The New Kitchen Science: A Guide to Know the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen [Paperback]

Howard Hillman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2003

In this revised and updated edition of the book that thousands of cooks have turned to when they have a question, the science authority Howard Hillman provides the latest findings about everything from cooking methods, equipment, and food storage to nutrition and health concerns.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This updated edition of a kitchen essential provides the answers to all the culinary questions that can leave cooks scratching their heads. Hillman reveals, for example, how microwave ovens work (a tube within the oven causes food molecules to vibrate, which causes friction, which in turn causes heat), why percolated coffee can taste bitter (usually because it's been boiled for far too long) and why crustaceans taste sweeter than fish (their flesh contains more of a compound that converts into simple sugars). Divided into sections-including Cooking Methods, Baking, Seasonings, Food Storage, and Health and Nutrition-this authoritative and sprightly volume will have anyone who's interested in cookery sighing, "Aha!" Hillman begins with a list of the all-too-familiar "mistakes good cooks make," which points to explanations for why those eggs went rubbery, that batch of ice cream turned icy and the roast mysteriously shrunk. He also offers "Principle-Illustrating Recipes" (e.g., two vinaigrette preparations, one truly emulsified and therefore superior) and kitchen experiments (e.g., one that demonstrates the "strange, distinct flavor" that results from the chemical reaction between salt and MSG). Written with friendly reassurance and designed logically and thoughtfully, this compendium of questions and answers is a must for the kitchen shelves of curious cooks everywhere.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Howard Hillman is the author of more than twenty-five books on food and wine. He has contributed articles to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Food & Wine as well as other distinguished publications.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books; Rev Upd edition (February 19, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061824963X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618249633
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #223,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Introduction to Kitchen Lore. Not Best Science, January 7, 2005

By 

B. Marold "Bruce W. Marold" (Bethlehem, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Kitchen Science: A Guide to Know the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen (Paperback)

`The New Kitchen Science' by culinary journalist Howard Hillman is a new edition of a 20 year old book which uses the question and answer format common to a lot of cooking advice books. One small problem is that this format is not the best approach to presenting `science' in that science is a body of theories and explained phenomena the understanding of which facilitates applying knowledge to understanding new situations. So, if a book just answers questions, the ability to extend the answers to new situations may not be as good as other expository approaches. That said, I have to say that like Robert L. Wolke's `What Einstein told His Chef', this book may be more accessible to many readers than other conventional writers on the subject such as Harold McGee's works and `The Science of Cooking' by Bristol University (UK) don Peter Barham.

One thing a widely read foodie may want to consider is that they may have already seen most of the material in this book in the volumes cited above. This is not to say this book does not contain some new material, but a devoted reader of Shirley Corriher and Alton Brown may find this new material a bit sparse.

For the reader with little experience with food science reading, I caution you that there are some statements in this book, which are scientifically incorrect. This may be a small point, since the errors are not likely to interfere with your practical cooking, but they may interfere with your ability to extend your knowledge to new situations, which is the whole point of the scientific inquiry in the first place. The first error I noticed is the statement that when a water / alcohol mixture is boiled, the alcohol will all boil off, leaving just water. One of the first things a freshman chemistry student learns is that this is not true. It is true that more alcohol will evaporate than water, until the alcohol and water attain equilibrium. Admittedly, the alcohol will be reduced to a very small level, but it is still there. This is important if someone has physical or religious problems with any alcohol. The second error I noticed is the use of the term `dissolved' when referring to the mixing of flour with water. The proper term here is `suspension', not `solution'. In some ways, this is a more serious error, as suspensions behave much differently than solutions, and the two states are pervasive in cooking techniques, so it is important to know the differences in behavior between the two states.

After all that nit picking, I can still recommend this as a really worthwhile source of information whereby one can improve your cooking, especially for the reasonable paperback price. One especially valuable feature of this book is the excellent bibliography which gives references for all the authors and works mentioned above except for Alton Brown, and a whole lot more.

If you really need to have fun with your reading about food science, I recommend `The Cook Book Decoder or Culinary Alchemy Explained' by retired Canadian professor of Chemistry, Arthur E. Grosser. This book has the added virtue of being great to pass food knowledge on to kids.

The claim to `science' in this book's title is a bit tarnished, but if you are new to foodie science, this book will give you lots of useful information and tell you how to avoid a lot of kitchen pitfalls.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative, March 16, 2007

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New Kitchen Science: A Guide to Know the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen (Paperback)

This book is a cyclopedia of how stuff works in the kitchen. It is written in question-and-answer format, addressing numerous kitchen topic, like "Which is better, rock or sea salt?" and "What's wrong with farmed fishes?". The book is divided into chapters addressing cooking equipment, cooking methods, meats, seafood, dairy products, eggs, fruits and vegetables, sauces and thickeners, seasonings, oils and fats, baking, beverages, food storage, health and nutrition, and diets. It includes a list of references for further reading, and index. It is clearly not a cookbook, but there are a few recipes for basic home cooking scattered here and there for illustration of principles.

This book would make a handy kitchen reference. Want to know the different cooking and nutritional properties of various oils? Check the tables found in this book. Trying to choose some new cookware for your kitchen? Read this book, and you'll learn why professional chefs prefer stainless steel pots with copper bottoms for many kitchen tasks. A few topics are covered superficially, such as vegetarian diets, where the author notes that vegetarians can get all essential amino acids through combining different foods at meals, but he doesn't note that getting enough vitamin B12 while avoiding animal products requires extra effort. While most of the information is up-to-date, perhaps a few articles could do with some revisions, such as the entry on taste buds, in which Hillman describes the old theory on the zone distribution of taste buds, which recent research has put into question.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, easy, and fun reference!, February 27, 2009

By 

GMO (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Kitchen Science: A Guide to Know the Hows and Whys for Fun and Success in the Kitchen (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book! I found it practical, well organized, easy to access and understand, and engaging. Its format of Q&A makes it great to break into whatever blocks of time become available, and is a natural resource for the kitchen. Note: I almost burned some hors d'oeuvres because I got carried away with the section I was reading!

I basically carried it around with me for 2 weeks -- catching 10 mins on the bus, 4 mins on the subway platform, 10 mins in the bathroom, 20 mins while waiting for my roasted asparagus to brown (after washing my hands, of course). I took it to restaurants to fill in the time while dining solo. Repeatedly I was asked from strangers about the book, and their quick scans of the pages prompted many identical reactions: "This is so cool!"

My thoughts exactly. I just received the similar in genre "The Science of Food" during the recent holidays, so I have a basis for comparison. The two are both good resources to have, but meet different needs. With its smaller size, easy Q&A format, and tons of useful information, "The New Kitchen Science" is a handy, enjoyable resource that makes it fun to pick up many many many nuggets of useful information.

I already bought another one as a gift for a foodie friend with limited time, and have the title in my Gift List at the ready in case other gift needs arise.