Food and Drink

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-06 09:54:32
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Harold McGee
  • ISBN：0684800012
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Summary

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic。 Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984， On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from， what exactly they're made of， and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious。 Now， for its twentieth anniversary， Harold McGee has prepared a new， fully revised and updated edition of On Food and Cooking。 He has rewritten the text almost completely， expanded it by two-thirds， and commissioned more than 100 new illustrations。 As compulsively readable and engaging as ever， the new On Food and Cooking provides countless eye-opening insights into food， its preparation， and its enjoyment。

On Food and Cooking pioneered the translation of technical food science into cook-friendly kitchen science and helped give birth to the inventive culinary movement known as "molecular gastronomy。" Though other books have now been written about kitchen science， On Food and Cooking remains unmatched in the accuracy， clarity， and thoroughness of its explanations， and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques。

Among the major themes addressed throughout this new edition are:




Traditional and modern methods of food production and their influences on food quality
The great diversity of methods by which people in different places and times have prepared the same ingredients
Tips for selecting the best ingredients and preparing them successfully
The particular substances that give foods their flavors and that give us pleasure
Our evolving knowledge of the health benefits and risks of foods
On Food and Cooking is an invaluable and monumental compendium of basic information about ingredients， cooking methods， and the pleasures of eating。 It will delight and fascinate anyone who has ever cooked， savored， or wondered about food。

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Reviews

Allison ，

There are few food books on my home shelf for a reason。 Keep the best， donate the rest。This book might be the pinnacle of my collection。 （Sorry， Larousse Gastronomique） I first read the book as a high school sophomore studying gastronomy， and have revisited it in bits ever since。 It's the kind of book I'd display as a table or counter centerpiece。 If you find yourself disenchanted by your kitchen lately， or are searching for inspiration to bring people together over food， this is the book to do There are few food books on my home shelf for a reason。 Keep the best， donate the rest。This book might be the pinnacle of my collection。 （Sorry， Larousse Gastronomique） I first read the book as a high school sophomore studying gastronomy， and have revisited it in bits ever since。 It's the kind of book I'd display as a table or counter centerpiece。 If you find yourself disenchanted by your kitchen lately， or are searching for inspiration to bring people together over food， this is the book to do it。 It reads remarkably well given the depth of the subject。 I have other similar books that are far too technical to be enjoyed casually， this one is not at all like that。 I recommend everyone own a copy。 You won't regret it。 。。。more

Inge ，

Quite interesting

Rafael Meirelles ，

Another essential book for cooks and foodies :）

Jon ，

I saw a reference to this book on another website （I'll hat tip it if my memory functions at some point）， and thought it sounded quite interesting。 Indeed， it is， but it's not something you just pick up and read through in one sitting。 In fact， after having it checked out from the library for six weeks， I managed to only finish the first chapter！ Sixty nine pages about milk， its history， its chemistry and its uses as a food product。 I was about to start the egg chapter when I got the overdue not I saw a reference to this book on another website （I'll hat tip it if my memory functions at some point）， and thought it sounded quite interesting。 Indeed， it is， but it's not something you just pick up and read through in one sitting。 In fact， after having it checked out from the library for six weeks， I managed to only finish the first chapter！ Sixty nine pages about milk， its history， its chemistry and its uses as a food product。 I was about to start the egg chapter when I got the overdue notice from the libary。This would be a fantastic textbook for people in a culinary arts class， or perhaps more of a reference book。Just a couple of snippets of "fun" facts。"If it's not too far gone， you can sometimes rescue a tightening cheese sauce with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine。""Eating cheese slows tooth decay。。。eaten at the end of ta meal， when streptococcal acid production is on the rise， calcium and phosphate from cheese diffuse into the bacterial colonies and blunt the acid rise。"One of these days， if I run across a copy of this book at a used book store， I'll have to grab it for my personal reference collection。Great stuff， but not a quick read by any stretch of the imagination。 。。。more

