I can't believe I read the whole thing! This is a reference book, not really meant to be read cover to cover. A lot of great information about how cooking works, but not much fun to read, honestly. ( )

This was just too basic for me. The book is very thorough and would probably be good for a new cook. ( )

Not a cookbook in the usual sense, but tips for techniques and the why they work the way the work, from our pre-eminent food scientist. More user-friendly than his masterful On Food and Cooking. ( )

I make no bones about it, I regard McGee as a culinary demigod. For years I have been in awe of the scholarship that informs On Food and Cooking.

His new publication is a distillation of that wisdom, applied to the practicalities of cooking just about anything (and that includes selecting and storage of produce). Of course I already know some of it, but not always the scientific explanations. And there's plenty that's new to me. This book will help you get the best out of a recipe, or improve one that doesn't quite work. Food for thought! ( )

My favorite food scholar. ( )