Food IQ: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts

by Daniel Holzman, Matt Rodbard

In the spirit of books like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and Food Lab, an informative, entertaining, and essential guide to taking your kitchen smarts to a higher level--from two food world professionals (a chef and a writer).

When food writer Matt Rodbard met chef Daniel Holzman while covering the opening of his restaurant, The Meatball Shop, on New York's Lower East Side, it was a match made in questions. More than a decade later, the pair have remained steadfast friends--they write a popular column together, and talk, text, and DM about food constantly. Now, in Food IQ, they're sharing their passion and deep curiosity for home cooking, and the food world zeitgeist, with everyone.

Featuring 100 essential cooking questions and answers, Food IQ includes recipes and instructions for a variety of dishes that utilize a wide range of ingredients and methods. Holzman and Rodbard provide essential information every home cook needs on a variety of cooking fundamentals, including:

Why does pasta always taste better in a restaurant? (The key to a perfect sauce is not pasta water, but a critical step involving . . . emulsification.)

When is it okay to cook with frozen vegetables? (Deep breath. It's very much OK, but only with certain types.)

What is baker's math, and why is it the secret to perfect pastry every time? (It uses the weight of flour as the constant and . . . we have a handy chart for you.)

From grilling to sous vide, handmade pasta to canned fish, and deconstructing everything from salt and olive oil to organic produce and natural wine, Food IQ is a one-stop shop for foodies and home cooks, from novices to the most-adventurous culinarians. You don't know what you don't know.

Genres: Cookbooks, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Food and Drink, Reference, Health

352 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Elizabeth Jorgensen · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a foodie, I didn't find the questions particularly useful. I was expecting more. But I guess that says something about my cooking smarts. You would have to be interested in cooking to enjoy this book, but then...maybe I already know too much about cooking? The book felt centered around the authors, rather than readers. The book was beautiful and well illustrated, although I'm not sure the layout was the most efficient. I also wanted more pictures of the recipes.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:

I didn't realize this was going to be such an exhaustive cooking manual, but I am happy that it was. This book's format is that of a textbook with an example for each section. There's a question, the answer, and the process. Just enough full color photos to break-up the black text on standard white paper.

Informative, instructional, handy. This would be a great guide for a novice or someone with more experience who would like to up their game. This feels like a cookbook worth having at home when needed for reference (much like The Joy of Cooking or the Veganomican)

[Tbone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between two and three stars, due to it being filled with snide comments, personal options and recipes that rely on MSG. On the other hand, there is good info tucked between.

[qwerty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intuitive tips on cooking at home

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The questions this book answers vary across the culinary field but are pretty popular questions one would type into a google bar. The version I read didn't have any formatting so I'm reviewing on the basic text itself. This book reminds me of food lab where it explains the principles and isn't recipe focused.

Its a nice read to add to the cookbook bookshelf. However if I was looking for weekend recipes to try, it wouldn't be the first book I'd reach for.

[Adysnewbox · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Food IQ" was an impulse read that I found at the library. What can I say? Sometimes I enjoy picking up cookbooks, and in this case the witty and conversational narration won me over. Co-authored by Daniel Holzman and Matt Robard (they are, respectively, a well-known NYC chef and a longtime food columnist/critic), "Food IQ" attempts to answer questions they commonly receive in their profession. These questions are often from guests, readers, at-home cooks, or even just foodies curious about new or old trends. While far from an exhaustive list, there was information in the book that covered a WIDE range of topics, from "Should I make my own yogurt?" to "Is a sous vide machine really worth it?" to "What is the best way to cook a whole fish?" to "Should I buy fresh herbs, and which herbs are acceptable to use dry?" to "How do I make homemade gnocchi?" to "Are frozen vegetables always inferior to fresh?" to "What is the BEST chicken cutlet recipe in the world?" And on and on and on.

As you can see, there is a little something for everyone in this volume. The recipe grouping is grouped by QUESTION TYPE, not by type of cuisine, which may be a little disorienting for some cookbook fans. By and large, Holzman and Rodbard answered each question clearly and did a good job explaining fairly complex subjects in a way that most readers would understand. I personally found several recipes (or "recipe hacks") that I'm looking forward to trying! I also feel that I gained a new appreciation for some foods and a desire to learn about a few new cuisines.

That said, there are a LOT of questions in "Food IQ" that are maybe(?) too high on the "foodie spectrum" for a lot of people to relate to or even care about much. For example, a lot of questions relate to fresh seafood and/or contain a lot of ingredients that are hard to find out of certain ethnic food stores. As someone who lives in the AZ desert, I have a LOT of access to fresh chile peppers, vegetables, and masa (perfect for tamales & other Southwestern cuisine)...but not so much for the fresh-fish recipes and/or Middle Eastern dishes! I am not feeling "picked on" or "excluded" by reading these recipes (on the contrary, I find the cooking process for these dishes just as interesting! I guess that's the "foodie" in me). However, I recognize that a lot of these dishes which SEEM commonplace to these NY and LA-based chefs are simply not reproduceable in other parts of the country. That may make parts of this book largely uninteresting or useless to many aspiring home cooks.

