What Einstein Told His Cook - Kitchen Science Explained

Till now the book is easy to read, interesting, and surprising. Although I am a physics, I know nothing about chemistry and the author give good explanations. Beside, the author has sense of humor and the book is funny.

Delivery was prompt, received it within a week after ordering. Also, I ordered the used (second hand) book but it was as good as new!
Looking forward to unveil all the documented miracles in this book!

This book has interesting information about the oddities of cooking but not the basic science of everyday foods. I was a little disappointed. I was looking for the answers for why dishes didn't work out technically and this book couldn't answer those questions.

Based on the glowing reviews here, I bought this book. I was done with it in a day--not because I'm that fast a reader but because there was that little content I was interested in. The book uses an FAQ format and commits the sin of answering "questions" that no one would ever, ever actually ask, like "why is oil is only partially hydrogenated?" The book excels when it takes on more real questions (Do mushrooms really absorb water if you wash them? No.). But those are rare, hence my being done in a day.

If you know absolutely no chemistry, have never read a cookbook, and have no powers of observation, you might like this book as a just-about-adequate introduction. But for a better-written, more interesting start on kitchen chemistry, try Arthur Grosser's "The Cookbook Decoder" or Hillman's book (sorry, can't remember the title)or "The Inquisitive Cook by Anne Gardiner and Sue Wilson. Then move right on to McGee. The rest is history!

I usually wait until I have finished a book before I say anything about it. I am halfway through and don't think I'll finish it.

I was lulled into buying this book by the title. What could be more enlightening than Albert writing about food? Unfortunately this book has nothing, and I mean nothing to do with Einstein. The book has a nice folksy tone and is easy to read but if you are a foodie at all you will know practically everything in it. As opposed to its title it is very basic. The author and I disagree quite a bit philosophically about food but I don't knock him for it, I just disagree. "

Simply put if you don't know much about food this book is an easy read but if you know what brining is, why not to put a thermometer near a bone in a roast, etc. then this book is not for you. If you want to go deeper then get 'On Food and Cooking' by Andrew McGee.

Robert Wolke seems to mean well. He tries to present some basic science at a 3rd grade level and connect it to food. But by limiting himself to 3rd graders, his text becomes wordy and tedious. An author writing for foodies might have decided to keep the science in the background and focus on food. Wolke is better at this, but he is far more interested in what he can say about food than about tasting it.
If you are interested in food and science, Wolke's book is gruel to Harold McGee's miche.

Sorry for the rewrite, but I realized my earlier review really didn't explain just how bad this book is. There are a few bits of useful information sprinkled here and there, mostly in the form of corrected wives-tales. Potatoes won't soak up extra salt in a soup, and adding salt to your pasta water will only raise the boiling point by something like 1/700 of a degree (but you should do it anyway because it tastes better). But to get these few bits of information you'll have to suffer through the wildly insulting tone of the book. Now I realize I should have stopped when he described a molecule as "one of those eentsy-weentsy things that stuff is made of," but it was early in the book and I thought he was just trying to make the point that anyone can read this book.

But no - he really assumes you're an idiot, which seems odd give the subject, or even the title. He continues to talk down to the reader throughout the book. He uses the word "Techspeak" to warn you of anything vaguely scientific. For example, "We all learned that matter comes in three physical forms (Techspeak: states of matter)" or "...liquid water can hold more heat (Techspeak: it has a higher heat capacity)". And instead of bothering to explain things he often just resorts to onomatopoeia. What is energy? It's oomph.

The book is in the form of question and answer, and I can't help but think he even rewrote the questions to make them extra dumb. While he apparently does receive questions from the public you can tell they've been reworked because they were clearly all written by the same idiot. The questions all follow the same format ("I heard..." followed by some reasonable question or statement, with a punchline at the end.)

In addition to thinking you are stupid, he really thinks he is funny. There's a simple and obvious pun in nearly every section of the book. I found myself thinking "oh no, please don't say..." and then there it was. It seems like entire sections were written just to deliver a pun.

