Guest guest Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 This book looks interesting! (if the html doesn't work or comes out sloppy, just copy and paste the link immediately below.) Chris ______ http://www.chemweb.com/books?isbn=3540674667 Bookstore The bookstore contains details of major titles and a useful reference area with author profiles, sample chapters and featured titles. Also check here for the latest special offers for members. BOOKS BOOKS HOME AUTHOR PROFILES FEATURED TITLES SAMPLE CHAPTERS SPECIAL OFFERS SUBMIT A PROPOSAL HELP SEARCH [ADVANCED SEARCH] RELATED SITES ELSEVIER BOOKS SPRINGER Image copyright The Science of Cooking Author(s): P Barham ADDITIONAL 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. U nderstanding 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. This year, at last, we have a book which shows how a practical understanding of physics and chemistry can improve culinary performance: " The Science of Cooking " (Springer 19.95 pounds) by Barham, a physicist at Bristol University. He 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 lamb to chocolate soufflé. Financial Times - Weekend (UK), Dec. 16, 2000 I believe that cooking is a bit like this: it is natural ability, not scientific knowledge that makes a good cook. Noth withstanding, as physicists who are always asking " why is it so? " , 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, Australian Institute of Physics, 2001, Vol. 38, Issue 5, p. 133. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 I picked up this book two years ago and just haven't gotten into it as much as I had hoped. It really is cookbook chemistry. That's fine in its place (I am a chemist, after all) but it's not as interesting a read as I had hoped. More interestingly written books on a related topic are " Cookwise " by Shirley Corriher and " How to Read a French Fry " by ?. I believe that both of these are written by journalists rather than chemists. Still, it's kind of interesting, knowing what's going on in the food as it cooks and the more you know, the better you can adapt it to your needs. Geoffrey Tolle ChrisMasterjohn@... wrote: > This book looks interesting! (if the html doesn't work or comes out > sloppy, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 >More interestingly written books on a related topic >are " Cookwise " by Shirley Corriher I have that one and it is great! Heidi Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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