On Food and Cooking
#1015 of 2,654 all-time
On Food and Cooking
Harold McGee
7 people recommended it in 4 threads, 2018–2021.
What people on Hacker News said
An exhaustive reference on the history and science of food and ingredients. Every page has something surprising and useful.
There is a lot of lore behind cooking, people don't always know why they do particular steps in a recipe, that's just how they were taught. It's nice to break down the fundamentals and tweak recipes with that better understanding.
For example, understanding what an emulsion is you can have a better understanding on why hollandaise sauce or mayonnaise breaks, also what acids one can replace when you don't have what a recipe calls for.
On Food and Cooking is a wonderful introduction to practical everyday food science.
Where it comes up
- Ask HN: What are the best textbooks in your field of expertise? 2018 · 3 recommendations
- Ask HN: What, in your opinion, are the greatest and most useful textbooks? 2020 · 2 recommendations
- Ask HN: What's the best book you read in 2021? 2021 · 1 recommendation
- Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time? 2018 · 1 recommendation