Mc GEE ON FOOD & COOKING is a masterpiece of gastronomic writing; a rich addictive blend of chemistry history & anecdote that no self-respecting foodie or cook can afford to be without. Mc GEE ON FOOD & COOKING renders the everyday miracles of the kitchen wondrous & fascinating shedding light on questions that have puzzled generations of cooks. If you've ever wondered why fish goes off quicker than meat; how to tell stale eggs from fresh ones; why you're supposed to leave pancake batter to rest; how it is that cheese can possibly have so many different permutations of flavour & texture; why chopping onions makes you cry; about the health benefits of chocolate & alcohol; why Jerusalem artichokes make you fart; or even how to avoid poisoning your guests
- then this is the book for you. With the enlightenment it brings you may find yourself emerging from the culinary dark ages. Harold Mc Gee's original ON FOOD & COOKING was acclaimed as a masterpiece on both sides of the Atlantic & won the 1986 Andr? Simon Food Book of the Year. Now completely rewritten for a new generation reflecting the seismic shifts in science & upsurge in home cooking over the past two decades this new book will amaze all those who love food.