Reddit reviews Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
We found 63 Reddit comments about Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The Cooking Lab
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking for sure.
When we were first dating, my wife baked a lot and had this cookbook set
on her Amazon wishlist. It's basically a set of cooking textbooks for $500. They're really cool (showing the science behind cooking and all), but I couldn't afford it on my own.
I split the cost with my parents and got it for her for Xmas that year. It's been sitting on our kitchen counter for about four years now, but maybe some day she'll get bored and dust them off?
I can't believe noone has mentioned Modernist Cuisine.
Thousands of pages of cooking science, history, and techniques.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernist_Cuisine
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-The-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
Give sous vide a try--it's the gateway drug of modernist techniques, because you really only need a probe thermometer, freezer bags, a pot of water, and maybe an oven to do it. It'll let you know just how worth it the whole world of modernist techniques are. And then you'll feel compelled to actually get an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer to do it easier as you become increasingly addicted to it.
Things that are helpful for modernist techniques but aren't particularly esoteric and won't break the bank: A steel plate, propane blow torch from the hardware store, whipping siphon, pressure cooker. The next step is chemistry, which means thickeners (carageenan and agar agar were my first purchases) and gels (sodium alginate and calcium chloride), and recently I picked up some meat glue (transglutaminase). After that it's buying expensive lab equipment to feed your habit, which I haven't stepped into yet [because I don't have a house for it]. I want a pacojet.
As for resources, my first book was Cooking for Geeks, then the Modernist Cuisine book set from Nathan Myhrvold (and have it signed by him "For Science!") which is the bible, but free options include their website, Seattle Food Geek, molecular recipes, this YouTube playlist from Harvard and the usual science-based cooking resources like Good Eats, America's Test Kitchen, and Chef Steps.
We try to shy away from cookbook recommendations, but you will hear it any number of times:
Harold McGee is pretty much the standard tome for a scientific approach to the cooking process. If you can get through most of On Food and Cooking you are doing pretty damn good.
The only major step up from that would be the more exhaustive and much more expensive, 50 lb, 6 volume set called Modernist Cuisine
Edit: words are hard
The pathogens are entirely on the exterior unless the steak gets punctured or the animal is sick and shouldn't be used for food. Source: The Art and Science of cooking. Basically an enormously wealthy cooking enthusiast set up a kitchen lab with staff and created a fine dining molecular science cookbook. Basically The Mythbusters of cookbooks. It's why rare and blue steaks can be eaten and people don't get ill. Also covers the egg myth, meaning all eggs in the U.S. unless farmers market/farm procured have to be pasteurized which is why an egg with a clean shell used for cookie dough can be eaten and not make people sick. These are things readers shouldn't attempt without reading the book and have kitchen experience focusing on how not to cross contaminate or contaminate the food you're working with and knife skills though. Food handled improperly can be extremely dangerous. https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
IT billionaire, Nathan Myhrvold, created a cookbook that costs $478 on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007#
If I was an aspiring chef, I'd want it.
Well, I'm not an aspiring chef, I've already been one, and I've read my share of professional cookbooks, but I still want it. It takes the science of cooking to a level never before visited by any other author/s of cookbooks.
For me, personally, the only cookbook(s) I can think of that I'd be interested in that I don't own is Modernist Cuisine, just because of the price.
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen –
by Harold McGee
is the bible.
Also Modernist Cuisine
The cookbook is on sale for $461, and that burger takes 30+ hours to make, so uh, let me know how it turns out!
That's the At Home version which is highly abbreviated for home cooking.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0982761015/ref=pd_aw_fbt_14_img_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=14N2Q5DGXA1VKQ9XD196
Vs
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
In case you're wondering, I believe that all of these "food cooking cut in half" pictures are from Modernist Cuisine: The Art of Science and Cooking by Nathan Myhrvold.
If you love to read, then I completely back up those who recommended J Kenji Lopez-Alt's "The Food Lab". He also spends some time on /r/seriouseats, which I think is really great. Food Lab is great because it explains not only HOW to make a recipe, but the WHY a recipe works the way that it does, and allows you to expand your cooking skills. His is not the only book that does this, but I've read Salt Fat Acid Heat and The Science of Cooking and a good portion of the tome that is Modernist Cuisine, but Kenji's style of writing is exceptionally approachable.