There's really very little science in the book, and he shies away from answering anything that would require more than a few paragraphs or too much "Techspeak". One of the most egregious lines in the book, in fact the one that inspired me to rewrite this review was "And what about 'all that yellow-green stuff' inside the crabs? Don't ask. Just eat it." Don't ask? Are you kidding me? No, I'm asking. That's the whole point of this book, or so I thought. As a child if I asked my dad any of these questions and got answers like the ones in this book I would have rejected the answer and demanded a better explanation. But then again my dad would never insult me with the drivel in this book.

Chemistry and Cooking
Cooking is 100% chemistry, knowing the laws of chemistry and how it all works can significantly improve someone’s understanding on how cooking works. The book What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke nicely gives many insights into the realm of cooking and shows people that cooking is just plain chemistry. Also what’s unique about the book is it explains chemistry through the language of non technical chemist terms making it easier for the reader to understand and relate to. The author is a chemistry professor which gives a cool insight into cooking from the perspective of someone who understands the realm of matter and how it works very precisely.
The book doesn’t talk about cooking a broad perspective but rather very specific down to the ingredients that you find in your food and your desert. For example Wolke has several chapters in a row talking about just sugar and how brown sugar is made and the differences between different sugars and why they taste bitter or sweeter than a different type of sugar from a different place. He also likes to talk about why they taste different and how there are many factors leading to what we taste which also includes the methods of farming the material in the first place and then how you treat/use the sugar or materials in general. The beginning of the books also clears up some regular frequently asked questions or common unknowns in common society, like why chocolate melts in our mouth for example. Wolke also emphasized how what you taste is purely how you make material different through chemistry, this means how you cook a substance or mix it with other substances to create reactions, this includes at what temperature you cook the substance at or what temperature the substance was at for a certain period of time. These are all factors that affect what we taste when food enters our mouths.
The chemistry behind cooking can get very complex and can include several precise steps to create good food. The key to the success behind cooking is knowing your chemistry and Wolke explains a lot of chemistry through the little fun facts he has throughout the book which show you what certain common substances do in the food we eat and affect what we are tasting. As said the key to know cooking is knowing chemistry but that is also knowing how to use the tools and technology to create the chemical reactions behind cooking. Pots pans how to use them where to use substances in the tools all affect what we taste as well. Another big topic in the book is the science behind our bodies, knowing a human’s taste buds and smell functions is very important to cooking. Knowing how sugar in a food can affect what someone is eating drastically negatively and positively is important along with the chemistry. The general topic of the book if summed up would best be stated about the facts and the combinations of chemistry and chemical reactions along with the science which makes our lunch meals great.
So now cooking is all just chemistry, but the book title is ‘What Einstein Told His Cook’ implying the cook didn’t even know much about chemistry only the tricks he was taught to making a delicious meal. Does this mean that learning the chemistry and science of our bodies and substances can significantly improve someone’s cooking skills and general understand/evaluation of the food they give other people and the effects of substances in mixture? Knowing chemistry’s tricks and tips can greatly improve someone’s cooking skills. Knowing the facts and learning about the material around us is important as we see it in our everyday lives, in fact a lot of chemistry is going to be involved in making my next meal. This book is definitely recommended it’s a lot of fun to read, you learn a lot, and you can get a better grasp of why what you’re eating tastes or smells a certain way.

In What Einstein Told His Cook, Robert L. Wolke writes about science, specifically chemistry and how it relates to cooking in an informative way. Robert Wolke, who is a chemist and currently a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, has written multiple books which try to explain extraordinary things in life in easy to understand language. Our chemistry teacher assigned this book as a way to relate what we are learning in our textbook to real life in the form of cooking. I believe that the author wrote this book to help relate difficult chemistry processes and information to something that we all know and do; which is cooking. I want people to read this book because it should be read by all students because it is informative and is a great way to learn about a very difficult subject.

The book is split up into nine different chapters, with each chapter focusing on a different group of foods like sugar, salt, fat, meat and fish, and other miscellaneous chapters like microwaves, fire and ice, refreshments, and tools and technology. Throughout each chapter, Wolke adds a cooking recipe that anyone can use, including our own chemistry class.

