How to Read a French Fry
by Russ Parsons · first published 2001
5mentions
3recommended by
3HN commenters
2013–2024first – last mentioned
100% recommend
You'll learn why soaking beans can't offset their gaseous effects, why green vegetables shouldn't be cooked under a lid for long, which fruits you can buy unripe and which you should buy fully ripened, which thickener to choose for your turkey gravy, which piecrust is foolproof for a beginner. Along the way, Parsons slips in hundreds of cooking tips, provocative trivia, and touches of wit that make his scientific explanations go down smoothly. He also includes more than a hundred recipes that deliciously exemplify the principles he describes, from Tuscan Potato Chips and Crisp-Skinned Salmon o
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For anyone interested in a broader look at the science of cooking I strongly recommend 'How to read a french fry' by Russ Parsons. It explains equally important factors like the need for natural soaps (surfactants) in the oil as it breaks down, for that perfect color. If you've ever tried to fry something until…
on “How to Make Perfect Thin and Crisp French Fries (2010)” ↗Love the line: "Russ Parsons, author of “How to Read a French Fry”, says “Not soaking them [beans], really improves the flavor I’ve found.”" Thanks nkurz for posting. Great read.
on “Common Bean Myths (2006)” ↗Another possibly useful book, How to Read a French Fry, by Russ Parsons. It's a scientific exploration of food and cooking. https://www.worldcat.org/title/how-to-read-a-french-fry-and-...
on “Ask HN: How do you decide what to eat/mealplan?” ↗How to Read a French Fry is the book which introduced the idea of a science of cooking to me. I'd caught a 2001 interview on Fresh Air at the time, which is available by the Fresh Air Archive: <https://freshairarchive.org/segments/russ-parsons>…
on “Julia Child's Kitchens” ↗There was a book published ... years ago ... author interviewed on Fresh Air circa 2001. Let me see if I can track it down.... Russ Parsons, How to Read a French Fry, 2001. https://www.worldcat.org/title/how-to-read-a-french-fry-and-... Interview: https://freshairarchive.org/segments/los-angeles-times-food-...
on “Baking Bread: The Chemistry of Bread-Making” ↗