Kitchen Mysteries

Herve This is a physical chemist on the staff of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris. He is the author of Columbia's Molecular Gastronomy and of several other books on food and cooking. He is a monthly contributor to Pour la Science, the French-language edition of Scientific American. Jody Gladding is a poet and has translated twenty works from French, most recently, Madeleine Ferriere's Sacred Cow Mad Cow, which also appears in the Arts and Traditions of the Table series.

• Series Editor's Foreword Cooking and Science The New Physiology of Flavor Soup Milk Gels, Jellies, Aspics Mayonnaise The Egg's Incarnations A Successful Souffle ? Cooking The Boiled and the Bouillon Steaming Braising Chicken Stew, Beef Stew, Veal Stew Questions of Pressure Roasting Deep-Frying Sautes and Grills Even More Tender Salting Microwaves Vegetables: Color and Freshness Sauces: Creamy, Satiny, Flavorful A Burning Question The Salad: An Oasis of Freshness Yogurt and Cheese Fruits of the Harvest Ices and Sorbets Cakes: Light and Melting Pastry Dough: Tart, Shortbread, and Puff Pastry Sugar Bread Wine The Alcohols Jams Tea Cold and Cool Vinegar Kitchen Utensils Mysteries of the Kitchen Glossary Index

Fans of 'Curious Cook' Harold McGee will relish the latest from This (Molecular Gastronomy), a French chemist and foodie hero who has helped to usher in the current restaurant world vogue for turning the kitchen into a laboratory... Even those who might be turned off by the thought of food chemistry will quickly be drawn in by his obvious love of food and eagerness to apply his research to helping people cook better. Publishers Weekly This has made invisible processes visible, revealed the mysteries, and the bread has risen, baked, and been enjoyed. -- Claudia Kousoulas Appetite for Books Cooks who want to learn more about the chemistry and physics that make their efforts possible will discover useful things here. Booklist This's molecular gastronomy is garnished with the author's own rich philosophy of food and flavor. -- Peter Barham Nature An exuberant paean for the role of science in cooking... This's book performs a great service. -- Len Fisher Times Higher Education Supplement This book should be in every kitchen. -- Christine Sismondo Toronto Star [An] eye-opening book. -- Kate Colquhoun Portsmouth Herald Witty and humorous... [readers] whose eyes glaze over at the very mention of electrons may find themselves becoming entranced by This' graceful descriptions of essential chemical reactions. -- Lynn Harnett Seacoast Sunday Well crafted, sprinkled with insight, and containing a menagerie of information, Kitchen Mysteries is a wonderful trip down a stellar buffet line. -- J. Edward Sumerau Metro Spirit Kitchen Mysteries is another tour de force for the French scientific chef... Highly Recommended. Choice This's book offers expert explanations that give the reader a better understanding of both cooking and cuisine. As such, it is enticing. -- Pierre Laszlo Chemical Heritage