What do You think about What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained (2002)?
Oh, I loved this book. I had borrowed this from my sister and I realized I did not want to give it back, so I have now ordered my own copy. There are things I want to highlight and pages I want to put markers on. As a cook I was enthralled and from a scientific aspect I was spellbound. I loved the witty and even smart-aleck humor: Q -- " 'After I roast a chicken, there are all these ooky drippings in the pan. Can I use them for anything?' Answer -- 'No. If you have to ask, you don't deserve them. Pour off the fat, scrape the rest of the "ook" into a jar, and ship it to me by overnight express.' " These words sing to a southern cook. :) If you have any curiosity at all about foods and the tools we use with them, just order a copy for yourself.
—Penny
Although the author sounds like a bit of a pretentious douchbag once or twice, I enjoyed this book a lot. It's divided into very short sections, so it's great for the bathroom or very quick spurts. (Oh, no pun intended, yet I leave that in.) It's also nice as a second book by the bedside. For example, while I was trying to read "The Rest is Noise," which taxed my attention and brain too much, I would end the night with a few pages of this much lighter book. It wasn't anything earth-shattering, but pleasant enough. If you're interested in the topic, I recommend it as a very low-committment fling.
—Ashvin
This book is interesting and well written, quite a page turner actually. However, the structure of the work is to answer questions on various topics. For example, I read the Salt of the Earth Chapter, which features answers to questions such as: - What are all those special salts and meat tenderizers in the supermarket? - What are salt substitutes? - Why add salt to the water when boiling pasta?- Whats so special about sea salt? Kosher salt? Freshly ground salt?- Can a potato remove the excess salt from over-salted soup?- Why do recipes tell you to use unsalted butter and then add salt?etc.Some of these questions have little interest to me, some are things I've wondered myself. While Wolke's answers are both delightfully colorful and practically instructive, after reading the book, I feel as if I haven't really learned much beyond some random trivia. And because the work doesn't focus on concepts for cooking (but rather the answering of questions under the topic of salt, meat, fats, sugars, etc.), I don't think I have improved as a cook either.If you are looking for a fun read, this book will satisfy. If you are looking for instruction on the science of cooking beyond what you get in a thorough cook book, I think you will want to look elsewhere. I know I did.... I'm going to return this book and try Harold McGee's "On Cooking and Science.." next.
—Ebookwormy
