num_pages: 336
description: Eating is a multisensory experience yet chefs and scientists have only recently begun to anatomize food's components introducing a new science called molecular gastronomy and a new frontier in the possibilities of the kitchen. In this global collaboration of essays chefs scientists and cooks put the innovations of molecular gastronomy into practice advancing a culinary hypothesis based on food's chemical properties and the skilled use of existing and cutting edge tools ingredients and techniques. As their experiments unfold these pioneers create and in some cases revamp dishes that answer specific desires serving up an original encounter with gastronomic practice.From the seemingly mundane to the food fantastic from grilled cheese sandwiches pizzas and soft-boiled eggs to sugar glasses and gellified beads these essays cover a range of creations and their history and culture. They discuss the significance of an eater's background and atmosphere the importance of a chef's methods and strategies for extracting and concentrating aromas among other intriguing topics. The collection will delight experts and amateurs alike as restaurants rely more on science-assisted cooking and recreational cooks increasingly explore the chemistry behind their art. Contributors end each essay with personal thoughts on food cooking and science offering rare insight into their professional passion for playing with food.
language: English
title: The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking
publisher: Columbia University Press