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The Missing Ingredient: The Curious Role of Time in Food and Flavour
The Missing Ingredient is about what makes good food, and the first book to consider the intrinsic yet often forgotten role of time in creating the flavours and textures we love.
Written through a series of encounters with ingredients, producers, cooks, shopkeepers and chefs, exploring everything from the brief period in which sugar caramelises, or the days required in the crucial process of fermentation, to the months of slow ripening and close attention that make a great cheddar, or the years needed for certain wines to reach their peak, Jenny Linford shows how, time and again, time itself is the invisible ingredient. From the patience and dedication of many food producers in fields and storehouses around the world to the rapid reactions required of any home cook at the hob, this book allows us to better understand our culinary lives.
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Published March 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 13, 2020
This was educational and fun! Linford presents essays of varying length (though all short) on different foods and related culinary technologies/practices, organized by the amount of time it takes to properly 'prepare' it. It covers a surprising breadth of culinary techniques, ingredients, technologies, and much more, though somewhat at the cost of depth. I particularly liked the essays where she speaks to relevant local producers and specialists (which she does for a lot of the essays), adding her own perspective to the information given.
But while each essay is a wonderful 'toe-dipper', the book's central theme did not impress me as much. The running idea, connecting all the essays, seems to be that time plays a crucial role in preparing food and adding flavour to it, and that different time periods are useful for different things. Which...I mean. Yeah.
The other idea, more nuanced and interesting to me, was that good food is worth spending the time on, and there can be no industrialized short-cuts to quality. Linford returns to this frequently, and is clearly an advocate of artisan and local food. But any discussion on the quality of artisan food would be improved by a discussion on their accessibility - both in terms of availability and price points. I have no doubt that products made with time and care are more rewarding (and Linford makes the case very well). But I would like to read next on how such food can be made available more readily.
But while each essay is a wonderful 'toe-dipper', the book's central theme did not impress me as much. The running idea, connecting all the essays, seems to be that time plays a crucial role in preparing food and adding flavour to it, and that different time periods are useful for different things. Which...I mean. Yeah.
The other idea, more nuanced and interesting to me, was that good food is worth spending the time on, and there can be no industrialized short-cuts to quality. Linford returns to this frequently, and is clearly an advocate of artisan and local food. But any discussion on the quality of artisan food would be improved by a discussion on their accessibility - both in terms of availability and price points. I have no doubt that products made with time and care are more rewarding (and Linford makes the case very well). But I would like to read next on how such food can be made available more readily.
April 30, 2019
I don't remember how I came across this book - could have been through Gastropod? - but I thought it sounded like just my thing. Time as an ingredient makes a lot of sense, when you consider it! And overall, Linford does look at some interesting points in connecting food with time; I learned a few things and was encouraged in my love of cooking and food.
However, this book turned out to be not quite what I expected. On reflection, I think I was expecting something more like Michael Pollan's Cooked, where he meditates on particular ways in which fire or air or whatever have an impact on cooking and food at length. This is not that. Instead, this is a long series of vignettes. Some of them do go over pages - there's a good few pages on pickles, and on smoking, and the wonders of freezing., among others. But in general each topic within each timeframe (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) is relatively short, addressing the connection between the topic and time - the seconds between different stages of caramel, the time it takes to make true traditional Modena balsamic vinegar - and usually not going into the depth that my heart really wanted. (And sometimes the topics chosen in each chapter seem to be tangential to the concept of time as an ingredient, but maybe I missed the point.)
If what you're interested in is a series of short stories about time and cooking, that you can easily dip into and out of, that are sometimes amusing and sometimes poignant and that remind you that cooking and good food are good things, then you will probably enjoy this book.
However, this book turned out to be not quite what I expected. On reflection, I think I was expecting something more like Michael Pollan's Cooked, where he meditates on particular ways in which fire or air or whatever have an impact on cooking and food at length. This is not that. Instead, this is a long series of vignettes. Some of them do go over pages - there's a good few pages on pickles, and on smoking, and the wonders of freezing., among others. But in general each topic within each timeframe (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years) is relatively short, addressing the connection between the topic and time - the seconds between different stages of caramel, the time it takes to make true traditional Modena balsamic vinegar - and usually not going into the depth that my heart really wanted. (And sometimes the topics chosen in each chapter seem to be tangential to the concept of time as an ingredient, but maybe I missed the point.)
