The science of good cooking

What Hacker News says

1. sandgiantMay 2023
   Sounds interesting! Do you have a link? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

   I've had decent success with "The Science of Good Cooking"[1].

   [1] https://www.amazon.com/Science-Good-Cooking-Illustrated-Cook...

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2. zdragnarMar 2022
   What are you cooking that you add oil after it is done?

   Also, most of the pro chefs that I have watched will add salt throughout cooking (especially if it is a dish they can taste as they go) to make sure the balance stays right.

   Also, you may be interested in Cook's Illustrated "The Science of Good Cooking"; the book goes through a lot of the "why" behind basic techniques and recipes.

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3. VindicisOct 2018
   I'd also recommend The science of good cooking by Guy Crosby. I found it to be a more enjoyable read than McGee's. Not as technical which was a boon for me since as a home cook there's a lot more information that can be readily skipped.

   For learning to cook: The Professional Chef by the Culinary Institute of America is a great book to learn from. All the recipes will need to be scaled down for home usage which is a bit of a nuisance though. For the home cook, Essentials Of Cooking, The Elements Of Cooking, or How To Cook Everything: The Basics, are all excellent too. I couldn't decide which was the best, so I listed them all!

   For Flavours: The Flavor Bible gives an easy way to look up an ingredient, and see what else would go well with it. Great for creating your own dishes!

   The Flavor Thesaurus gives in-depth information about combinations of ingredients, why they work, and how best to use them. Also recommend the Field guide to herbs and spices which gives more general information about each spice/herb than the Thesaurus. They pair well together.

   The Magic Of Spice Blends is a great recipe book of various spice blends, and information about them, along with showing you how to formulate your own concoctions.

   Pastries and baking: The Professional Pastry Chef: Fundamentals of Baking and Pastry by Bo Friesberg or Baking And Pastry: Mastering The Art And Craft from The Culinary Institute of America. Either or.

   Confections: Chocolates and Confections by Peter Greweling.

   Bread: Either Jeffrey Hamelman Bread: A Baker's book of techniques and recipes or Peter Reinhart The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

   Reference: Dictionary Of Flavors. Literally a Dictionary of anything culinary related. Useful on those rare occasions.

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4. PulcinellaMar 2018
   I’ll also add the recommendations I usually make.

   Anyone interested in learning to cook, Americas Test Kitchen Cooking School (And also Cooks Illustrated Cooking Science and Science of Good Cooking) would probably be good for much of HN's audience. It is much more of a cooking "textbook" than most cookbooks. It explains what you are doing and why you do it instead of just a big list of recipes. There is also Modernist Cuisine but those are really pricey.

   These books tackle the “science” side of cooking rather than your recommendation’s history side. Both are, of course, excellent approaches and are much better than your standard cook book’s vomit of recipes with no context.

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5. PulcinellaApr 2017
   Pretty sure GP means yes. Bread literally just needs flour, salt, yeast, and water. White flour has little to no oil. Whole wheat flour does but the oils to go rancid too quickly. You don't need just-milled whole wheat flour to make good whole wheat bread. White flour doesn't need any added oil.

   Edit: Anyone interested in learning to cook, Americas Test Kitchen Cooking School (And also Cooks Illustrated Cooking Science and Science of Good Cooking) would probably be good for much of HN's audience. It is much more of a cooking "textbook" than most cookbooks. It explains what you are doing and why you do it instead of just a big list of recipes. There is also Modernist Cuisine but those are really pricey.

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6. treehau5Nov 2015
   You would very much enjoy the book, "The Science of Good Cooking" by the same folks who do the show "Americas Test Kitchen"
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