I really enjoyed the photography in the book; they were vivid and detailed. I was disappointed, however, that several of the recipes had no photograph included, for no obvious reason. There are a lot of hand-drawn caricatures/food images in the book, and while they are lovely drawings, I kind of wish that space had been reserved for additional photos, since that is one of my favorite parts of a good cook book. However, this is mostly a nitpick. While "Food IQ" is definitely not a book for everyone, I found it informative, inspiring, and nice to look at. That's pretty much all I need for a cook book!

[Tamera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, with lots of pictures, explanations, and opinions. While I didn't try any of the recipes yet, i perused the questions that interested me. Chapters include :
1. Misunderstood, undiscover, overlooked, and underappreciated ingredients
2. Tools and Technology
3. Hacks, Technique, and really good advice
4. Busting some myths
5. This sounds fancy. this sounds intimidating. What is it?
6. 12 favorite (essential, life changing) things to cook forever
7. Weekend cooking projects: is the juice worth the squeeze?

It reminded me of America's test Kitchen in that it gives nice explanations about such things as "fresh herbs v dried herbs: when is it ok to reach for McCormick", "F, Marry, Kill: stand mixer, food processor, blender", "Why doesn't my homemade guacamole taste as good as the one at my favorite Mexican restaurant?" , How do i know if meat has gone bad? And when is bad actually good?", "Does sulfur give you a wine headache, and is natural wine the future?", "what is dashi", , etc. Each question is answered, and sometimes will have a "friend of Food IQ" chime in with an explanation or more q & a, followed by a recipe highlighting the question. And while i didn't necessarily agree with all the experts on some of their opinions, it was an interesting read. I am a very experienced cook, and still found some interesting things in the book.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Harper Wave and Harper Business - Harper Wave through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

As a foodie, this is the ultimate guide that will be on my bookshelf that I will pass down to my children, and grandchildren. I always ponder the questions of why food tastes better in a fine dining restaurant. The breakdown Matt Rodbard and Daniel Holzman convey throughout the book was informative, helpful, interesting, and fascinating all at once. As an avid foodie, I am always eager to learn more about cooking techniques, tools, and new foods to explore to perfect my craft. I was afraid this would be just an informative companion, but I was so glad to see some recipes in the book to try for practice. Now, I feel more confident in my cooking skills, knowledge, and recipes to share with my family, and friends.

A cooking companion that should belong on every shelf for homecooks, foodies, moms alike. This book deserves 5 stars.

[Genesee Area Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What I really want to know, is how did Holzman narrow down all the food related questions to just 100 and make it feel all inclusive at the same time?
The books title: 100 Questions, Answers, and Recipes to Raise Your Cooking Smarts really says it all, but this isn't an instructional manual on cooking. It isn't overly wordy like Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat is either an that is something most will appreciate.
There is a question that covers almost every area of food. From salt, to fermenting, from the basic, to more advanced techniques. The frozen fish question was the best for me because all I can find is frozen fish and well... it's just always that tasty. I do wish there were a few more recipes, but that's just me.
Over all, it's something that I will be purchasing.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been cooking since I was a little girl. I am always asking questions, researching various cuisines, and looking through my vast collection of cookbooks to plan my meals.

I received the book today (I couldn't believe I won a giveaway!) and immediately started reading it. Within ten minutes of glancing through the book, I was hooked. I already have found a few techniques that I want to try for the "next time" I make some foods. I am always looking to find new recipes too.

I find the explanation of cooking terms to be very helpful. I thought I had a basic understanding of many of them, but the depth of detail is very helpful to fully comprehend many of them.

I feel like a child in a candy store with this book. It is jam packed with lots of very useful information, recipes, great illustrations, and loaded with photos too!

Thank you!
Lisa

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel is the chief and Matt the editor/food writer. They definitely have their pet peeves (seriously, don't even get them started on boneless, skinless chicken breasts) but there is a lot of great intel here that is a combination of food science, sequencing, and simple planning. To read it cover to cover, as I did, may feel quite like reading an encyclopedia. So if that's not your thing, simply flip through it to a topic of particular interest to you, read their intro, and then wallow happily in the nuggets of intel dropped by the visiting chef expert on that particular topic. All told, this is a nifty reference and would make a welcome gift to any of your home cook friends whose cookbook shelves already contain such classics as Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Note to authors: have you considered reformatting this as an app?

