McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture

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Throughout the book you will come across many descriptions of the evolution of techniques and equipment, the reasons for using certain techniques, the evolution of food technology etc.

If you want to know which vegetables were available at the court of Richard II, why fish is white, or the chemical composition of a saturated fat, then this is the book for you.

On Food and Cooking is the classic that weaves together history, science, and practical advice in mesmerizing (really) discussion of every conceivable topic of interest in the kitchen. If the OED had a one night stand with your O-Chem textbook while watching to food network, this would be their lovechild. However, I’ll keep my (much smaller) copy of the 1st edition, because I want to follow how McGee’s thinking has modified and changed over the twenty years between 1984 and 2004.

On Food and Cooking continues to be the most accurate source of information for generations of chefs. But super interesting to dip into if, for example, you want to know how caramelization works, what the difference is between the fermentation of sake and beer, or how the compositions of cow, human, and whale milk compare. Practical information, like how to tell stale eggs from fresh, is liberally sprinkled amid the science and anecdotes. Though other books have now been written about kitchen science, On Food and Cooking remains unmatched in the accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness of its explanations, and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.

The main takeaway I got from this book is the sheer magnitude of how much we as a species shape our food for our diverse and often competing needs and desires, and have for thousands of years. On Food and Cooking pioneered the translation of technical food science into cook-friendly kitchen science and helped birth the inventive culinary movement known as "molecular gastronomy. There are handy little science class diagrams which help clarify and text boxes containing recipes, lore and writing hundreds of years old. Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is the definitive treatise on this subject that both the professional and home cook will absolutely require to move their cooking forward.