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The Science of Cooking: Understanding the Biology and Chemistry Behind Food and Cooking
The Science of Cooking The first textbook that teaches biology and chemistry through the enjoyable and rewarding means of cooking The Science of Cooking is a textbook designed for nonscience majors or liberal studies science courses, that covers a range of scientific principles of food, cooking, and the science of taste and smell. It is accompanied by a companion website for students and adopting faculty. It details over 30 guided inquiry activities covering science basics and food-focused topics, and also includes a series of laboratory experiments that can be conducted in a traditional laboratory format, experiments that can be conducted in a large class format, and take-home experiments that can be completed with minimal equipment at the student’s home. Examples of these engaging and applicable experiments include fermentation, cheese and ice cream making, baking the best cookies, how to brown food faster, and analyzing food components. They are especially useful as a tool for teaching hypothesis design and the scientific process. The early chapters of the text serve as an introduction to necessary biology and chemistry fundamentals, such as molecular structure, chemical bonding, and cell theory, while food-based chapters The Science of Cooking presents chemistry and biology concepts in an easy-to-understand way that demystifies many basic scientific principles. For those interested in learning more science behind cooking, this book delves into curious scientific applications and topics. This unique approach offers an excellent way for chemistry, biology, or biochemistry departments to bring new students of all levels and majors into their classrooms.
544 pages, Paperback
First published May 27, 2014
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January 11, 2023
So, I'm torn between rating The Science of Cooking between two and three stars.
Several thoughts immediately come to mind. First, this is a textbook, and as such, is meant to be used in conjunction with an ongoing class. Second, I am not, nor have been, a chemistry student, so parts of the book, for all the detail, remain out of bounds and limit my learning from just the pages.
I originally began reading in hopes of a deeper dive after reading Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Unfortunately, while quite detailed, for the layperson, the book does not measure up to McGee's classic, both in details and writing.
There are a number of critiques, some of which, I believe could be improved by editing at both the macro and micro scale.
Starting with the chapters, the book seems quite jumpy, and does not have an overall path or theme. It starts strong, with the first two chapters on Macromolecules, and the Science of Taste and Smell. But after that, becomes jumpy, almost wandering between food groups. The third chapter is on milk and ice-cream. while the fourth jumps to the Metabolism of Food, followed by another chapter on various dairy products, then on to Browning, then Fruits and Vegetables, then meat and fish, then to eggs, then to baked goods, then to seasonings, alcoholic beverages, then finally sweets (perhaps the last chapter equating to a dinner menu).
Part of the jumpiness could be the result of multiple authors, and it is impossible to tell which professor wrote what chapters. Another flaw easily fixed by an active editor. I have read and seen other books written by multiple authors, and it every one of them, highlighted the author of the material.
Within the chapters, the variation of writing styles also contributes to the choppiness of the book. At times, the authors attempt to be chatty with the reader, but such commentary falls flat and only took away from the reading experience. There is a time and place for reader engagement, even within a textbook, but again, an editor should have had a firmer hand on where and how this was accomplished.
Another knock are the illustrations. They are poor in quality. Black and white in a textbook in 2023, does not measure up. One example is a pie chart on page 479 in my edition, describing the global consumption of chocolate. It is impossible to determine any data based on the illustration. Another example attempts to show various malliard reactions on potatoes (page 203, Figure 6.9), the photos are of such poor quality, that it is impossible to differentiate between any of the potatoes. Another pet-peeve of mine was the description of illustrations, figure 8.11 for example, describes an illustration as a "cartoon". This is used on a random basis throughout the book. Again, not a killer, but I would expect better from a college-level textbook. While on page 290, figure 8.12, describes a "bright red steak" in poor-quality black and white. One more example, is figure 3.1 on FDA definition of milk, which shows a photo of a man in a suit and sunglasses holding up his jacket cuff to his mouth? As a description of what, exactly? Finally, the only color descriptions were in the back of the book, again, poor quality, tiny text, and multiple replications of the same pages. That is both on the editor and publisher, rather than the authors, but still, flaws that should be easily corrected.
End chapter notes / bibliography, also appeared random and limited, and not connected to any specific parts of the texts.
The 'meat' of the writing also seemed to leave something to be desired. At times I couldn't tell if this was a chemistry book discussing food, or a food book discussing chemistry. There was limited flow within each chapter, bouncing back and forth between the chemistry of the food, and its application within the kitchen. Some chapters did a better job of this than others, Eggs and Bread are two good examples here.
Hopefully, in a future edition, an editor will take a serious look and review of the text, because there appears to be significant benefits to students of the material.
My suggestions would be to shift around some of the chapters. Place Browning after the metabolism of food. Follow this by eggs and then Make Milk its own chapter and push manufactured foods like ice-cream to the chapter on cheese, yogurt, and sour cream. Move seasonings to just after fruits and vegetables.
