On Food and Cooking
Harold McGee's reference on what ingredients are and what heat does to them
Harold McGee's 1984 reference, rebuilt from scratch for the 2004 edition. It works through milk, eggs, meat, plants, sauces and grains. For each one it explains what the thing contains and what acid, heat and time do to it, with the history threaded in. Call it a reference rather than a recipe collection, though it is far more readable than a reference needs to be. Cooks who want the chemistry behind a technique end up here, and most professional kitchens keep a copy on a shelf.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- J. Kenji López-AltRecommends
Chef and food writer · The Food Lab
Harold McGee's book is by far the most referenced on his shelf, he says, and he is on his third copy after wearing out two with heavy use and sticky notes. Dense as a cookbook but very readable, in his description, and the one he treats as necessary for anyone who wants the chemistry.
Source: kenjilopezalt.com: 68 Gifts for Cookbook and Food Writing Lovers“It is by-far the most referenced book on my shelf (I'm on my third copy after destroying the first two with heavy use and post-its)”
kenjilopezalt.com: 68 Gifts for Cookbook and Food Writing Lovers (opens in a new tab)
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Book entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.