Keys To Good Cooking by Harold McGee {book review}

posted on: Wednesday, November 3, 2010



Harold McGee is America's foremost expert on the science of food and cooking. He writes a wonderful and engaging column for the New York Times called "Curious Cook"  and has recently come out with his new book Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes

I was invited by Penguin Press to review this book. As soon as I got it I turned to the Cooking Safely section. As someone who has a tiny kitchen and two tiny kids always in my kitchen I am constantly worried about burns and cuts. It was a good section.

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes is filled with good sections. Resources to help you, I mean us, navigate our kitchens better. Something to guide you when you're trying to select fresh fruits and vegetables, which cuts of meat to buy, how to store and cook with dairy, among other things. 

His writing has me hooked and I finally feel like I understand science a little better through his explanations of why certain foods heat a certain way, are squeezed a certain way, are cooled a certain way, and the overall chemistry of food. I wish he had been my high school chemistry teacher. It probably would of made for a much less miserable sophomore year.

If you live in Santa Cruz, California come hang out with me tonight at Bookshop Santa Cruz. Harold McGee will be here for a book talk, signing, and Q&A. Plus, I heard that there will some yummy food.

If you can't make it I highly recommend watching the first lecture from the Harvard University Science and Cooking Public Lecture series. It's simply phenomenal. 


6 comments:

  1. You're meeting Harold McGee???
    I'm so jealous. I have his classic book.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I think Marc is going, he adores Harold McGee.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lately I have been talking about how much I want to take a food science course...this book may have just been added to my Christmas wish list :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Haven't had a chance to check out McGee's new book but I am sure it is wonderful - his "On Food and Cooking" is a must for any cook!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Damaris, thanks for the heads up on this book. It looks fantastic. And how could I not love anyone who combines food with science? I can't wait to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. wow, sound like a great book, wonder if I can get that here? :) have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails