Description
Book SynopsisGuy Crosby offers a lively tour of the history and science behind the art of cooking, with a focus on achieving a healthy daily diet. He traces the evolution of cooking from its earliest origins, recounting the innovations that have unraveled the mysteries of health and taste.
Trade ReviewAs a foodie myself I was delighted to see all suspicions confirmed in
Cook, Taste, Learn—that advances in the culinary arts are commonly empowered by curious scientists who also happen to be hungry. -- Neil deGrasse Tyson, American Museum of Natural History
Cook, Taste, Learn entertains with a smorgasbord of curious facts, delightful explanations, and fun recipes. What is so special about olive oil? Why use one kind of potato for baking and another for boiling? How does one make scrambled eggs fluffy? Crosby’s history of cooking provides a riveting education for your inner chef. -- Richard Wrangham, author of
Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us HumanCook, Taste, Learn elegantly intertwines history, chemistry, anthropology, and culinary science to create a captivating guided tour through the arc of human invention. The general scientific advancements feel just as vital to our enjoyment of good food as the evolution of cooking science. An accessible and inspiring contribution to the history of science! -- Ali Bouzari, author of
Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of FoodCrosby is a longtime collaborator, my science expert-in-chief, who has answered every food science question I have ever had. . . . The genius of his
Cook, Taste, Learn is that he pairs useful science with the history of cooking. This makes for a digestible work that [is] punctuated by useful deep dives into boiling in water versus cooking in oil, the science of gels, why terroir matters when cooking beans (the calcium content varies wildly), and how atomic theory changed the understanding of cooking. In Cook, Taste, Learn, you can have your cake and understand its chemistry too. -- Christopher Kimball * Milk Street Magazine *
If you are chemist who is whizz in the lab but not so great in the kitchen, this might just be the perfect thing for you! * Chemistry World *
A sprightly delight. * Nature *
Reveals the possibilities for transforming cooking from a craft into the perfect blend of art and science. * Food Technology *
If you’re interested in the science of food and cooking and its history, this is a great book to read. * Food Crumbles *
A well-developed volume with a strong foundation in science. * Choice *
Table of ContentsPreface
Acknowledgments
1. The Evolution of Cooking (2 Million–12,000 Years Ago)
2. The Dawn of Agriculture Revolutionizes Cooking (12,000 Years Ago–1499)
3. Early Science Inspires Creativity in Cooking (1500–1799)
4. The Art of Cooking Embraces the Science of Atoms (1800–1900)
5. Modern Science Transforms the Art of Cooking (1901–Present)
6. Cooking Science Catches Fire!
7. The Good, the Bad, and the Future of Cooking Science
Bibliography
Index
