improve recipes systematically rather than rather at random.

Easy text book style reading.......2004-10-07

This book is more like a text book with the questions at the end of each chapter and experiments to try. I got this book to actually learn from it and try and avoid the high cost of culinary school. I read each chapter, answered the questions and did the experiments. The book is a great way to go if you really want to learn about what goes into baking great tasting breads and pastries.

A "must" for everyone who bakes!!!!.......2003-12-27

Truly a scientific vision on everything that you ever need to know about baking. The information covered in each chapter are essential knowledge for everyone, whether an experienced bake or someone who is just getting started. I have been baking for many years, but after reading this book, everything seems to make a lot more sense to me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in baking whether professionally or just for fun.....

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