But my actual suggestion to someone who wants to go from never cooking to cooking healthy meals at home is to watch the recipes on Food Wishes, because he shows you what each step of the recipe is supposed to look like, and his food blog is not filled with flowery stories, but helpful tips.
Another great online resource that I used when I started cooking about 5 years ago was The Kitchn. They offer up basic technique videos on how to cook proteins and vegetables that are really simple to follow for beginners.
My advice to you is this: don't feel like you need to dive immediately into recipes. First learn how to season and cook a chicken breast or steak consistently, and roast the different kinds of vegetables. Then just start jumping into recipes that you want to try. And don't be afraid to ask questions here :)
Source.
Beautiful pictures of things cut in half in there. Just google for more examples.
> Molecular Gastronomy
It helps to not call it that. It's misleading and doesn't describe what's being done. Most in the industry shy away from that phrase. Modernist cuisine is more accepted these days.
As for modernist chefs, others have mentioned Blumenthal. I'll list a few for you to look into:
I'm obviously missing a ton of chefs. Due to the history of El Bulli/Adria, there's a lot of modernist cuisine in various places in Spain. The above is by no means comprehensive, but just what I'm remembering off the top of my head as an American.
But on modernist cuisine, the real exceptional chefs are the ones that use them as tools in their trade, instead of doing modernist techniques just for the sake of them. I've had way too many meals where they'd have a component of a dish where they probably thought it'd be cool and hip, but ended up adding absolutely nothing to the dish (Foams are a big problem here).
For modernist cuisine, it really helps to go out to eat and experience it for yourself. Trying to execute without having experienced it is like trying to play Beethoven without any experience hearing it played by others before. This will actually likely be a small price to pay, given the $$$$$ you'll be sinking into equipment. When dining, feel free to ask questions. Waiters at most of these fine dining-ish establishments will know their shit, and will go ask the cooks/chef if they don't know the answer off-hand.
There's also a lot of reading to be done, and you'll end up with just techniques to apply. But with it, you'll be able to do amazing things. For books, The Bible here is Modernist Cuisine, the 50-lb, 6 volume, 2400 page behemoth (at $500, again cheap compared to equipment). You can sometimes find it in libraries if the price tag is an issue. Don't skip to the recipes. Read each one cover to cover (and possibly in order), because learning the science behind everything is more important than following recipes.
You won't find much video, because modernist stuff just isn't food-porn friendly. You tend to not have food sizzling on a hot pan and such. A lot of modernist cuisine is done with extreme restraint and focus, and frequently the results are way more interesting in the mouth than visually.
But really, modernist cuisine is a means to an end. They're using it as a tool to create an experience that likely isn't possible using traditional means. But, the important thing is the experience, and not how it was technically achieved.
It's a pretty large book (6 volumes, ~300 pages each) and thus the chapter on food safety is itself pretty extensive.
Long story short, there are ways to calculate the remaining proportion of bacteria relative to initial amounts. A 6.5D reduction means there are 1/10^6.5 times the amount of bacteria in the item after cooking, a number which is considered safe.
FDA cooking temperatures and times disregard that, and instead specify temperatures that are way too high, leading to dry and bland meats.
Screenshot of a relevant graph. The grey line is the 6.5D threshold.
If you want, the book is available on Amazon or on more "shady" websites.
I would get you this book: https://www.amazon.ca/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
Cooking does have similar parrallels to science. I graduated with a degree in molecular biology and cooking is definitely a favorite hobby of mine. however, the concept of learning the theory of cooking has only been relatively recent because it has been largely looked down on as "women's work" for a long time.
plus I dare you to read modernist cuisine and not get a science boner
Also chemistry is basically applied physics as well so if you're going with that argument then chemistry must not be a science in your eyes either.
If you have a limitless budget, Modernist Cuisine is great. It's a 5 book collection and the photography is beautiful. The first book is about history and fundamentals. The whole series is incredibly thorough, bordering on obsessive.