If what you're interested in is a series of short stories about time and cooking, that you can easily dip into and out of, that are sometimes amusing and sometimes poignant and that remind you that cooking and good food are good things, then you will probably enjoy this book.
January 8, 2020
I kept wanting the chapters to actually be about seconds, minutes, etc. in cooking -- it wasn't the book I was expecting and the title is misleading.
July 4, 2024
I appreciate the intent of the book - to explore, as it says on the tin, time as an essential (not missing, however - overlooked, perhaps) ingredient in food of all kinds. The execution of the idea isn't quite what I expected. It's one of those books that is simply not well suited to audio format. I'm not docking it for that, just pointing the matter out. To use a culinary metaphor, it's not a multi-course meal, soup to nuts in a coherent order; it's a flight of tapas, suitable to be dipped into at random.
One reason I am docking the book a bit is that a number of the essays herein (and really, what this is is a collection of very loosely connected essays) barely nod at the theme of the book. Many of them were more along the lines of "well, I have some interesting research here which could fit if the reader is very generous - in it goes". Obviously, my generosity ran out fairly quickly.
The reason I ultimately quit so near the end is that I simply got tired of the author's prevailing attitude of "tut tut, look at the food plebians eat! It's all so plebian and inferior! Why do they eat that when for only five to a hundred times more money they could be eating REAL artisan food? Silly plebians." How banal of us to have to budget both money and time so boringly to allow for things like utility bills and a forty-plus-hour work week. How stupid of us to buy meat from the grocery store instead of the (non-existent) butcher. How absurd of us to just accept the inferior corn or beer or bread that is all that is available to us. How ridiculous to not take hours to do what can be done in minutes!
Just for fun, here's a comparison of plebian chocolate versus the chocolate explored by this author (prices derived from today's Amazon listings):
Hershey's Chocolate: box of 36 1.55 oz bars - 55.8 oz total: $25.95 ($0.47 /ounce)
Cadbury Chocolate: box of 14 3.5 oz bars - 49 oz total: $34.96 ($0.71 /ounce)
Friis-Holm Dark Milk Chocolate, Nicaragua 55%: one 100 grams (or 3.5274 oz) bar: 21.89 ($6.25 /ounce)
Gosh, yes, why DOESN'T everyone just buy the good stuff?
One reason I am docking the book a bit is that a number of the essays herein (and really, what this is is a collection of very loosely connected essays) barely nod at the theme of the book. Many of them were more along the lines of "well, I have some interesting research here which could fit if the reader is very generous - in it goes". Obviously, my generosity ran out fairly quickly.
The reason I ultimately quit so near the end is that I simply got tired of the author's prevailing attitude of "tut tut, look at the food plebians eat! It's all so plebian and inferior! Why do they eat that when for only five to a hundred times more money they could be eating REAL artisan food? Silly plebians." How banal of us to have to budget both money and time so boringly to allow for things like utility bills and a forty-plus-hour work week. How stupid of us to buy meat from the grocery store instead of the (non-existent) butcher. How absurd of us to just accept the inferior corn or beer or bread that is all that is available to us. How ridiculous to not take hours to do what can be done in minutes!
Just for fun, here's a comparison of plebian chocolate versus the chocolate explored by this author (prices derived from today's Amazon listings):
Hershey's Chocolate: box of 36 1.55 oz bars - 55.8 oz total: $25.95 ($0.47 /ounce)
Cadbury Chocolate: box of 14 3.5 oz bars - 49 oz total: $34.96 ($0.71 /ounce)
Friis-Holm Dark Milk Chocolate, Nicaragua 55%: one 100 grams (or 3.5274 oz) bar: 21.89 ($6.25 /ounce)
Gosh, yes, why DOESN'T everyone just buy the good stuff?
April 16, 2019
If you enjoy a quick read about food in weekend newspapers, you'll love The Missing Ingredient. It's enticingly dippable-intoable, and also a relaxing read to savour and take your time over.
Everyone will find something of interest about their favourite food. There's an abundance of potted histories, anecdotes, explanations and expert tips that kindle enthusiasm for discovery and rediscovery in the markets and shops, and experimentation in the kitchen.
We take brief tours with diverse producers who have restored the time that industrial food production has "saved," guided by an expert author with a wonderful eye, ear and nose for detail and vivid descriptions, enthusing about their contentment and dedication.
