The Science of Ice Cream (RSC Paperbacks)
From the reviews:"It would not be an exaggeration to suggest that ice cream is one of the most complex materials known to man. This familiar treat is, to the scientist, a composite of solid ice and fat particles as well as air bubbles suspended in a viscous solution of sugars, lipids and proteins where all the phases are, at best, in unstable equilibrium. All the time the suspended phases are trying to grow but that would ruin the taste and texture of the ice cream, so the food scientists have to find ways to combat thermodynamics.It is this heroic struggle of the chef, hand in hand with the scientist that lies at the heart of this excellent review by Chris Clarke.Clarke uses ice cream to explain a very wide range of topics, from colloids (emulsions, sols gels and foams -yes ice cream is all of these); to the basic thermodynamics of phase transitions and the rheology of complex fluids and polymer solutions. The treatment is generally at a level that could he understood by an A-level student, while retaining interest for all levels. I will draw on some of the examples in a final year undergraduate lecture course on polymer physics later this year.The book is not just a textbook for those in the ice cream industry (although I’m sure it will become the standard text for ice cream technologists for the foreseeable future); it is also a great book for showing that science is both fun and relevant to our everyday lives.For me, and I like to think for the author too, the best part is the wonderful list of experiments to try at home, or school — these bring the dry science to life. The best part is that even if the experiment fails, you will still enjoy eating the results."ByPeter Barham(ChemistryWorld, Vol. 2, No. 5, May 2005)