The mac and cheese recipe from Modernist Cusiine is supposed to be phenomenal.
>As for the mac & cheese: it was both the best and the easiest I've ever made. No gloppy sauce, remarkably intense cheese flavor (you get the "flavor release" concept when you eat it), and the pasta absorbs it thoroughly.
Basically, the difficulty in mac and cheese is that you want the cheese to be both creamy/melty and delicious. The problem is, there isn't much overlap there. Cheeses that melt really well aren't delicious (Velveeta) and cheeses that are delicious don't remain creamy when melted (Cheddar, Gouda, etc).
The typical solution to this is to take good cheese, and then use some roux to add to the melted cheese to make it creamy. This works (as is evident in her recipe). However, it's not perfect. You need a fair amount of roux which dilutes the flavor of the cheese.
Nathan Myhyrvold and his team avoid using the roux by creating an emulsification of the cheese by melting it with beer, iota carrageenan and sodium citrate. That pretty much turns whatever cheese blend you are using into something that melts like Velveeta. They use similar techniques to make home made cheeze whiz out of real cheese.
The end product people are describing as steps beyond any other mac and cheese they've ever had in terms of the cheese flavor. There is also a 'flavor release' that everyone mentions that makes sense when you try it.
I'd give you first hand impressions but Amazon hasn't shipped my book yet :(
It's from the book Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
Freakonomics blogpost
Amazon OOP page for book
oooh thanks!
Is he the dude who wrote the stupidly expensive science of cooking books? (seems not but similar concept...) If I at somepoint in my life I happen to have £400 free and accessible I think they'd be a very interesting read!
Unless you have $500 to drop on Modernist Cuisine, On Food and Cooking is as good as it gets.
The modernist cuisine cookbook series. I don't even ever expect to own this, but it is sooo tempting.
Another book set you might consider is:
Nathan Myhrvold's Modernist Cuisine.
Wikipedia Link
Amazon Link
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
Can't get much more sciencey than this: https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
If you want something more reasonably priced, this is a good read: https://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-Science-Lore-Kitchen/dp/0684800012
I don't know much about it, but as far as I know Modernist Cuisine: the art and science of cooking is supposed to be a modernist Bible.
Edit: Modernist Cuisine at Home is probably more suitable for your needs though.
Do you mean Modernist Cuisine? That came out in 2011.
Nathan Myhrvold (Microsoft CTO turned food scientist) just came out with his self published Modernist Cuisine.
Each copy uses 4 pounds of ink.
You might want to pick it up if you have $500 laying around.
It should be molecular gastronomariffic.
I have not listened to this particular episode of This American Life. I pretty much know little to nothing about this Nathan Myhrvold. With that said however, I do want to point out that this particular guy's downfalls may not necessarily contribute to the actual content of these books. From a strictly culinary point of view, his books have been endorsed/advertised by the likes of Ferran Adria, David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, and Harold McGee (yes, the same person that everyone has offered as an alternative to this book). These are chefs that a lot of "foodies" highly regard so their opinions might attest to the quality of these books? Also, this may be a stretch but Heigegger's morally questionable life decisions does not necessarily detract from how great some of his philosophical works were.
It might not sound like it makes sense what BaconGiveMeALardon said, but it's true. If you can get your hands on Modernist Cuisine then you can read more about cooking with woks. To sum it up, you need a lot of heat all the time. The Veggies on the bottom cook really fast, as soon as they are in contact with the metal. If you aren't careful, you can burn the food easily. That's why wok cookers always toss the food in the air, that way the hot steam also cooks the veggies higher up while at the same time not letting those on the bottom burn. Here's a pic I found from the book detailing the way a wok cooks food. You have to basically heat up the skillet to around 750 °C / 1400 F, and for that you need a flame 25 times more powerful than a typical home appliance can offer.
For a long time I tried to figure out a way to get wok cooking done at home. I thought of buying a portable wok cooking system hooked up to a propane tank. That was too much of a hassle, though. I will have to enjoy woked meals in restaurants, I suppose.
