The science of good cooking

Name: The science of good cooking
ISBN: 1933615982

by Guy Crosby · first published 2012

7mentions

5recommended by

6HN commenters

2015–2023first – last mentioned

83% recommend17% neutral

Why HN recommends it

Explains the reasons behind basic cooking techniques in an accessible, less technical way than McGee; suits home cooks who want to understand why recipes work.

Summarised by Claude from recommending comments

Food, Travel & Lifestyle

In this radical new approach to home cooking, science is used to explain what goes on in the kitchen. Unlike other food science books, this is a direct and practical connection between the science and the cooking divided into 50 core principles.

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View on Open Library ISBN 1933615982

Mentions per year

What Hacker News says

Pulcinella · Mar 7, 2018 · Recommends

I’ll also add the recommendations I usually make. Anyone interested in learning to cook, Americas Test Kitchen Cooking School (And also Cooks Illustrated Cooking Science and Science of Good Cooking) would probably be good for much of HN's audience. It is much more of a cooking "textbook" than most cookbooks. It explains what you are doing and why you do it instead of just a big list of recipes.…
on “The Dirty Secret of ‘Secret Family Recipes’” ↗
Vindicis · Oct 1, 2018 · Recommends

I'd also recommend The science of good cooking by Guy Crosby. I found it to be a more enjoyable read than McGee's. Not as technical which was a boon for me since as a home cook there's a lot more information that can be readily skipped. For learning…
on “Ask HN: What are the best textbooks in your field of expertise?” ↗
sandgiant · May 23, 2023 · Recommends

Sounds interesting! Do you have a link? I can't seem to find it anywhere. I've had decent success with "The Science of Good Cooking"[1]. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Science-Good-Cooking-Illustrated-Cook...
on “Why do recipe writers lie and lie about how long it takes to caramelize onions?” ↗
Pulcinella · Apr 28, 2017 · Recommends

…make good whole wheat bread. White flour doesn't need any added oil. Edit: Anyone interested in learning to cook, Americas Test Kitchen Cooking School (And also Cooks Illustrated Cooking Science and Science of Good Cooking) would probably be good for much of HN's audience. It is much more of a cooking "textbook" than most cookbooks. It explains what you are doing and why you do it instead of just a big list of recipes.…
on “Baking with the Bread Whisperers of Paris” ↗
zdragnar · Mar 23, 2022 · Recommends

…that I have watched will add salt throughout cooking (especially if it is a dish they can taste as they go) to make sure the balance stays right. Also, you may be interested in Cook's Illustrated "The Science of Good Cooking"; the book goes through a lot of the "why" behind basic techniques and recipes.
on “Pro chefs debate cooking tips and tricks” ↗
treehau5 · Nov 5, 2015 · Recommends

You would very much enjoy the book, "The Science of Good Cooking" by the same folks who do the show "Americas Test Kitchen"
on “The Hard Truth About Boiled Eggs (2014)” ↗
ThePhysicist · Nov 5, 2015 · Mentions

I really hope that the book uses metric units. I recently read "The Science of Good Cooking", which was interesting but unfortunately used US units throughout, which makes it quite unscientific in my opinion. "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee is another great book about the chemistry of…
on “The Hard Truth About Boiled Eggs (2014)” ↗