Wolke relates chemistry to cooking and food coherently and eloquently and it allows the reader to better understand the material. In "Sweet Talk", the first chapter, the reader learns that roads have been paved with molasses. In Swaziland, they sprayed in on the roads and after it cooled, it took a few months to get back down to the dirt road (16). It isn't a huge bit of information, but it is these type of small facts that make this novel a fun to read and not another ordinary textbook. Another one of these spontaneous facts is in the Fire and Ice chapter, he talks about how foods get freezer burned: it is because after sitting in the freezer too long, the food loses water molecules and the wrapper isnt tight enough to hold in that moisture. I reach into my freezer all the time and see freezer-burned foods, but it never occurred to me why it actually happened. I thought that if it was just exposed, then it would burn, but this book helped bring insight to these daily actions that occur in my life.

Wolke makes chemistry fun to learn, because he uses cooking to interact with the reader. Not all of us can be chemists, but almost anyone can be a cook, even if it only involves putting bread into a toaster. The recipes that we see throughout the book are a main reason why it is so good at helping the readers understand the sometimes difficult information that they just read. The recipes are great, but you also need to try them out.

Robert Wolke uses cooking to relate to readers and students as a way to make chemistry easier to learn and more interesting. The book is easy language and often relates to items in the outside world that relate to what he is talking about. It is always to easier to learn when you can relate your studies to objects in real life. I believe that without seeing firsthand all of the different processes like caramelizing or trying to remove salt with a potato, then the book is merely a glorified chemistry book. So to all the readers, I would strongly suggest going out and making these foods if you are interested in one of the topics mentioned in the book, because that is the best way to learn. I will forever retain the knowledge that I have gained from this book because if I look into my freezer and see a freezer-burned item, then I know what causes that reaction and I think that is very cool.

The book What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained is a book written by Robert Wolke. Robert Wolke is an author and chemist who teaches chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. The main theme of this book is the science behind cooking and the tools in the kitchen. This book talks about different foods and recipes relating to chemistry. The author wrote this book to confirm or fix all misconceptions about different kitchen tools and foods. There are three major examples where this occurs. First, is in chapter 5 “Turf and Surf.” Throughout the chapter, Wolke goes into depth about red meat. This is important because there are lots of theories and misconceptions about red meat. Along with that Wolke mentions how bones add flavor to the meat of the animal. This is very interesting and it is something that usually would not be counted to make a difference in the flavor of the meat. Second is in Chapter 7 “Liquid Refreshment.” In this chapter, Wolke speaks about coffee and the effect it has on human beings. This is important because a large percentage of Americans drink coffee daily and should know the effects of it on their bodies. As well he goes into the amount of acid of soda. This is important because soda is one of the most consumed beverages in America and people should know the effect it has on humans. The last part Wolke mentions in chapter 7 is the amount of alcohol per beverage. Third and last, is chapter 8 “Microwave.” Personally, this is my favorite chapter and this chapter drew me the most. The fact that Wolke goes into detail about materials to use and not to use in a microwave is interesting because some people argue about materials that can and cannot enter and Wolke confirms those arguments. One other interesting thing Wolke mentions in the chapter is the molecular structure of foods when being microwaved and whether it changes or not. Overall this book does a good job talking about kitchen tools and the health of different foods. My favorite chapter of this book is chapter 8 because the microwave is a commonly used tool and now I know what it truly does to foods. I would recommend this book for chemistry classes but not for a fun read.

I will be reviewing the book: What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science of Food by Robert L. Wolke. The main reason why He wrote this book is because he wanted to explain the chemistry and science behind our everyday food. Robert is an American chemist, currently professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. He is a food columnist for The Washington Post, and has written multiple books. I believe he is a well qualified author.

The book was really interesting because he explains what caramelization means and talks about the refinement of sugar. He also talks about some of the myths of cooking such as cooking an egg on a sidewalk. But I think it would be more relevant if he talked more about the food some people eat today.

Also I found it surprising that such a test would be so sensitive to salt concentration, having personally tried to run a current through a weak saline solution and found it inadequately conductive. No doubt his instrumentation setup was different, and it made me wonder how I could improve my own setup to mimic his results.