Over $400 on Amazon
Sure, no problem! Here are some of my favorite resources.
The web site SeriousEats.com has a lot of good posts. Specifically, I like this guy's work. He puts in the research to really refine techniques. Some of this is cooking is "elaborate," but not overly so:
http://www.seriouseats.com/user/profile/Goodeaterkenji
And, he has a really good cook book:
http://www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab
https://www.chefsteps.com/ is amazing. You want elaborate? This is the place. there's even a term for it: modernist cuisine. These guys have a lot of free content, but there's also a premium membership (one time purchase) which gets you access to a vast amount of videos, with more being made all the time.
Here is a related cookbook, which is stellar:
http://modernistcuisine.com/books/modernist-cuisine-at-home/
The above book is the "at home" version. This is the FULL version, including recipes that require lab equipment like centrifuges! You want elaborate? This is the pinnacle of elaborate cooking. Yes, it is like $500!
https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
Into BBQ or grilling? Meathead's your man and his site is full of no-BS guides. He also has a cookbook but just the site will keep you busy for a long time:
http://amazingribs.com/
If you want to get started in fancier cooking I strongly recommend getting a sous vide apparatus, such as this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Sansaire-Sous-Immersion-Circulator-Black/dp/B00KSFAB74
Sous vide is an entirely new (to you!) way to cook and you can do things with it that are not possible in other ways. All of the "modernist" cooking guides out there use it heavily. There are many options for the hardware at all price points... Anova gear sometimes goes on sale for $100-150.
Here's a specific easy modernist recipe you can try. It benefits from, but does not require, a sous vide machine... they tell you how to make do without one. If you think this looks fun, ChefSteps will be your new addiction.
https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/sous-vide-salmon--2
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0982761007/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1342108151&sr=8-1 this right here.
What about a copy of modernist cuisine?
Also, I like the class idea. And you two could maybe go together?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0982761007?pc_redir=1404527466&robot_redir=1
It's just a teaser, they'll cover both traditional and modern techniques. The creators were part of the Modernist Cuisine team, so that's probably why they decided to feature sous-vide for their teaser videos (because that's what they're known for).
> When you first make the switch to homemade food, you begin to appreciate bitter flavors.
I would argue that you don't appreciate the bitter flavors, you just become tolerant. The real problem outstanding for all of this is that processed food just tastes way better, with a small nod to the neuro effects of simple carbohydrates. It's a problem without any great solutions. I think the only real success we'll have in the long term is just improving the nutritional quality of processed food while maintaining the tricks learned in the past to actually get people to eat the darn stuff. We're never going to make any progress telling people to eat the "healthy" stuff that typically costs more, takes longer to prepare, and absolutely tastes inferior (ever tried whole wheat pancakes?). We've tried preaching to consumers for decades and it has done nothing to slow the obesity epidemic.
I digress a little but basically I don't mind when people choose not to consume more processed food, my issue is when they get a huge chip on their shoulder and rant about how gross it is, but they are simply incorrect. There is a lot of interesting discussion about this subject in Nathan Myhrvold's Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. Great books that reads a lot like a science text book on food.
Edit:links
The god of future cooking - Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. I want so bad! This will be the book reflecting my foodculture.
Kaikkien kokkikirjojen äiti: Modernist cuisine https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
25kg täyttä asiaa. Löytyy myös pdfnä netistä.
"Modernist cuisine" has a real and interesting BBQ bias in every book. Evidently the cost of those books can be a deterrent to say the least. Harold McGee covers the chemistry of smoking and grilling but not necessary related to the BBQ equipment.
The main issue with barbecuing is that it is usually perform outside with natural fuel (wood and charcoal) and the smoke is generated from natural source too (wood). All these things are impossible to scientifically control even less reproduce (don't we all know that: "but honey I did the exact same thing last week. And it was good!").
Outside temp, air humidity, wind velocity, humidity content of charcoal and wood, surface to weight ration of combustible material, surface to weight ratio of smoking material, inside reflectivity of bbq and then apply all these variables to the meat itself and you know why BBQ is mainly an art and no so much a science.
And you know what: That's why it's fun!
