Modernist Cuisine at Home

Slipcase, harcover book with ribbon markers, plus a durable, spiral-bound, waterproof kitchen manual. Just as French Impressionists upended centuries of tradition, Modernist cuisine has in recent years blown through the boundaries of the culinary arts. Borrowing techniques from the laboratory, pioneering chefs at world-renowned restaurants such as elBulli, The Fat Duck, Alinea, and wd~50 have incorporated a deeper understanding of science and technology into their culinary art. Nathan Myhrvold and his 20-person team at The Cooking Lab have achieved astounding new flavors and textures by using tools such as water baths, homogenizers, and centrifuges, and ingredients such as hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and enzymes. The team has created a series of reference titles that reveal science-inspired techniques for preparing and photographing food that ranges from the otherworldly to the sublime. Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, Modernist Cuisine at Home, and The Photography of Modernist Cuisine are works destined to reinvent cooking.

Dr. Nathan Myhrvold is chief executive officer and a founder of Intellectual Ventures, a firm dedicated to creating and investing in inventions. In addition to stimulating the invention of others, Myhrvold is himself an active inventor, with nearly 250 patents issued or pending-including several related to food technology. Before founding his invention company, Myhrvold was the first chief technology officer at Microsoft. He established Microsoft Research, and during his tenure he oversaw many advanced technology projects. He left Microsoft in 1999 to pursue several interests, including a lifelong interest in cooking and food science. Myhrvold competed on a team that won first place in several categories at the 1991 World Championship of Barbecue, including first prize in the special pasta category for a recipe that Myhrvold developed on the day of the contest. After working for two years as a stagier at Seattle's top French restaurant, Rover's, Myhrvold completed culinary training with renowned chef Anne Willan at the Ecole De La Varenne. In addition, he has worked as Chief Gastronomic Officer for Zagat Survey, publisher of the popular Zagat restaurant guidebooks. Through his many visits to the world's top restaurants, Myhrvold has become personally acquainted with many of the leading Modernist chefs and the science-inspired cooking techniques they have pioneered. Myhrvold is himself an accomplished practitioner of Modernist cuisine. He has contributed original research on cooking sous vide to online culinary forums, and his sous vide techniques have been covered in the New York Times Magazine, Wired, and PBS's "Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie" television series. Myhrvold's formal education includes degrees in mathematics, geophysics, and space physics from UCLA, and PhDs in mathematical economics and theoretical physics from Princeton University. In his post-doctoral work at Cambridge University, Myhrvold worked on quantum theories of gravity with the renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Maxime Bilet received a BA in creative writing, literature, and visual arts from Skidmore College. Bilet then graduated with highest honors from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. He completed a stage at Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar and was quickly hired to the head chef position there by Jack Lamb. Moving to London, he accepted a stage with Heston Blumenthal's development team at The Fat Duck. Just prior to joining the culinary team as head chef for recipe research and development at The Cooking Lab, Bilet trained as sous chef to open the London branch of Auberge de L'Ile. In 2011, Bilet was named to Forbes Magazine's 30 Under 30 list in the category of Food and Wine.

