The Science of the Oven

Mayonnaise"takes"whenaseriesofliquidsformasemisolidconsistency.Eggs,aliquid,becomesolidastheyareheated,whereas,underthesameconditions,solidsmelt.Whenmeatisroasted,itssurfacebrownsanditacquirestasteandtexture.Whataccountsfortheseextraordinarytransformations?Theanswer:chemistryandphysics.Withhistrademarkeloquenceandwit,HervéThislaunchesawryinvestigationintothechemicalartofcooking.Unravelingthesciencebehindcommonculinarytechniqueandpractice,HervéThisbreaksfooddowntoitsmolecularcomponentsandmatchesthemtocooking'schemicalreactions.Hetranslatesthecomplexprocessesoftheovenintoeverydayknowledgeforprofessionalchefsandcasualcooks,andhedemystifiesthemeaningoftasteandthemakingofflavor.Hedescribesthepropertiesofliquids,salts,sugars,oils,andfatsanddefinestheprinciplesofculinarypractice,whichendowfoodwithsensualaswellasnutritionalvalue.ForfansofHervéThis'spopularvolumesandforthosenewtohiscelebratedapproach,TheScienceoftheOvenexpertlyexpandsthepossibilitiesofthekitchen,fusingthephysiologyoftastewiththemolecularstructureofbodiesandfood.,