Table of Contents
Menu
Preface xi
Introduction Culinary Construction 1
The Complexity of the World 2
Appetizers
1 Hard-Boiled Egg with Mayonnaise 5
Heresy! 7
Renewing a Heritage 9
The Birth of Molecular Gastronomy 11
Return to the Kitchen 12
How to Make a "Good" Hard-Boiled Egg 13
Culinary Dictums by the Thousands 14
At What Temperature Is an Egg Cooked? 20
Understanding Phenomena 26
To Be a Cook or a Chemist? 28
And Now for the Mayonnaise 32
A Science for Cooking: Molecular Gastronomy 36
2 Simple Consomme 39
A Site for Sharing New Ideas 40
How to Make a Bouillon 41
A Technical Question 44
Cooking Has Really Changed! 47
Constructing and Learning 51
Main Course
3 Leg of Lamb with Green Beans 55
Flavor and Culture 55
Culinary Innovation 56
To Grill or to Braise 60
The Color of Green Beans 61
Transmitting Knowledge 64
Moderation in All Things 68
4 Steak and French Fries 71
Constructing a Dish 71
The Question of Steak 73
Should Meat Be Salted Before, During, or After Cooking? 74
Science and Diet 77
Good for Your Health? 78
Preparing French Fries 80
Deserts
5 Lemon Meringue Pie 83
On Love in Cooking 84
What Do Humans Eat? 88
Pies, Fats, and Sugars 89
The Lemon Custard Filling 93
The Meringue 94
The Art of the Lecture 96
6 A New Kind of Chocolate Mousse 99
Chantilly Chocolate 101
Novelty: Between Desire and Fear 103
What Will We Eat Tomorrow? 105
Health, Food Safety, and Flavor 108
Looking Ahead 109
Note-by-Note Cooking 110
Reforming Education 111
Culinary Constructivism 113
Constructing a Menu 116
The Unending Conversation 118
Artisans and Artists 119
Index 123
