Most home cooking is more alchemy than chemistry -- guesswork simmered with experience and a sprinkle of hope. But understanding why things work (or don't) in the kitchen helps ensure success. Knowing what makes bread rise, how stiff egg whites should be for a soufflé and why some pie crusts are soggy are issues vetted in "The Science of Good Food," by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss with A. Philip Handel (Robert Rose Publishers, 604 pages, $37.95).
This encyclopedic volume, organized from A (acid) through W (wine), is a smorgasbord of fascinating facts, tidbits, recipes and guidance for curious cooks.
In a rapidly growing subcategory of the cookbook shelves, this tome is distinguished by its depth and breadth of information and its easy-to-read format and casual, yet confident tone. It's for everyday cooks like me who struggle to help their eighth-graders with science homework.
Here you'll find explanations for the physical and chemical transformations that govern the success of a hollandaise, along with passages about nutrition, flavor, psychobiology, agriculture and animal husbandry, food safety and even product development. Find out how a sensory scientist might analyze strawberry shortcake; look at the anatomy of an egg.
It offers upbeat recipes that put theory to work. Take the recipe for charred Brussels sprouts. According to the authors, the layer of slightly bitter char on the sprouts balances the concentrated sweetness of the balsamic vinegar used in the recipe (on T2). In my skeptical family, these were a finger-lickin' success. So whip up a cucumber martini, kick back and read about why a cake falls, how to properly brown bacon and what causes bubbles in champagne, while your dinner of cider-braised ribs cooks itself to silky perfection.
Beth Dooley is a Minneapolis author.