Within the chapters, discuss the chemistry first, then provide a specific path for use within a kitchen. Also, If there are core concepts or actions, specify them up front, and don't randomly repeat the concept throughout the book.
That said, there is a significant quantity of detailed information within the text to benefit the reader. From the outset, discussing smell and taste, to the Krebs cycle, to discussing the chemical changes on milk from the raw material through the end of processing cheese, to the discussion of the malliard reaction, and what occurs when you make bread to finally, the discussion of making chocolate and sugar candies. All well worth the time and effort for the reader. But, if someone is looking for an initial book on the subject, I would recommend McGee's work over this one.
Several thoughts immediately come to mind. First, this is a textbook, and as such, is meant to be used in conjunction with an ongoing class. Second, I am not, nor have been, a chemistry student, so parts of the book, for all the detail, remain out of bounds and limit my learning from just the pages.
I originally began reading in hopes of a deeper dive after reading Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Unfortunately, while quite detailed, for the layperson, the book does not measure up to McGee's classic, both in details and writing.
There are a number of critiques, some of which, I believe could be improved by editing at both the macro and micro scale.
Starting with the chapters, the book seems quite jumpy, and does not have an overall path or theme. It starts strong, with the first two chapters on Macromolecules, and the Science of Taste and Smell. But after that, becomes jumpy, almost wandering between food groups. The third chapter is on milk and ice-cream. while the fourth jumps to the Metabolism of Food, followed by another chapter on various dairy products, then on to Browning, then Fruits and Vegetables, then meat and fish, then to eggs, then to baked goods, then to seasonings, alcoholic beverages, then finally sweets (perhaps the last chapter equating to a dinner menu).
Part of the jumpiness could be the result of multiple authors, and it is impossible to tell which professor wrote what chapters. Another flaw easily fixed by an active editor. I have read and seen other books written by multiple authors, and it every one of them, highlighted the author of the material.
Within the chapters, the variation of writing styles also contributes to the choppiness of the book. At times, the authors attempt to be chatty with the reader, but such commentary falls flat and only took away from the reading experience. There is a time and place for reader engagement, even within a textbook, but again, an editor should have had a firmer hand on where and how this was accomplished.
Another knock are the illustrations. They are poor in quality. Black and white in a textbook in 2023, does not measure up. One example is a pie chart on page 479 in my edition, describing the global consumption of chocolate. It is impossible to determine any data based on the illustration. Another example attempts to show various malliard reactions on potatoes (page 203, Figure 6.9), the photos are of such poor quality, that it is impossible to differentiate between any of the potatoes. Another pet-peeve of mine was the description of illustrations, figure 8.11 for example, describes an illustration as a "cartoon". This is used on a random basis throughout the book. Again, not a killer, but I would expect better from a college-level textbook. While on page 290, figure 8.12, describes a "bright red steak" in poor-quality black and white. One more example, is figure 3.1 on FDA definition of milk, which shows a photo of a man in a suit and sunglasses holding up his jacket cuff to his mouth? As a description of what, exactly? Finally, the only color descriptions were in the back of the book, again, poor quality, tiny text, and multiple replications of the same pages. That is both on the editor and publisher, rather than the authors, but still, flaws that should be easily corrected.
End chapter notes / bibliography, also appeared random and limited, and not connected to any specific parts of the texts.
The 'meat' of the writing also seemed to leave something to be desired. At times I couldn't tell if this was a chemistry book discussing food, or a food book discussing chemistry. There was limited flow within each chapter, bouncing back and forth between the chemistry of the food, and its application within the kitchen. Some chapters did a better job of this than others, Eggs and Bread are two good examples here.
Hopefully, in a future edition, an editor will take a serious look and review of the text, because there appears to be significant benefits to students of the material.
My suggestions would be to shift around some of the chapters. Place Browning after the metabolism of food. Follow this by eggs and then Make Milk its own chapter and push manufactured foods like ice-cream to the chapter on cheese, yogurt, and sour cream. Move seasonings to just after fruits and vegetables.
Within the chapters, discuss the chemistry first, then provide a specific path for use within a kitchen. Also, If there are core concepts or actions, specify them up front, and don't randomly repeat the concept throughout the book.
That said, there is a significant quantity of detailed information within the text to benefit the reader. From the outset, discussing smell and taste, to the Krebs cycle, to discussing the chemical changes on milk from the raw material through the end of processing cheese, to the discussion of the malliard reaction, and what occurs when you make bread to finally, the discussion of making chocolate and sugar candies. All well worth the time and effort for the reader. But, if someone is looking for an initial book on the subject, I would recommend McGee's work over this one.
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