What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science

From Booklist
Food-science columnist Wolke returns with a further compilation of his ever-popular and instructive essays on the whys and wherefores of the foods we cook and eat. With verve and elan, he addresses a host of questions and issues that befuddle not just chefs but anyone who cares about the foods we ingest. How old are 1,000-year eggs? How can one cut onions without crying? What makes some mashed potatoes gluey? Why does split-pea soup turn into green cement? Are nitrites really harmful? Is buckwheat a type of wheat? How can I avoid buying adulterated scallops? What is miso? Wolke addresses all such questions with sound scientific information in his punning, idiosyncratic way, which is sure to provoke many a laugh. In sidebars he generates amusing definitions of food terms. Marlene Parrish offers recipes that complement the subjects of Wolke's essays. His too-brief disquisition on the accurate use of language in food writing ought to be required reading for both menu designers and aspiring food journalists. Mark Knoblauch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Mark Kurlansky, author of Salt and Cod
Infectious, informative, and even surprisingly useful.


Jack Bishop, Executive Editor, Cook's Illustrated
Who else can explain the science of braising or the mechanics of heat transfer and still make you chuckle?"


Elinor Klivans author of Big Fat Cookies and Cupcakes!
Wolke's explanations are so well-written that they read like a witty novel, except it is all true.


José Andrés
Bob Wolke has a great talent...that makes this book equally useful for the chef or home cook.


Charles P. Casey, 2004 president of the American Chemical Society and professor of chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Teaches cooks about chemistry, and chemists about food. If you love cooking, chemistry, and puns, this is for you!


Book Description
The scientist in the kitchen tells us more about what makes our foods tick. This sequel to the best-selling What Einstein Told His Cook continues Bob Wolke's investigations into the science behind our foods—from the farm or factory to the market, and through the kitchen to the table. In response to ongoing questions from the readers of his nationally syndicated Washington Post column, "Food 101," Wolke continues to debunk misconceptions with reliable, commonsense answers. He has also added a new feature for curious cooks and budding scientists, "Sidebar Science," which details the chemical processes that underlie food and cooking. In the same plain language that made the first book a hit with both techies and foodies, Wolke combines the authority, clarity, and wit of a renowned research scientist, writer, and teacher. All those who cook, or for that matter go to the market and eat, will become wiser consumers, better cooks, and happier gastronomes for understanding their food. 20 illustrations.


About the Author
Robert L. Wolke is professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh and food-science columnist for the Washington Post. He is the winner of book and journalism awards from the James Beard Foundation and the American Chemical Society, among others. He lives in Pittsburgh.


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Wolke (What Einstein Told His Cook) again brings hard science and corny humor to bear on the most basic of human needs: food. Whether defining the chemical makeup of the artificial flavor in chocolate or exploring the vagaries of scallop farming, Wolke plunges into the science of gastronomy with lan. Using questions gathered from readers of his Washington Post column, he covers the gamut from why tea turns cloudy in the refrigerator (cooling precipitates tiny particles of tannins) to what "mechanically separated beef" is (meat that's been "forced at high pressure through a kind of sieve"). Each question serves as a springboard to a rigorous analysis of food and its preparation and to humorous and bitter ruminations on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation; explorations of the folk history of food cultivation; and expansive descriptions of various world cuisines. Interspersed throughout are mouth-watering recipes written by Wolke's wife, restaurant critic and culinary journalist Marlene Parrish. While at times Wolke's desire to entertain gets the best of him--his overreliance on goofy puns, for example, is tiring--the overall effect of this work is like any great family meal: the savory delights of consuming fine food outweigh whatever irritations come with uninvited guests. 20 illus. Agent, Ethan Ellenberg. (Apr.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.


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