Science of Cooking
Author: Peter Barham
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 that 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 unraveling the mysteries of the "art" of good cooking. Dr. Peter Barham has long been involved in popularizing science in Great Britain where he has lectured and been on radio and television shows on the science of food. In 1999, he won the IOP Prize for Promoting the Public Awareness of Physics.FROM THE REVIEWS: "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. Industrial food technologists and process engineers will not find design equations or process flowsheets. Instead they, and those with more immediate home cooking interests, will find a clear, fascinating, informative and serviceable description of the scientific phenomena occurring during domestic cooking, and how to exploit an understanding thereof to achieve results consistently, adapt recipes confidently and adeptly rescue catastrophes. 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 "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 "You do not have to be a chemist or a physicist to cook a meal, any more than you need a qualification in engineering to drive a car; but in both cases a little technical knowledge can help when things go wrong. That is the reasoning behind this odd volume that combines an explanation of the scientific principles of cooking with a down-to-earth guide to kitchen utensils, ... some experiments to try at home, and a random collection of around 40 recipes." -THE ECONOMIST "A physicist at Bristol University, Barham combines a love of science with a passion for cooking (and food) into this small and enjoyable book...Even if you prefer not to turn your kitchen into a laboratory, you will find this book worthwhile." -SCIENCE
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Back to the House of Health
Author: Shelley Redford Young
About the Author:
Shelley R. Young, co-founder and President of InnerLight International, is a licensed massage therapist with a passionate interest in optimum nutrition. She teaches "hands-on" alkalizing food preparation classes at her mountain home in Alpine, UT, where she resides with her husband, Dr. Robert Young, who has devoted his life to research into the causes of disease and the role nutrition plays in promoting self-healing.
What People Are Saying
Anthony Robbins
Shelley Young's recipes will help you alkalize your body and live a healthier, more energized, and ultimately more fulfilling life.
Anthony Espinet
This book of recipes is an impressive contribution to the homemaker's library. Throughout Shelley Young's book, a balanced, nutritionally complete diet is promoted. Beautiful, delicious, and well-planned meals are presented in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step fashion. Each meal offers pleasing variety in flavor and nutrients. We live in an age that is becoming increasingly difficult to discern good-quality foods from the depleted pick that is found in the grocers. This book not only shows you all there is to know about good, old-fashioned, vegetarian food preparation, but also captures the long-kept secrets of professional chefs.
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