The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

by J. Kenji López-Alt Narrated by Mike Chamberlain

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Cooking is science so it’s no wonder that this cookbook, built around the science behind our favorite dishes, is so effective. It still gives you the how to create culinary masterpieces, but now you can have the why as well.

Ever wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!) — and use a foolproof method that works every time?

As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don't work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new — but simple — techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more.

Editorial Reviews

New Republic

"A beautiful behemoth. . . . The Food Lab’s vision of “better home cooking through science”—and, I would add, through the internet—is a convincing one."

Wall Street Journal - Chris Kimball

"The Food Lab is a keeper."

The Chicago Tribune

"You need The Food Lab, as J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s magnum opus is 2015’s most indispensable cookbook."

Seattle Times

"An authoritative, instant-classic reference book that’s also an engaging read."

Washington Post

"[The Food Lab] promises tried-and-tested accuracy, groundbreaking technique and inarguable results. All that, plus humor."

USA Today

"The Food Lab is The Joy of Cooking for the modern cook, and it has something to teach even the most experienced chefs."

San Francisco Chronicle

"Five years in the making, [The Food Lab is] a culmination of the wunderkind’s unlikely ascent into a cultish figure—and the face of a new kind of home cooking."

Wired

"The ultimate book for science nerds who cook."

Los Angeles Times - Russ Parsons

"Loaded with fascinating information…López-Alt gives you enough science for the explanations to make sense, but everything is still firmly rooted in practical home cooking."

Wired

"The ultimate book for science nerds who cook."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170444380
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	10/22/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged

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