Another section of the book I found interesting was about salt. My mother has four to five different kinds of salt in our kitchen. I thought she was crazy and never knew why, but now I understand after reading Wolke’s explanation. Salt is sodium chloride, but it gets its flavor from both its taste and texture.

In conclusion this booked help me understand and made me think more carefully about the food I eat but all-in-all it was a really good interesting book. More science classes should read this book.

What Einstein Told His Cook

The book What Einstein Told His Cook is written by chemist Robert L. Wolke. Wolke is a professor at the University of Pittsburgh and a food columnist for the Washington Post. In chemistry we were assigned to read his book What Einstein Told His Cook. In this book Wolke discusses the connection between cooking and chemistry. While reading I came across two major points I wanted to talk about. One being Chapter 1, Sweet Talk and Chapter 5, Turf and Surf.

Chapter 1 talks all about the different types of sugars and other sweeteners. Within this chapter there was one part that stood out the most to me. That section being A RAW DEAL. A Raw Deal talked about the difference, or the lack thereof, between raw and refined sugar. Wolke explains that health-food stores call raw sugar raw in the sense that it is less refined to a lesser disease. He then goes on into how sugar is refined and how it is produced, but for now I'll spare you the details.

Chapter 5 talks about meat and all the different kinds. From shellfish all the way to ham. Turf and Surf gives the reader a deeper look into how meat is cooked and prepared. One section I found interesting in this chapter is the section called, How Now, Brown Cowburger? This section is all structured around if supermarkets spray beef to make it look more fresh. Wolke describes that freshly cut meat is naturally purplish because it contains this muscle protein known as myoglobin. The reason the beef turns red is because when it is shipped and distributed it is packed in a plastic film that permits the passage of oxygen an then the beef turns red.

Overall this book was very informative. I learned a lot about food and how you can prepare and how it is distributed. Although the book was long, it still was a great read. On a scale of 1-10 I would put it at a solid 7.

What Einstein told his cook, written by Robert L. Wolke explain the chemistry behind cooking, such as why your food turns brown when cooked, or that starch is made out of salt. Robert L. Wolke is 88 years of age and is a chemistry professor at the University of Pittsburgh and Washington food columnist. This book was given as an assignment to our class and was supposed to help us understand the chemistry behind cooking. The author wrote this book to help explain to the reader why and how chemistry is so deeply involved in cooking. The book is extremely helpful to read if you have questions about why your food is the way it is and is extremely informing.
In chapter 5, turf and surf, he is able to prove a lot of different points using chemistry and prove incorrect misconceptions about meat. For example he shows that the amount of time “overnight” should be is actually often mistaken. He also proves that the reason fish smell bad is actually because of chemistry not just because it’s a fish. He does a very good job of showing how there are many common misconceptions and proves them wrong using chemistry.
In chapter 6, fire and ice, the author talks about a lot of different subjects including what is a calorie or does alcohol boil off when you cook with wine. Both of these points were thoroughly answered by the author. He was able to explain how each thing works with great detail and with ease. He made the explanations easy to understand by walking the reader through everything, one great example of this was when he talked about what way was the best way to defrost food. He gave several examples and then explained which one was the best way showing the reader through well thought out statements.
The author does an extremely good job of making chemistry “similar” by using well thought out and thorough explanations about how food works. His ability to prove wrong misconceptions is amazing since it allows people to actually get their facts right. This is a book I would recommend because it does truly show the chemistry behind cooking and is worth reading if you are interested in cooking.

