But super interesting to dip into if, for example, you want to know how caramelization works, what the difference is between the fermentation of sake and beer, or how the compositions of cow, human, and whale milk compare. We cook them to draw out or disable more undesirable toxins and enzymes and to unlock nutrients, and we dilute toxins in the case of spices and herbs to the point where we find them enjoyable. There has been no book like this since Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion to Food, and there a few books so comprehensive, perspicuous or gracefully written on any subject.

Classic book for the cook who wants to know a little bit more about the science of food and cooking. Many of the reviews I have read about this book suggest that it should be used more as a reference, rather than a reading book.A goldmine of information about every ingredient and cooking process, answering all the questions you will ever have about food.

Some chapters look like they'll be exciting, like the chapter on sauce, but it's pretty much a chapter on the chemistry of thickening reagents. On Food and Cooking is unique, engrossing reading and a major contribution to great culinary literature.I was lucky enough to attend a talk by Harold McGee and he is still just as charming and enthusiastic as he seems in the book. I have used Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking for the last two decades whenever I've had questions on the chemistry of food or to understand some aspect of the cooking process.