A great combination of science explanation w/ recipes & techniques to illuminate principles & the power of knowledge, eg how lactisole allows more sugar in processed food without it tasting sweeter. One thing nice about this book is that you can open it up anywhere and start reading, you don't need to read it sequentially. The 1st edition is one of my favorite references, and there is even more to like in this 2nd edition.
This 2nd edition is 80 pages larger than the 1st edition, and includes more recipes and section topics. According to the affiliated website, the book is a complete rewrite: I compared several sections side-by-side, and they each section I compared was indeed rewritten, and facts were updated (e.g. dead websites removed, etc.). In a few cases I didn't think the rewrites were improvements, for example, the 1st edition had a recipe for Lime Marmalade which discussed the uses of two different types of pectin, while the 2nd edition had a more general Citrus Marmalade recipe which didn't have as much pectin specifics.
Also, the 2nd edition only has a very general table of contents on one page at the beginning, while the 1st edition has a more detailed multi-page table of contents, so you get a better idea of what kind of information is in this book. (The beginning of each chapter has the detailed contents for just that chapter). Some chapters have been retitled to change the emphasis and order re-arranged.
There are some funny glitches in the production of the 2nd edition. First of all, I hunted in the book for some sort of preface or introduction to the 2nd edition that explained how this edition differs from the 1st, or what motivated its production, but there was nothing. I had to find this information on the web, which seems odd. (You can google for "cookingforgeeks whats-new" to find the list of new topics, or look at the URL I have provided in the first comment below; I've printed this page off and inserted it into my copy). Secondly, both editions have a list of recipes following the table of contents, but the 2nd edition omits the sections of recipes for sauces, and for drinks, which makes it see like the second edition has fewer recipes than the 1st. These are both odd glitches for a 2nd edition that make it seem like the book was rushed into production and components were carelessly left out.
Still, it is a fascinating book that pulls together some information I already had plus teaches me much more about cooking, and provides a bunch of good projects to try out in the next few weeks. And if you already have the 1st condition but are a fan of this book, you will find more to enjoy in the 2nd edition.
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The book and information is interesting. The author explains the why behind many principles experienced cooks incorporate as a matter of course.I ordered one book as a gift, and when it arrived with water damaged, I ordered a second one. It also shows signs of water damage. The cover art is old fashioned, and by design has fake spots, I assume to give the impression of a well-used old fashioned cook book. That's is not what I'm referring to. The actual books show damage that's only caused by being exposed to moisture.
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but this cook book is clearly the engineer-who-wants-to-be-a-chef's best choice. I have learned more about cooking in ...
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MarkUK
Good service, wonderful book and great communication!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 22, 2020Amazon Customer
What an amazing book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 7, 2020Glamy
Love it - great gift: a cook book like no other! Thank
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 26, 2020thelampshade
Thoroughly excellent for the geeky chef
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 9, 2016MrsWizrd
this book is great! Entertaining
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 10, 2015