“What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained” is a novel by Robert L. Wolke, a retired chemistry professor at University of Pittsburgh. The book debunks some kitchen myths and explains the science behind cooking techniques. I was assigned this book by my 10th grade chemistry teacher and I actually thought the book was decent. If one takes an interest in food science or cooking, they may want to try reading this book. What interested me the most was the book’s parts on chocolate and meat. The book covers topics of food, cooking techniques, and tools. It moves in order of sweets, salts, fats, chemicals, meats, frozens and heat, drinks, microwaves, and ends with modern technology.
The first chapter, on sweets, explains the differences between the types and grades of chocolate, which was interesting because I really enjoy chocolate. One thing I learned was the bittersweet chocolate is more fluid than unsweetened chocolate. Because of this, in cooking, someone cannot substitute on for the other. Even though I don’t cook, it was an interesting fact to learn and one I passed on to my little sister. Another interesting fact is there are 20 different grades of chocolate.
The next interesting thing I learned was the science revolving around putting bones in a soup. Chapter 5 elucidated about that topic. It said that bones contribute their cartilage and collagen. Collagen, found inside cartilage, turns into a soft gelatin when cooked. I never really have soup at home but I still found it fascinating how the bone enhances the flavor.
Overall this book had interesting facts about food and cooking and I would recommend it for anyone curious about those two subjects and are curious of why things happen in cooking the way they do.

"What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke was required reading for my high school chemistry class. I thought it was cool how it disproved many cooking myths and explained the chemistry behind cooking. It's very informative due to the fact that the author has an overflowing knowledge of chemistry and how it is present in cooking.
This book was very useful in simplifying the chemistry behind cooking to make it easy for anyone to understand. Throughout the book, more simple and common terms were used to explain all the complex processes. It also refers to common knowledge and things that most people know so we can make that connection between what is being taught and what we already knew.
In addition to simplifying how cooking applies to chemistry, the book was also very interesting because it was kind of like a "Mythbusters" for cooking myths. For example, some people believe that potatoes can lower the salt levels in water that the salt has been dissolved into, which isn't actually true. Also, the belief that standing too close to a microwave can cause harm to someone is false as well, as the microwaves are much too large to fit through the holes in the panel.
Overall, I'd reccomend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the chemistry of food, and anyone who likes cooking, as there are frequent recipes for different dishes throughout the chapters. I learned more than I thought I would from this book and now know the chemistry behind everyday things such as using a microwave. This was a really interesting book and I was glad I read it.

Book Review
By: Anthony Blick

The book, What Einstein Told His Cook Kitchen Science Explained, by author Robert L. Wolke discusses many things, including the differences of sugar to the tools that are used in the kitchen.

Robert L. Wolke investigates questions that people have about cooking, and certain items used around the kitchen. He talks about the science people don’t really know about and answers their questions. For example, one of the questions was, “To sweeten my iced tea quickly, I added powdered sugar. But it turned into big lumps. What happened?” He basically said that the person had used the wrong type of sugar. The sugar she had used was powder so it can take in moisture. The sugar she should have used was granulated sugar which is a grain of pure sugar.

When I read this book I found three fields of science; Food Chemistry, Enzymology, and Nutrition. One thing I found for nutrition was how people claim that brown sugar is healthier than the plain white sugar, but both are basically the same, and one is not healthier than the other.

I learned many different interesting facts and knowledge throughout this book. Two things that I found out was that Sulfur dioxide is used to lessen the color of molasses, and to also kill things that we don’t want like mold. This happens during the refining process. Also, that when you add salt to boiling water it increases the boiling point. Thirdly, it stated how plants and animals can break down starch molecules into syrups of different sugars.

This book at some points though was really confusing because there were a lot of facts to take in. No matter how many times I re-read it I still couldn’t understand a big part of it. I didn’t have any big questions though, because I was still able to sit down and power through most of it. Overall, I have very much enjoyed the book.

What Einstein Told His Cook
The book I read in chemistry class was called What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke. The book talks about recipes and different chemicals. Each of the chapters have different subjects that has a question that will be answered. After reading the book called What Einstein Told His Cook it helped with increasing my understanding of chemistry. It also helped me learn about different chemicals that are really similar. The author gives good examples in the book and each chapter gives good ideas to help the reader better understand. Over all I think it was a good book but sometimes a little too much information in one chapter than another. I would highly recommend it if you want to get new ideas about two things that might seem different but are really similar in many different way.