Qtprep1 ，

“McGee is a legend in the food world， and the book， first published in 1984， is a favorite of many professional chefs。 More than 30 years after its publication， the book still stands as an astounding informational achievement; in the foreword to a more recent edition， McGee recalls having had basic questions about food， failing to find satisfactory answers to them in book form， and hitting the stacks of a college library to read academic papers from journals like Poultry Science and Cereal Chemi “McGee is a legend in the food world， and the book， first published in 1984， is a favorite of many professional chefs。 More than 30 years after its publication， the book still stands as an astounding informational achievement; in the foreword to a more recent edition， McGee recalls having had basic questions about food， failing to find satisfactory answers to them in book form， and hitting the stacks of a college library to read academic papers from journals like Poultry Science and Cereal Chemistry。 The book he ended up writing based on that research unsealed knowledge that had previously been considered of narrow interest to academic and industry researchers， and the cooking-obsessed culture that has blossomed since its publication proved his instincts sharp。The idea of a book that explains everything about cooking， down to the molecule， is fascinating， and On Food and Cooking is a fun title to have around。 But learning about， say， the etymology of a leafy green sheds little light on how best to prepare it。 McGee’s book is so exhaustive that it might be less readable （in a cover-to-cover sense） than even Bittman’s book。 I tried to read it straight through， and stopped dejectedly in the middle of a history of dairy—I think around where McGee describes the first time humans turned water-buffalo milk into mozzarella。 McGee’s book is better skipped around in occasionally than turned to for a focused lesson on cooking concepts。On Food and Cooking inspired a number of cooks and cookbook authors to integrate scientific approaches into their practices， and some of them have produced cookbooks that read as more populist versions of McGee’s book。 But however informative they are， the handful that I encountered more than anything prove the difficulty of writing about kitchen science in a way that both grabs the reader and feels relevant to actually developing better cooking instincts。” 。。。more

Maryalene ，

This is the rare book that I am marking as read but not rating。 I can't remember where I saw this recommended or what I expected， but it is definitely not for me。On Food and Cooking is basically a textbook or encyclopedia of ingredients and cooking techniques。 There are no recipes and while it might be interesting to flip through once or twice， I can't imagine why I would ever need or want this book。 I don't really care that someone reported eating beets around 300 BC or that eggs are 75% water。 This is the rare book that I am marking as read but not rating。 I can't remember where I saw this recommended or what I expected， but it is definitely not for me。On Food and Cooking is basically a textbook or encyclopedia of ingredients and cooking techniques。 There are no recipes and while it might be interesting to flip through once or twice， I can't imagine why I would ever need or want this book。 I don't really care that someone reported eating beets around 300 BC or that eggs are 75% water。 I really don't want to be bogged down in the science of cooking; I just want to cook。So for me personally， this book is 1-star。 However， I can't bring myself to actually rate it that because it is obviously well-crafted。 For what it's trying to be， this book is definitely 5-stars。 It's 800 pages of all the tedious details about ingredients and cooking methods that you never wanted to know， and Harold McGee gets props for putting together these comprehensive tome。 。。。more

Jonathan ，

Sciency and dense， "On Food and Cooking" is very much the nuts and bolts fundamentals of all food and the science behind taste， structure， spoilage， interactions with other food and every other aspect you might want to know about what you eat。 If you are happy just making food without knowing what the proteins are doing at each step， or you aren't really into science， then I wouldn't recommend。 But if you are interested in why you shouldn't salt scrambled eggs until after they're cooked， or woul Sciency and dense， "On Food and Cooking" is very much the nuts and bolts fundamentals of all food and the science behind taste， structure， spoilage， interactions with other food and every other aspect you might want to know about what you eat。 If you are happy just making food without knowing what the proteins are doing at each step， or you aren't really into science， then I wouldn't recommend。 But if you are interested in why you shouldn't salt scrambled eggs until after they're cooked， or would like to read （translated） Chinese odes to recipes for noodles from 300 ce ， then this is the book you need。 It's accesible and immersive regarding the science and history of food and is required reading for any science-minded or otherwise curious foodie。 。。。more

Mert ，

This is a well-written reference book on an interesting subject where practical science intersect with art and human ingenuity。 Kudos to all cooks who want to know what is behind！

Mike Stopka ，

If you have an interest in the more scientific side of cooking and how things work this is definitely a book for you。 You definitely do not have to read the straight through you can read this in the chapters that interest you。 However it is a great read even though it definitely took me some time period I highly recommend this book。

