On Food and Cooking

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.

Harold McGee is a world-renowned authority on the science of food and cooking. He studied science and literature at Caltech and Yale, and has written two prize-winning books, On Food and Cooking and The Curious Cook, as well as many articles and reviews. He has been named food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine and to the Time 100, an annual list of the world's most influential people. He lives in San Francisco.

Acknowledgments Introduction: Cooking and Science, 1984 and 2004 Chapter 1 Milk and Dairy Products Chapter 2 Eggs Chapter 3 Meat Chapter 4 Fish and Shellfish Chapter 5 Edible Plants: An Introduction to Fruits and Vegetables, Herbs and Spices Chapter 6 A Survey of Common Vegetables Chapter 7 A Survey of Common Fruits Chapter 8 Flavorings from Plants: Herbs and Spices, Tea and Coffee Chapter 9 Seeds: Grains, Legumes, and Nuts Chapter 10 Cereal Doughs and Batters: Bread, Cakes, Pastry, Pasta Chapter 11 Sauces Chapter 12 Sugars, Chocolate, and Confectionery Chapter 13 Wine, Beer, and Distilled Spirits Chapter 14 Cooking Methods and Utensil Materials Chapter 15 The Four Basic Food Molecules Appendix: A Chemistry Primer Selected References Index