An argument that sometimes come up is that this isn't a good book. An argument for the book is that it isn't really helpful. The book doesn't give information that is helpful to learn chemistry. The book doesn't make chemistry fun. I would argue that the book is actually more helpful than some people might think. Different readers can relate chemistry to other things that might be in common to the work that is learned. This book also gives examples of arguments that people wrote and the author answered them. Cooking is something that relates to chemistry also cooking is something that everyone from at least 12 or older can relate to. Cooking is a common thing that many people see daily.

The book gives too much unimportant information that most readers don't even use. Most of the chapters are too long and the chapters change topics. They usually drift off into many different things. I argue that maybe the longer chapters should have been cut into different chapter. Keep the chapters more concise on the point so that the author can get his point across. With some of the material the author could've put in later or made a whole new chapter to keep the chapter from being to many different things.

Other people might say that the book is not helpful. They may also say that the material is to hard to understand and doesn't have anything to do with chemistry. There are too many different points to across at once. I think that some of the points were cut down into small points. The book keep things really easy and that the author tries to relate the material to things everyone is familiar with.

Many would argue that the book isn't a valid source to help understand chemistry. That the book isn't really helpful. It doesn't give that many examples of chemistry. Other would say that it doesn't help with the material that is learned in class. I argue that the book does give good examples. It talks about different thing like the history of chemistry. What I mean by history of chemistry is that it talks about things that came before the technology that is used today.

Overall the book is a really good book and I would highly recommend it. The book gives many different examples on how it's a good book because one it has questions in the book then the question in the book are answered by the author. The author gives lots of detail and explanations after answering the question. He relates the answer to modern things that we used today to help the reader comprehend what he is trying to say.

If you're interested in the basic science behind cooking, Wolke's book is certainly a likely choice. This book will easily appeal to viewers of Alton Brown's Good Eats series. No disrespect meant to Mr. Brown or his viewers.

The first of the book is easy to follow as it appears in a question and answer format. The need to read each page in order is unnecessary. One can easily thumb through the book looking for subjects and questions that interest the reader.

Should the reader wish deeper scientific answers, Harold McGee's book will surely please.

What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke, goes into detail about the chemistry and methods that can be used to better skill and quality of cooking. Robert L. Wolke is an American chemist, currently professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. This book, inspired by his field, chemistry, was being written to answer the questions that people have about cooking and about how things work in cooking on the molecular level.
Now the point of this book was to shed light upon the correct and not correct thoughts about how cooking works and things to do while we cook, but it didn't convey its message as well as it could have. In my opinion, this book had a light and nonchalant tone towards answering people’s serious questions. When he is describing molecules he describes them as "one of those eentsy-weentsy things that stuff is made of." Other than puns and simple not helpful cooking directions I did learn new things more into detail about chemistry of how things cooks, but not how to cook it.
This book had good questions, but answers that treated the reader like an idiot, which is odd, because the subject of the whole book is the chemistry of cooking. He continues to talk down to the reader throughout the book. He uses the word "Tech Speak" to warn you of anything that might come off as scientific. For example, "We all learned that matter comes in three physical forms (Tech Speak: states of matter)".
In addition to thinking you are stupid, he really thinks he is funny. There's a simple and obvious pun in nearly every section of the book. I found myself thinking "oh no, please don't say..." and then there it was. It seems like entire sections were written just to deliver a pun.
There's really very little science in the book, and he shies away from answering anything that would require more than a few paragraphs or too much "Tech Speak". As a child if I asked my dad any of these questions and got answers like the ones in this book I would have rejected the answer and demanded a better explanation. The answers persuade me to believe what the book is saying because I have no reason to believe otherwise. There are statements backed up by evidence, but not enough for a thriving cook and chemist who don't know anything about what they are reading. I do not recommend this book to people who like to cook and want to learn more about the chemistry and i certainly don't recommend it to people who want to learn how to cook.

Chemistry Professor emeritus Robert Wolke has written several popular books that explain the science and chemistry of everyday life. He covers issues like sugar, salt, fat, chemicals in the kitchen, meat, fish, calories, beverages, microwaves and various kitchen tools. Each chapter contains a series of one to three page essays and interspersed throughout are recipes developed by his wife, food writer Marlene Parrish. The book is interesting, fun and well written. The short essays make the book an ideal candidate for reading on a bus or subway.