[Rivkah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I am not a foodie nor am I interested in making my own kimchi, hummus, jam, or tofu. The first part of the book is very interesting and if you are mildly interested in food the first part is good. The first part is helpful in myth busting, techniques and interesting information. My other disclaimer is my husband does not eat pork and there are A LOT of pork recipes in this book. AND there are A LOT of recipes for chicken thighs, I don't care how much flavor they are supposed to have; I don't cook them and I am not interested in recipes for them. If you really want to cook with trout, anchovies, swordfish, etc. you will probably give this book 4 o4 5 stars. I am not interested in that level or type of cooking.

[Eli Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book out of curiosity because it's structured to answer questions about food and cooking, say 'Should I feel guilty for loving fat so much?' or 'Why is my whole roast chicken always dry?'. The kind of intrusive thought questions that run in my mind sometimes. The author addresses these questions by breaking them down and explaining them in storytelling way that's information like a textbook (?). It's not just a cookbook but it deepens your understanding of food. Whenever I have one of those intrusive thoughts, I find myself flipping to the index to see if this book has the answer. It’s become a trusted resource and a fun companion in my kitchen

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a clever book filled with the type of questions normally entered into Google just minutes before a recipe is attempted. It’s encyclopedic in scope and provides fascinating details about almost everything useful in the kitchen. The challenge would be to remember the knowledge or remember that the book has useful answers when needed. I’m not sure either point would come up when, as is usually the case, panic sets in just as cooking commences. I enjoyed reading it. I received my copy from the publisher through edelweiss.

[Ellen]

Pretty interesting? Nice drawings and fun to flip through. I saw another reviewer wondering who this book is meant for, and that feels like a good question. There’s either a falafel recipe that you’re going to spend a week on (serious cook!) or a question so basic that anyone who has a reasonable amount of kitchen experience is going to know the answer to (how to make good scrambled eggs). But, I did like all the little guest interviews they included. I jumped over all the meat-based questions/recipes, so maybe I really only read half the book.

[Jonathan H. MONTES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to browse. It's not meant to be read from front to back. It's more of picking a question from the index and having your mind fed with information to make your cooking better next time.

Yes, some of the things are more on the advanced side with fancy names and ingredients that you can only find in Asian food shops/grocery stores. But you will immediately know if that is something for you to read or something to skip for a later time.

The book is simple, not much to tell. I recommend it for the quick reader.

[roxi Net · Rating 4 out of 5]

#FoodIQ #NetGalley

An odd and fun assortment of FAQs regarding food that's packed into one great reference book. My memory isn't the greatest, so I have to keep going back to it to remember certain facts. I would've had an easier time with a different format/layout of the book. Overall, I had a lot of fun learning new info, reading interviews with chefs I'm familiar with, and just enjoying the author's love of food.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book an interesting book that is written for true foodies and people who enjoy cooking, not for the average microwave warrior who doesn't have a ton of cooking skills. The book has some frequently asked food questions, such as whether not it's bad to cook with frozen vegetables. Every question follows with a recipe, but none of them are ones I would make, thus my 3 star rating. It's a very nicely done book with a good layout though.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was interesting to me because it highlighted techniques that are for the most part above my level of skill. I liked the use of definition and instruction followed by a recipe that highlighted what was just covered and would love to try some of the recipes. I'm always interested in learning something new and being inspired to try new things.

[Andreas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heard of this read in a podcast and had it on my lost ever since. Expectations were high, no doubt about it. Unfortunately it wasn’t able to deliver.. there are some interesting insights, for sure. But most of the time it’s text without a lot of content. Most annoying to me are the small interviews..

[Marty Greenwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never reviewed a cookbook. This text, though, was based on 100 questions two chefs either had themselves or perused out of their fans. After each question was a scientific answer with down to earth additions, all filled with humor and biting wit. Then a recipe related to the question was given. Very readable. This is not just a recipe book.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is worth checking out again and again as the information is more than I can grasp at one sitting. Also thought it was interesting how different brands of salt can affect a recipe simply because of how it is processed.

[Tom Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable way to help home cooks transition from foodies to what the authors call “foodies 2.0”. Great questions, knowledgeable answers from decades of experience (from the authors, their friends, and their moms), and accessible recipes.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the questions that were answered interesting and I learned a lot about cooking and food. Most of the recipes that were included weren't things that I would want to try.

[Marianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good basics. Some fussy recipes. Lots of good information.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick fun answers to a variety of questions.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book actually answered a lot of vague food/cooking questions I had floating around my head but never thought to formalize into a Google search.

[Carol Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice format - geared towards people interested in cooking but with not a ton of experience. I did copy a few of the recipes. Enjoyed the question and answer format.

[Lorena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book makes me want to cook, travel and eat. However, that's not a new feeling for me. I wanted to love this book more. I liked it , I learned some stuff. More pictures please!

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book. There were a lot of answers to some questions that I've had about cooking. The recipes seemed interesting as well.