bn.com review
The Barnes & Noble Review
Does it ever really get hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk? What's the best way of preventing soda from going flat? Does belching contribute to global warming? You've got questions; Robert Wolke has answers.
Wolke, a chemistry professor emeritus and winner of several food journalism awards, dishes out funny and scientific answers to common questions in this collection of his best "Food 101" columns in The Washington Post. Who says food science can't be fun?
Here's a sample of Wolke's approach:
- Do microwaves change the molecular structure of foods? Answer: "Yes, of course they do. The process is called cooking."
- If corn is a low-fat food, how do they get all that corn oil out of it? Answer: "They use a lot of corn."
- Why do recipes tell us to marinate dishes overnight? Answer: "I'm with you. Why overnight? Are we to believe that daylight somehow interferes with the marinating process? Generally, 'overnight' is intended to mean eight to ten hours."
Wolke tackles many common food mysteries -- why brown sugar hardens (and what to do about it), what's the best way to cook a lobster, and how to boil water the quickest way. He does a great job of debunking common kitchen myths and proves conclusively that you can and should wash mushrooms before cooking them. There's an entire chapter devoted to providing scientific facts about microwaves and other appliances like pressure cookers and induction-heating cooktops.
(Ginger Curwen)
From the Publisher
"Wolke…is one of the great demystifiers of science information…wonderful at answering those vexing food questions you always wondered about but never got around to investigating yourself."— BusinessWeek
"[Wolke]…breathes fun and fact into his work, making this book a good choice for any cook."— Chicago Tribune
"Bob Wolke is that rare mix of lab-coat scientist and raconteur, as if Albert Einstein’s mother had married Rodney Dangerfield’s father. He’s informed, amusing, and delivers clear answers as well as good, in-depth science."— Christopher Kimball, founder and editor of Cook’s Illustrated
"Cooking is a science as much as an art, but the science has never been as easy to understand or as much fun to learn as it is in What Einstein Told His Cook. Bob Wolke makes the wonders of food chemistry accessible and entertaining."— Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics and Unsavory Truth
"Writing clearly about science is difficult; making it funny at the same time is next to impossible. Bob Wolke makes both seem easy. This is a book you’ll enjoy reading as well as learning from."— Russ Parsons, author of How to Read a French Fry
"You’d never think a food science book would be a page-turner, but from the moment I started reading Bob Wolke’s wise, funny, fascinating book, I couldn’t put it down. A must-read."— Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue Bible and The Brisket Chronicles
2003 James Beard Foundation Book Award, Short-listed
