What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science
Author: Robert L Wolk
Intriguing science that underlies foods and kitchen operations is here explained with authenticity and wit by science professor and food writer Robert L. Wolke.
Publishers Weekly
Wolke (What Einstein Told His Cook) again brings hard science and corny humor to bear on the most basic of human needs: food. Whether defining the chemical makeup of the artificial flavor in chocolate or exploring the vagaries of scallop farming, Wolke plunges into the science of gastronomy with lan. Using questions gathered from readers of his Washington Post column, he covers the gamut from why tea turns cloudy in the refrigerator (cooling precipitates tiny particles of tannins) to what "mechanically separated beef" is (meat that's been "forced at high pressure through a kind of sieve"). Each question serves as a springboard to a rigorous analysis of food and its preparation and to humorous and bitter ruminations on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation; explorations of the folk history of food cultivation; and expansive descriptions of various world cuisines. Interspersed throughout are mouth-watering recipes written by Wolke's wife, restaurant critic and culinary journalist Marlene Parrish. While at times Wolke's desire to entertain gets the best of him--his overreliance on goofy puns, for example, is tiring--the overall effect of this work is like any great family meal: the savory delights of consuming fine food outweigh whatever irritations come with uninvited guests. 20 illus. Agent, Ethan Ellenberg. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
New interesting book: Principles and Methods of Law and Economics or Public Relations in Schools
Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking: 200 Traditional Recipes from 11 Chinatowns Around the World
Author: Martin Yan
When it comes to Chinese cooking, no one has as much culinary talent and encyclopedic knowledge as Martin Yan. That talent and knowledge are presented here in Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking, a companion volume to his new public television series.
Martin takes you on an unforgettable culinary journey through the gates of eleven Chinatowns around the world. Visit the streets, shops, homes, and restaurants you would never experience without Martin as your guide. From London to San Francisco to Yokohama, Martin introduces shopkeepers, chefs, and home cooks who, for the first time, share their cooking secrets. And as you travel the globe with Martin, you'll discover how Chinese food is different in Macau, Singapore, and Sydney.
Each of the eleven cities is featured along with a list of Martin's favorite restaurants and his favorite dishes and house specialties. Learn Martin's tips for ordering in Chinese restaurants and dim sum parlors. Discover how Chinese food and culture are inextricably linked, as Martin explains the significance of traditional festivals and their accompanying symbolic foods.
Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking has stunning full-color photography throughout and recipes that make it easy for cooks to create more than two hundred dishes at home, from takeout favorites such as Kung Pao Chicken to restaurant classics such as Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger and Green Onions. Exotic-sounding recipes like Good Fortune Fish Chowder, Flower Drum Crab Baked in the Shell, and Double Harmony Meatballs in Sweet and Sour Sauce are made easy. Don't live near a Chinatown? Try your hand at making your own Roast Duck, Char Siu (barbecued pork), andGin Doi (sweet sesame balls with duck). Martin makes the exotic familiar by offering tips on unfamiliar ingredients and specific techniques in combination with Chinatown history and culture.
Whether you end up cooking a dish at home or enjoying it in your nearest Chinatown neighborhood, Martin teaches you all you need to know about Chinese cuisine and culture. Travel with Martin Yan through a world of Chinatowns and satisfy your taste for adventure with Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking.
Publishers Weekly
Taking the reader on a tour of the world's great Chinatowns, Yan (Martin Yan's Asian Favorites) intersperses the recipes with short histories and photos. He visits 11 Chinatowns in seven countries-including the five Chinatowns of Toronto, New York's 350,000-person Chinatown, and the old Chinatown of Melbourne-and intersperses panels on traditions and philosophies with discussions of the locales and recipes. The detailed and well-explained recipes are sandwiched between a full section on Equipment and Techniques and the Chinese Pantry, and are divided into chapters from Dim Sum, through Seafood and Poultry to Desserts. Yan often draws on inspiration from other well-known chefs such as Sam Choy, who provides several recipes, including the simple and flavorful Lu'au Stew. While some recipes are classics, such as Broccoli Beef and Kung Pao Chicken, others blend traditional dishes with local ingredients for true Asian fusion cooking (Macau's Minchee Minced Pork, is Portuguese-inspired). Helpfully, Yan also adds sidebars containing tips such as "Cracking Crabs" and "Toasting," and makes suggestions for combining "Chinese Food and Wine." The resulting book-glossy and attractively laid out with 200 full-color photos-is as beautiful to look at as it is instructional to the cook. (Nov.) Forecast: With Child's support as well as the exposure through Yan's new PBS series, this book should be well promoted and well received. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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