Providing answers to food and drink questions I both knew and didn't know I had, this book also makes a delightful reference and recipe book, although the index isn't quite up to the task of searching by topic, preferring to list people's names...which is fine if you can remember in 6 months' time not only that there was some advice about choosing Spanish ham, but also the name of the man who said it!
Some of the encounters seem very brief, especially in the Years section towards the end; I'd happily read a few more pages in detail on each of them.
Everyone will find something of interest about their favourite food. There's an abundance of potted histories, anecdotes, explanations and expert tips that kindle enthusiasm for discovery and rediscovery in the markets and shops, and experimentation in the kitchen.
We take brief tours with diverse producers who have restored the time that industrial food production has "saved," guided by an expert author with a wonderful eye, ear and nose for detail and vivid descriptions, enthusing about their contentment and dedication.
Providing answers to food and drink questions I both knew and didn't know I had, this book also makes a delightful reference and recipe book, although the index isn't quite up to the task of searching by topic, preferring to list people's names...which is fine if you can remember in 6 months' time not only that there was some advice about choosing Spanish ham, but also the name of the man who said it!
Some of the encounters seem very brief, especially in the Years section towards the end; I'd happily read a few more pages in detail on each of them.
April 4, 2025
Would I recommend this book? The answer is that it depends. This book is all about time, and if you haven't thought about how it is an ingredient in food then it could potentially open your eyes to the wonders that this ingredient can add to a dish. You'll definitely develop deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of cooking and the magic of flavor development. It's a book that will change the way you think about food and the role of time in its creation.
However, if you have spent time making foods that require longer preparation times, fermentation or dabbled with proofing/resting times then this might be more of a no brainer, "duh doi" kind of book. The scientific elements are well written, thought our and you will learn from it, but you may not walk away with quite as much of an appreciation for the book.
It is all about where you are on your culinary journey and how much you recognize time as an ingredient in food preparation. For long time cooks it may not be all that exciting, but for newcomers it can be a fantastic new window to view food preparation. If you are on the fence about it, you should read it. It's been out for a few years and you can get it on the cheap pretty easy.
However, if you have spent time making foods that require longer preparation times, fermentation or dabbled with proofing/resting times then this might be more of a no brainer, "duh doi" kind of book. The scientific elements are well written, thought our and you will learn from it, but you may not walk away with quite as much of an appreciation for the book.
It is all about where you are on your culinary journey and how much you recognize time as an ingredient in food preparation. For long time cooks it may not be all that exciting, but for newcomers it can be a fantastic new window to view food preparation. If you are on the fence about it, you should read it. It's been out for a few years and you can get it on the cheap pretty easy.
December 15, 2019
This book is a quick read, unique in that it separates short, bite-sized stories about food and drink into sections based on the time the products take to cook or create. There are sections for seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and centuries, which is a fun construction. That said, reading this I became keenly aware of how impossible it really is to separate food out in time this way. Sure, it takes years for a cow to mature, but it takes months to age a carcass and minutes to cook a steak. Every food could technically apply to every time, which made the fun structure feel a bit...purposeless? I suppose the fact I came to this realization is, in itself, a victory. Another note: While I liked reading all of the little windows into different products, there were so many of them over the course of the book that it was almost information overload. I doubt many of these interesting facts will stick with me, but I still enjoyed the ride!
January 15, 2019
My passion for food has increased to a greater extend after reading this book. Food is not fuel but for humans' and its evolution food is as old as evolution itself. Most don't understand this. In world there's almost every glorious food can be produce and eaten in an instant..,this book gives us the value of time(in chapters of seconds,minutes,hours,days,months,and years) to develop the lost art of truly delightful pleasure of a made from scratch,time honored dishes. Mostly stories are author's encounters with UK and Europe based experiences. Which give me second thoughts, why the US cannot build such treasured relationships with food. At least there are slow cookers and people still buy dutch ovens !!
October 23, 2018
"Time’s relationship with food is multifaceted and complex, extending far beyond the right cooking times for dishes. "
As a cooking school grad and a professional cook for a number of years,the title of this book was intriguing. In a world that sees "instant" as good, time needs to be reintroduced into our routines, and Jenny Linford's book is a welcome edition for new cooks and seasoned chefs. I was pleasantly surprised at how well rounded the prize is. However, it is what it is with no apologies, and therefore may see a small audience.