Madhulika Liddle ，

Originally published in 1984 and then added to before being released as a second edition in 2004， On Food and Cooking sets out to explain the how and why of food。 Why starches are good thickening agents， why beer in a green or clear glass bottle begins to smell almost skunk-like if left out in the sun， how different types of meats react to different temperatures， acids and alkalis。 How different grades of soy sauce are made， what blood clots in an egg mean。 And so on。 Across fifteen mammoth chap Originally published in 1984 and then added to before being released as a second edition in 2004， On Food and Cooking sets out to explain the how and why of food。 Why starches are good thickening agents， why beer in a green or clear glass bottle begins to smell almost skunk-like if left out in the sun， how different types of meats react to different temperatures， acids and alkalis。 How different grades of soy sauce are made， what blood clots in an egg mean。 And so on。 Across fifteen mammoth chapters， McGee examines every major category of ingredient， from various angles。 Beginning with the two foods that nature designed specifically to provide nutrition （milk， followed by eggs）， he discusses the chemical structure of each ingredient， the history of its usage， how it’s used in some major cuisines across the world （in particular， when a culture uses an ingredient in an unusual way）， and—how it interacts with other ingredients and with elements such as air， water， and heat。 McGee provides interesting trivia here and there， such as ancient recipes， quotations from old texts， and so on。 He also looks at the nutritive aspect of various ingredients， and how this is affected by the treatment of the ingredient。 Processing （both in bygone days， as well as modern industrial techniques） is discussed as well。He does this not just for milk， eggs， meat and poultry， fish and seafood， grains and seeds， vegetables and fruits， herbs and spices， breads and doughs， sauces， and wines， beers and spirits， but also for what is processed from them。 For instance， there are subchapters on everything from chocolate （a very major subchapter！） to maple syrup。 There are detailed diagrams to explain scientific （especially chemical and occasionally botanical） concepts， and charts aplenty with nutritive values and more。This is not the sort of book you’d probably sit down and read cover to cover at one go （even I， who do tend to read books from cover to cover， ended up taking breaks after every five chapters or so）。 It’s a lot of information， and I know for a fact that much of it （especially some of the more involved chemistry） probably didn’t completely sink in。 But it certainly made me look at even everyday food with far more respect than before， and I learnt the science behind some common cooking practices。 And I got some tips on cooking more efficiently， or choosing ingredients more wisely。 A fascinating book。 And yes， did you know this？ … each of the four major legumes known to Rome lent its name to a prominent Roman family: Fabius comes from the fava bean， Lentulus from the lentil， Piso from the pea， and Cicero—most distinguished of them all—from the chickpea。Plus loads more of such delightful trivia。 。。。more

Hanspreet Kaur ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 wonderful book on cooking

David ，

Absolutely has to be my favorite book on food and cooking。 I keep coming back to this one again， and again （for fun， and for study！）。

Pranab ，

Very interesting book。 I love to cook and all these years I never thought of what actually goes on when we cook our meals。 This book was enlightening and brought a whole new perspective towards cooking。 I am rather grateful to this book for helping me improve my morning tea！Highly recommended for food lovers。

Paul Horstmann ，

A excellent primer to the science and art of food。 A bit dense， and more of a reference， but none-the-less a necessary book in the library of any would be chef。

Connor Oswald ，

Food bible。

John ，

My only critique is the overuse of the word succulent which begins to sound disquieting after so many uses。Overall a very authoritative and thorough book on the science and history of food and cooking。 Must read if you want a deep appreciation of the subject。

Emma Whear ，

What an absolute chunker。It's a lovely compendium， but stressful to read when you know you'll be quizzed on it。Areas my knowledge has grown the most:-differences in types of alcohols-methods by which coffee is made and the effects What an absolute chunker。It's a lovely compendium， but stressful to read when you know you'll be quizzed on it。Areas my knowledge has grown the most:-differences in types of alcohols-methods by which coffee is made and the effects 。。。more

Mary Ellen Woods ，

Super detailed on chemistry and science but very interesting。 Might not use it much but would like to read it。

suzzycka ，

Utterly fascinating /and terribly long :） /， definitely worth reading for anybody interested in serious science behind food and cooking， it's scientific and yet clearly written， with interesting historical facts， theoretical scientific explanations as well as practical facts that will finally explain you most /or maybe al/ of the questions you have ever asked about "why does it work this way in the kitchen？" Utterly fascinating /and terribly long :） /， definitely worth reading for anybody interested in serious science behind food and cooking， it's scientific and yet clearly written， with interesting historical facts， theoretical scientific explanations as well as practical facts that will finally explain you most /or maybe al/ of the questions you have ever asked about "why does it work this way in the kitchen？" 。。。more

Murf Reeves ，

A great read for understanding where much of your food comes from geographically， and historically， as well as the chemical makeup， how food works in our bodies。 Reading brought back memories of science and gardening with my mom。 I have a better understanding of how food works with me， and how I must work with food， in turn working with nature！ Such a great addition to a kitchen library。

Abdelazeez ，

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Book By Harold McGee In 1984， canola oil and mouse and compact disc were firsts 。。。 [and] the worlds of science and cooking were perfectly compartmentalized。 "A lot has changed in 20 years: magazines and books now discuss the science of cooking， and culinary schools offer" experimental "courses that investigate the whys of cooking。 That's why McGee， a writer who specializes in the chemistry of food and cuisine， he has completely rewritten On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen Book By Harold McGee In 1984， canola oil and mouse and compact disc were firsts 。。。 [and] the worlds of science and cooking were perfectly compartmentalized。 "A lot has changed in 20 years: magazines and books now discuss the science of cooking， and culinary schools offer" experimental "courses that investigate the whys of cooking。 That's why McGee， a writer who specializes in the chemistry of food and cuisine， he has completely rewritten his 1984 classic， expanding it by two-thirds into a book that weighs almost 900 pages。 It offers in-depth scientific explanations on countless topics， including why leaving your turkey in brine is not a good idea， why food wrapped in plastic often tastes like plastic， why you should never refrigerate tomatoes， and it continues to show， as one admirer put it off the first edition， "the skill of a scientist and the heart of a cook。 。。。more

Cari Sly ，

Absolutely fascinating！ Looking forward to adding this as a culinary reference

Zenbob ，

Essential and fascinating。 My mother was a chef and always extolled the virtues of understanding how food and ingredients work together and how cooking techniques changed food。 Harold McGee goes further and lays the groundwork for a complete understanding of gastronomy。 Marvelous book。

Morgan ，

A really slow read， but I learn a lot of things about food。 From milk and cheese， eggs， meat， fish， to vegetables， fruits， seeds， nuts， breads， sugar and candies， wine and beer。 The most interesting things I learned was about plants， fruits， seeds， nuts， and wine and beer。

Ashleyree ，

Referenced in "How to Taste。" Referenced in "How to Taste。" 。。。more

Paschalis ，

elibrary

Lisa Konet ，

I skimmed through most of this and read chapters/information that were of interest to me because this book is so complete！ It did have some good history of certain foods and how they became staples， but this is not what you think at first glance。 However， if you want a complete book about food and cooking this is a gem。

dini ，

I dipped into this book here and there for a few years， assuming that to read it cover to cover would be like reading a dictionary。 Well， it's nothing like reading a dictionary。 This book is informative， comprehensive， and surprisingly captivating。 I'll probably re-read the whole thing in the near future。 I dipped into this book here and there for a few years， assuming that to read it cover to cover would be like reading a dictionary。 Well， it's nothing like reading a dictionary。 This book is informative， comprehensive， and surprisingly captivating。 I'll probably re-read the whole thing in the near future。 。。。more

Luke Gruber ，

Alas， it is finished。 This book has all the intricate details of everything food。 It’s referenced in every other cookbook I’ve read as “the encyclopedia of food。” However， keep it for reference。It’s too dry to read cover to cover， unless of course you’re fascinated by the lineage of food。 Where it started， how it transformed， and how it’s used today。Also， it’s heavy on chemistry。 I suggest to read the appendix first。 It’s a refresher crash course。 Overall， way less practical than I hoped for you Alas， it is finished。 This book has all the intricate details of everything food。 It’s referenced in every other cookbook I’ve read as “the encyclopedia of food。” However， keep it for reference。It’s too dry to read cover to cover， unless of course you’re fascinated by the lineage of food。 Where it started， how it transformed， and how it’s used today。Also， it’s heavy on chemistry。 I suggest to read the appendix first。 It’s a refresher crash course。 Overall， way less practical than I hoped for your simple home cook。 。。。more

Kathleen Coyle ，

Science and cooking to hand in hand。 This book explains how。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0