The Thermochemical Joy of Cooking 275
daeley writes "Wired has a feature on Alton Brown, host of FoodNetwork's Good Eats and favorite chef of geek foodies everywhere: The Thermochemical Joy of Cooking. AB has his own website, of course, and his own blog, of course. (If you are familiar with Alton's distinctive delivery, you can hear his voice as you read. My only complaint is that he doesn't write anywhere near often enough.) He's also been interviewed on Slashdot. From the Wired article: 'Brown, 41, is a culinary hacker, the poster boy for a movement that's coming to a boil in kitchens across America. The essence: Cooking is a science, not an art, informed by chemistry, physics, and biology. "Everything in food is science," Brown says. "The only subjective part is when you eat it."'"
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
A similar book with recipes (Score:4, Informative)
If you like this, (Score:1, Informative)
You might also want to check out.. (Score:2, Informative)
I've only eaten at his brasserie, but the food was superb. This chap knows what he's doing.
Another GREAT Q&A with Alton Brown (Score:4, Informative)
You Miss the Point (Score:3, Informative)
If all his show does is make people think about their equipment and help them get over their fear of getting that ol' wok extra-freaky-hot, he's done more than any other TV chef I've ever seen.
Re:finally! (Score:2, Informative)
Alton Brown does rock though.
I am a Food Scientist (Score:2, Informative)
i can't count how often something i've tried in the kitchen that chemically and scientifically should have worked fine, but in the end came out curdled, or tasteless, or fallen.
Don't blame science for your shortcomings in the kitchen. Watching Good Eats will eventually give you a better idea of what went wrong. If you really want to learn to cook, read a book on Cordon Bleu techniques
By far the best part of Good Eats is the entertainment value - AB has a background in film, and it shows. If you really want to learn about food science, come to Cornell [cornell.edu]. Also check out the IFT [ift.org].
Other chemists in the kitchen (Score:3, Informative)
For example, James Peterson (chef, author, and recipient of numerous James Beard awards) studied chemistry at Berkeley before engaging in culinary studies at Le Cordon Bleu, and that was more than thirty years ago. In his books and classes, he applies and encourages such topics as understanding of emulsification, the importance of pH balance, how to adjust yoghurt with microbes, the chemistry of caramelization, and so on. His cookbooks are a revelation for those serious about the culinary arts.
I'm a fan of Alton Brown's emphasis on kitchen science, but in its portrayal of his work Wired demonstrates its typically superficial take on science and technology as seen through the pop-culture lens, and fails to put Brown's contribution into a relevant context.
Cookery book by scientist (Score:2, Informative)
It has really helped improve my cooking.