#Edelweiss+ allowed me to read an early copy,and I voluntarily reviewed it.
As a cooking school grad and a professional cook for a number of years,the title of this book was intriguing. In a world that sees "instant" as good, time needs to be reintroduced into our routines, and Jenny Linford's book is a welcome edition for new cooks and seasoned chefs. I was pleasantly surprised at how well rounded the prize is. However, it is what it is with no apologies, and therefore may see a small audience.
#Edelweiss+ allowed me to read an early copy,and I voluntarily reviewed it.
November 16, 2020
This is an interesting book of bite-sized stories about the way time affects the foods we enjoy. From the seconds that change the way food is prepared to the years it takes to grow the meats we enjoy, this book spans every measure of time.
Every story is presented as its own entity, making the book easy to pick up and put down. It is more of a collection of stories than one long narrative, though the underlying theme is that paying attention to time is an important step. The wrong timing can alter the flavor of food, whether it is trying to fatten up a cow too quickly or leaving tea leaves in hot water for too long.
Every story is presented as its own entity, making the book easy to pick up and put down. It is more of a collection of stories than one long narrative, though the underlying theme is that paying attention to time is an important step. The wrong timing can alter the flavor of food, whether it is trying to fatten up a cow too quickly or leaving tea leaves in hot water for too long.
January 20, 2024
The material is very interesting, but the organization occasionally jumps around at a distracting pace. The author kept up the focus on time in food until we entered into weeks, months, etc. And by then it was sort of an afterthought until we got back into years.
The author would spend more time on one topic that seemed perhaps less impactful, then go on to write half a page on what I would argue as more important topics. Only one page was given to discuss the preservation power of sugar, two pages for olive oil and then 5 whole pages for cooking eggs. Still an essential read if you're someone interested in making anything that takes time.
The author would spend more time on one topic that seemed perhaps less impactful, then go on to write half a page on what I would argue as more important topics. Only one page was given to discuss the preservation power of sugar, two pages for olive oil and then 5 whole pages for cooking eggs. Still an essential read if you're someone interested in making anything that takes time.
July 31, 2023
An interesting thematic approach to writing about food that was informative and enjoyable at times. However, the simplistic division of chapters by units of time (e.g., ‘Seconds’, ‘Minutes’) made for clunky and repetitive reading. Over the course of the book, I felt like I was reading the same tidbits of information from previous essays. Perhaps the flow of the book could be better improved if there were subdivisions within each chapter.
February 23, 2025
A disappointing execution to a promising concept. Every essay felt very superficial and maybe too promotional, even though I’m sure every producer or seller mentioned offers great products, it felt like this format would have been better as a docu series rather than a book, and I felt the idea of time influencing food and flavour was not explored in an interesting way.
April 24, 2019
This book is what I would call a 'dipper', one that you can dip in and out of at will. Designed into sections, seconds, minutes, hours, days and further sub divided into other sections covering a multitude of culinary interests.
A very, very enjoyable book.
A very, very enjoyable book.
February 23, 2020
I loved the way that the book was broken dowwn into periods of time (seconds; minutes; days etc), and learnt a lot from it. I am pleased to say that it reminded me not only of some types of food that I had forgotten but also some processes for cooking and preserving food.
April 19, 2020
作者細膩文字描繪品嚐美食（或著應該說是「食材」）的五感，著實令人享受。從時間的角度切入探討美食也十分新奇。在大家只追求 fast and cheap 的飲食文化、料理文化中，作者引薦了在各種料理界仍堅守精工的藝術料理師們，讀完會讓人對食物有另一種定界。反思，現代的美食文化似乎僅滿足了生理的飢餓、展演渴望，少了對來自大地食材的敬畏。
這本書是一本適合細細嚼字、慢慢閱讀的書，就像書中的精神一樣，請慢食。
這本書是一本適合細細嚼字、慢慢閱讀的書，就像書中的精神一樣，請慢食。
June 29, 2019
Too long and only semi-interesting.
June 25, 2020
I really enjoyed this book, but it's just one that I would like to take slow and not have to hurry and finish before the due date.
March 21, 2023
A wonderful informative book that even the most knowledgable food lover will discover something new and interesting. Should be in every cooks library.
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September 28, 2023For anyone who has the slightest respect for what they eat and/or cook, this is a fantastic and eye-opening book. Must read!
April 13, 2020
Great book for someone who is really into cooking. I really enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews