Note-by-Note Cooking: The Future of Food - Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History (Hardback)

Herve This (author), Malcolm DeBevoise (translator)

£20.00

Hardback 272 Pages / Published: 24/10/2014

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Synopsis

Note-by-Note Cooking is a landmark in the annals of gastronomy, liberating cooks from the constraints of traditional ingredients and methods through the use of pure molecular compounds. 1-Octen-3-ol, which has a scent of wild mushrooms; limonene, a colorless liquid hydrocarbon that has the smell of citrus; sotolon, whose fragrance at high concentrations resembles curry and at low concentrations, maple syrup or sugar; tyrosine, an odorless but flavorful amino acid present in cheese-these and many other substances, some occurring in nature, some synthesized in the laboratory, make it possible to create novel tastes and flavors in the same way that elementary sound waves can be combined to create new sounds. Note-by-note cooking promises to add unadulterated nutritional value to dishes of all kinds, actually improving upon the health benefits of so-called natural foods. Cooking with molecular compounds will be far more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable than traditional techniques of cooking. This new way of thinking about food heralds a phase of culinary evolution on which the long-term survival of a growing human population depends. Herve This clearly explains the properties of naturally occurring and synthesized compounds, dispels a host of misconceptions about the place of chemistry in cooking, and shows why note-by-note cooking is an obvious-and inevitable-extension of his earlier pioneering work in molecular gastronomy. An appendix contains a representative selection of recipes, vividly illustrated in color.

Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231164863
Number of pages: 272
Weight: 482 g
Dimensions: 203 x 152 x 28 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

If anyone is going to change the way we cook, it will be him. -- Heston Blumenthal, as quoted in the Observer Taking kitchen science to a whole new (molecular) level, Herve This is changing the way France-and the world-cooks. Gourmet Once again, Herve This makes a compelling case for the science of deliciousness with his latest book, breaking ingredients down into their constituent compounds. Sometimes controversial yet always thought-provoking, such 'note by note' deconstructing of dishes in the pursuit of flavor challenges culinary convention-food for thought on the future of cooking, of interest to both professional chefs and home cooks alike. -- Michael Laiskonis, creative director of the Institute of Culinary Education No matter what level home cook or professional chef you are, Herve This's detailed, scientific approach to the kitchen provides a fascinating perspective on the chemistry of cooking. These notes are useful for chefs and cooks of all levels and an entertaining and practical guide that every chef would benefit from reading. -- Chef Daniel Boulud This... explores the science behind shape, consistency, odor and color, giving readers the knowledge to create their own magnum opus in the kitchen. Discover Keen cooks...will devour the latest work by molecular gastronomist Herve This. New Scientist This writes the way he speaks - with subtle irony, whim and humour, and each of his books, apart from being scientifically revealing, is an almost taste-able and invariably delicious literary delight. Engineering and Technology Inspiring. Chemistry World Valuable for readers interested in how the food system may evolve in the future. Choice