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

This fully illustrated book, which includes photographs of food taken through an electron microscope, is a blend of culinary lore and scientific explanation that examines the history of food, its make-up and its behaviour when it is prepared and cooked. Containing historical and literary anecdotes, it covers all the major food categories, from meat and potatoes to sauce bernaise and champagne. Simple scientific explanations throw light on such mysteries as how to tell stale eggs from fresh, whether searing really seals in flavour and what happens when a cook kneads dough. A chapter on nutrition exposes the fallacies behind food fads, past and present. There is also a section on additives and one on the sensations of taste and smell.