PART ONE : STOCKING THE MODERNIST KITCHEN Chapter 1: Countertop Tools Invaluable Modern Tools Digital Scales Digital Thermometers Silicone Mats and Molds Microplanes Blenders Mixers and Frothers Ice-Cream Makers Blowtorches Jaccards Injectors Sieves and Strainers Whipping Siphons Juicers Dehydrators Chapter 2: Conventional Cooking Gear Stoves Pots and Pans Pressure Cookers Conventional Ovens Combi Ovens Microwave Ovens Grills Chapter 3: Sous Vide Cooking Gear Four Simple Steps Getting the Air Out Cooking Sous Vide Chapter 4: Modern Ingredients Uncommon Ingredients Not Your Parents' Supermarket Walk on the Wild Side Unusual Fruits and Vegetables Foraged Foods PART TWO: RECIPES Chapter 5: Composing and Plating Textures Flavor Combinations Plate-Up Techniques Menus Timing Chapter 6: Basics Stocks Pressure-Cooked White Chicken Stock Brown Beef Stock Sous Vide Fish Stock Sous Vide Vegetable Stock Corn Stock Mushroom Jus Redeye Gravy Brown Chicken Jus Red Wine Sauce Home Jus Gras Sauces Pan Gravy Fluid Gel Common Problems When Thickening and Gelling Pressure-Cooked Gravy Pistachio Pesto Pesto Variations Mughal Curry Sauce Curry Sauce Variations Sous Vide Hollandaise Basic Mayonnaise Mayonnaise Variations Not-So-Secret Special Sauce Ketchup Salsa Verde Marinara Marinara Variations Strawberry Marinara Thai Sweet, Sour, and Savory Glaze Oils and Fats Sous Vide Lemon Herb Oil House Vinaigrette Spiced Chili Oil Montpelier Butter Stovetop Carotene Butter Pressure-Cooked Shellfish Butter Pressure-Rendered Chicken Fat Condiments Grilled Applesauce Pressure-Cooked Pickled Mustard Seeds Garlic Confit Pressure-Cooked Caramelized Onions Tomato Confit Tomato Leather Pickled Vegetables Vacuum-Infused Celery Brining Basic Brine for Poultry Sweet Brine for Meat Fish Brine Marinade Marinade Variations Spice Mixes Special Curry Spice Chaat Masala Fish Spice Mix Pain d'Epices Powder Chili Spice Mix Basic Meat Rub Chapter 7: Breakfast Eggs Egg Textures French Scrambled Eggs Omelet Fillings Steamed Omelet Striped Mushroom Omelet Mushroom Puree Cream of Mushroom Variation Shiitake Marmalade Eggs Sunny-Side Up Chapter 8: Salads and Cold Soups Raspberry Gazpacho Fruit Minestrone Sous Vide Vichyssoise Onion Slaw Engineering a Great Salad Green Salad Pressure-Cooked Quinoa Salad with Cauliflower Pressure-Cooked Chickpea Salad Sous Vide Tuna Confit Pressure-Cooked Lentil Salad Chapter 9: Pressure-Cooked Vegetable Soups Caramelized Carrot Soup Caramelized Vegetable Soup Variations Pressure-Cooked Vegetable Jus Pressure-Cooked Vegetables Pressure-Cooked Barley Vegetable Soup Plate-Up and Presentation Chapter 10: Steak Sous Vide Steak Low-Temp Oven Steak Sous Vide Steak in a Cooler Creamed Spinach Grilled Steak Grilled Pork Chop Lamb Skewers Chapter 11: Cheeseburger and Milk Shake Modernist Hamburger Patty White Sandwich Bread Ultrafrothy Milk Shake Cheeseburger Assembly Meatloaf Sandwich Chapter 12: Carnitas Pressure-Cooked Carnitas Carnitas Variations Crispy Pork Chicharrón Refried Bean Foam Pressure-Cooked Spiced Black Beans Pressure-Cooked Pork Belly Adobo Chapter 13: Short Ribs Sous Vide Short Ribs Potato Puree Pork Belly B.L.T. Lamb Curry Chapter 14: Roast Chicken Home Roast Chicken Roast Chicken Variations Baked Chicken with Onions Sous Vide Chicken Sous Vide Turkey Legs Sous Vide Turkey Breast Chapter 15: Chicken Wings Sous Vide Buffalo Wings Crispy Chicken Wings, Korean-Style Crispy Fried Chicken Wings Boneless Yakitori Wings Tsukune Skewer Variations Buffalo Sauce Honey Mustard Sauce Yakitori Sauce Korean Wing Sauce Blue Cheese Sauce Chinese Garlic Chili Condiment Chapter 16: Chicken Noodle Soup Aromatic Chicken Broth Aromatic Broth and Soup Variations Fresh Noodles Dressed Noodle Variations Pressure-Cooked Carrots and Leeks Chicken Noodle Soup Chapter 17: Salmon Fragrant Sous Vide Salmon Crispy Fish Skin Selecting Salmon Chapter 18: Shellfish Lobster Roll Poached Lobster Variation Mussels Marinière Clams in Chowder Sauce Sous Vide Braised Snails Chapter 19: Pizza Neapolitan Pizza Dough Rustic Pizza Dough Poolish No-Knead Pizza Dough Pizza Margherita Oven-Fried Pizza Pizza Toppings Chapter 20: Mac and Cheese Mac and Cheese Cheese Variations Baked Mac and Cheese "Fat-Free" Mac and Cheese Cheese Crumble Perfect Melting Cheese Slice Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Chapter 21: Risotto and Paella Parcooked Vegetable Risotto Pressure-Cooked Paella del Bosco Risotto and Paella Variations Chapter 22: Cornmeal Pressure-Cooked Polenta Shrimp and Grits Fresh Corn Tamale Hush Puppy Variation Chapter 23: Dishes for the Microwave Microwave Eggplant Parmesan Sichuan Bok Choy Bok Choy Variations Microwaved Trout with Scallions and Ginger Microwaved Fish Variations Microwaved Beef Jerky Crispy Beef Strands Crispy Beef and Shallot Salad Microwave-Fried Herbs Instant Chocolate Cake Instant Cake Variations Chapter 24: Custards and Pies Coffee Crème Brûlée Vanilla Panna Cotta Lemon Posset Sous Vide Lemon Curd Sous Vide Crème Anglaise Pistachio Gelato Gelato Variations Short and Flaky Pastry Dough Sous Vide Pastry Cream