The Science Of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts To Enjoy A Lifetime Of Success In The Kitchen (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
I do no know how to cook. I can bake because I can follow directions and set a timer, but cooking meat is terrifying for me. I don't know how many times that I have heard "You'll just know when it is done." If this cooking 6th sense inherited in some people? I definitely do not have it. Also, the color change technique doesn't work for me because slight variations of color make a big difference in how down something is. I just don't get it! The Science of Good Cooking (Cook's Illustrated Cookbooks) is a great book for people like me that just can't cook. This book gives extremely simple steps, the justification behind doing things each way, Do's and Do not's, and pictures. I think my favorite part is knowing the science behind several of the reactions that go with cooking. I guess this is just demystifying cooking for me. Anther great part is that instead of just telling you what to do, they are smart enough to know that we terrible cooks do things wrong. Because of this, we also get explicit DO NOT do this or that. This actually helps a lot because you can anticipate problems as you are cooking (or trying to cook). For the most part I knew the science behind each concept what with being a loyal Good Eats fan. But it's always nice to see something from a different perspective. The science aspect is very accessible. The experiments are not too rigorous but do get the point across that they generally know what they are doing. The recipes are all great. Everyone I've made so far has been a real winner. (Except the meringue cookies but that's likely user error). Each recipe is followed by why it works and the science behind it. Something that I really like is after certain recipes, there are mini applications to tweak it like making a different sauce or a slightly different variation of the dish. This is great! Sometimes people get stuck in ruts making the same recipe over & over. Helps expand your own cooking repertoire. I take umbrage with their philosophy of substituting as don't do it. That is decent advice for someone who doesn't know their way around the kitchen. But substituting can be fun, and scientific! Take note of how the food differed from what you changed (and remember to only change one variable at a time).If you are a sciencey person and enjoy cooking then you'll get a lot of mileage out of this book.
What do You think about The Science Of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts To Enjoy A Lifetime Of Success In The Kitchen (2012)?
Highly recommended for intermediate level cooks, and probably good for novices as well.
—Luckystarz
Great science. especially enjoyed the bread making aspects of the book.
—Jumotki
Incredible book for those of us who care about thewhy and the how.
—Nikki
