Books

[dsrtao]

_On Food and Cooking_, Harold McGee.

Why so few book notes recently? It begins with the fact that it's much slower trying to absorb all 800+ pages of biochemistry, ingredients, cooking methodologies and all the other food science in McGee's tome than it is to zip through 380 pages of scientifantastatistical adventure novel. I also spent a lot of time playing puzzle games and interactive fiction. Oh, and there's a synchronized review blizzard coming May 11th; I'm pondering what I have to say for that one.

So, McGee: it is too long to explain, so let me sum up: take any one-and-a-half column-pages from this book and you can derive the complete science content of a half-hour episode of _Good Eats_. It's written in a similar style, too -- I think Alton's been cribbing. Alton does have better puppets and skits, though.

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Love McGee. That, and years ago jducoeur turned me on to "How to Repair Food".

[robertdfeinman.livejournal.com]

If you are interested in old cookbooks this web site may be of use. Even if you aren't, it's good for some browsing.

Feeding America

There is a bit of a cult with the editions of the "Joy of Cooking". When our copy fell apart I had to replace it with one from the same edition since the new one leaves out many of the recipes and simplifies as well. The ultimate in this trend is Mark Bittman, from the NY Times and TV who can turn out the most unpalatable imitation of a real dish in 10 minutes.

[dsrtao]

I have Bittman's _How to Cook Everything_, which I find is a useful source of general inspiration. But in the last ten years, I have followed a recipe exactly once -- that was a week or so ago, when I made Sullivan Street Bakery style no-knead bread. Came out great.

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

I had the 1975 edition of Joy, and I kept hanging on to it because of the abomination that was the 1997 edition. Thankfully, about 2 years ago they came out with an edition that is the 1975 edition combined with some updated and additional recipes - for that one, I was willing to give up my pages-falling-out held-together-with-tape copy.

[jducoeur]

IIRC, Alton did the writeup for McGee in the current Time 100 column, and makes it clear that he's a major inspiration...