No, they're actually right. This isn't a book for reading.. It's high falutin' decor. I've spent a lot of money on high quality print books like this. They aren't going to print a hell of a lot of these things, and when you're talking about making something of this quality, it just costs a fuck of lot to do. If you wanted to replicate this thing yourself, it would likely cost you a good bit more at the printers.
There's always the $600 cookbook.
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
Modernist Cuisine at Home
Is this from the Anarchist's Modernist Cookbook?
I've heard that the Modernist Cuisine books were very good however they are quite pricy. The cheaper one is the PDF version of those books but the hardcover one I saw listed for over $500.
There is a cheaper Modernist Cuisine at Home for about $100 hardcover.
Everyone else suggested ChefSteps and I have been using that. Get the premium membership.
All links are non affiliated.
I could never afford the book, but I heard an interview with the guys who did this book http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-The-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007 and they said it was more like one hour.
It's all about cooker temperature, outside meat temperature, and condensation. In the same way that water vapor condenses on a cold glass but not a warm one, smoke condenses on cold meat but not as much on warm meat. They were also talking about pork. I have murdered beef with smoke before, so I can guarantee that I didn't do it in the first hour, I needed some help in the subsequent 10 hours.
You don't need to, but it can come in handy. If you are interested in what goes on under the lid, get this book. Truly breathtaking photography, great writing and all the information you'll ever need.
The [Modernist Cuisine](https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3N7LB10S5PIHV&keywords=modernist+cuisine&qid=1568141180&s=gateway&sprefix=modernist%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-3) books have won awards for their amazing photography. There is also an At-Home version for less $$$. Both have fabulous photography that I think would fascinate a kid. I think there are also books that contain just the photography for less $$$, but not sure about that.
Volume 4 of Modernist Cuisine, https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007, has many handy charts for starches and other hydrocolloids. Most are in percentages, but there are enough example recipes in there to learn about how to use and work with percentages.
You might be interested in this
And the related articles I'm sure you can find via google. Myrhvold has done some remarkable job researching and collection information about the science of cooking.
I never specified where I wanted it shipped to, that was just an assumption you made. The fact is not everyone lives in the USA, so you need to assume that US shipping doesn't apply to everyone.
As for the actual shipping cost. If I can get this - http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322550804&sr=8-1 shipped to Australia from the USA for ~$20, you really start thinking someone is making a killing off these shipping fees along the way.
Here's a $500 cookbook.
I'll buy your copy of Myrhvold's The Art and Science of Cooking, or just borrow it until you can make some bespoke shelving. I'll pay shipping costs.
Not gadgets, but look into the Modernist Cuisine books: https://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
Obviously not all at once because of cost, but look into maybe getting a kindle and the digital version or something similar 😂
Or just go to a store, browse through the books and look for neat gadgets to get (as suggested in the books).
Don't know your budget, but this one looks like fun: http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-The-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007
http://www.amazon.com/The-Science-Cooking-Peter-Barham/dp/3540674667
Explains science behind cooking methods
http://www.amazon.com/Modernist-Cuisine-Art-Science-Cooking/dp/0982761007/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406300067&sr=1-2&keywords=Modernist+Cuisine
Best of all haven't read but i just know it is the most best and complete book
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=le%20cordon%20bleu&sprefix=le+cordon+%2Cstripbooks&rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3Ale%20cordon%20bleu
Explains classic recipes and techniques
If you have an extra $450 to spend. I would greatly recommend this book: Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking
http://amzn.com/0982761007
(Or just search the internet cause that shit is expensive!)
EDIT: Awesome making of video: http://vimeo.com/24902737
I usually tell people to check out How to Cook Without a Book. It has some recipes, but it's more about giving readers a better understanding of techniques, how to put something together from what you already have on hand, and what things you should just keep around at all times because of their usefulness. As opposed to a lot of books I've seen that give a list of things to buy which will then need to be prepped with tools you might not have.
edit: If you got money to spend and really dig the art and science of cooking there is also Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. At just under $550 USD it's the most expensive and most beautiful cookbook I've ever seen.
For that kinda cash, I'd rather get this