I loved this book and found it fascinating. However, I originally purchased it in audio book form. I would highly recommend against this. In the introduction the author explains that he did not try to write a book which would be read cover to cover, but rather a series of interesting pieces which could be read more or less independently. This is very apparent and does not detract from the book, however, it makes the adaptation to audio rather awkward. It's like listening to someone read a long series of blog posts with no central underlying narrative. After listening to the audio book I went out and bought the print copy which is great to look back on after reading. I wish though that I had not spent the money for the audio version, although a great book, it does not lend itself well to that format.

Book Review: What Einstein Told His Cook

The book assigned to our chemistry class to read this semester was What Einstein Told His Cook. Written by Robert L. Wolke, a chemistry professor, the book is like a chemistry textbook/ cookbook, explaining the complex chemical reactions and properties that take place in your kitchen. What Einstein Told His Cook is a must read for all those interested in the relationship between cooking and chemistry, as the book sheds and fascinating light on how much science there is behind your good (or bad) cooking.
What Einstein Told His Cook covers a variety of interesting topics in its nine chapters. Starting with sugar and salt, the book also explains the chemical makeup and processes of oils and other kitchen ingredients. Later, the book goes into the meat and industry, and discusses what the best way to cook and prepare meat is. Lastly, the book explains, the purpose and science behind many kitchen tools and appliances, namely the microwave
Two reasons for you to invest your time and money in this book would be that will explain the science behind your cooking, and it will improve your knowledge about chemistry. The book provides detailed explanations of the chemistry behind many of the ingredients and appliances you use in your kitchen, and lists several delicious recipes with which you can see this chemistry take place. You will have more fun cooking after reading this book, as you now will understand how everything in your kitchen works!
Again, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves chemistry and cooking. It is a very interesting book, and it shows how chemistry can be applied to real life, not to mention providing some delicious recipes. Both chemistry nerds and foodies alike will enjoy this book.

I loved this book and found it fascinating. However, I originally purchased it in audio book form. I would highly recommend against this. In the introduction the author explains that he did not try to write a book which would be read cover to cover, but rather a series of interesting pieces which could be read more or less independently. This is very apparent and does not detract from the book, however, it makes the adaptation to audio rather awkward. It's like listening to someone read a long series of blog posts with no central underlying narrative. After listening to the audio book I went out and bought the print copy which is great to look back on after reading. I wish though that I had not spent the money for the audio version, although a great book, it does not lend itself well to that format.

Book Review: What Einstein Told His Cook

The book assigned to our chemistry class to read this semester was What Einstein Told His Cook. Written by Robert L. Wolke, a chemistry professor, the book is like a chemistry textbook/ cookbook, explaining the complex chemical reactions and properties that take place in your kitchen. What Einstein Told His Cook is a must read for all those interested in the relationship between cooking and chemistry, as the book sheds and fascinating light on how much science there is behind your good (or bad) cooking.
What Einstein Told His Cook covers a variety of interesting topics in its nine chapters. Starting with sugar and salt, the book also explains the chemical makeup and processes of oils and other kitchen ingredients. Later, the book goes into the meat and industry, and discusses what the best way to cook and prepare meat is. Lastly, the book explains, the purpose and science behind many kitchen tools and appliances, namely the microwave
Two reasons for you to invest your time and money in this book would be that will explain the science behind your cooking, and it will improve your knowledge about chemistry. The book provides detailed explanations of the chemistry behind many of the ingredients and appliances you use in your kitchen, and lists several delicious recipes with which you can see this chemistry take place. You will have more fun cooking after reading this book, as you now will understand how everything in your kitchen works!
Again, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves chemistry and cooking. It is a very interesting book, and it shows how chemistry can be applied to real life, not to mention providing some delicious recipes. Both chemistry nerds and foodies alike will enjoy this book.

I was assigned a book review of What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke for an advanced chemistry class. I found this book very interesting as it brings to light many commonly held cooking misconceptions. As well, this book accomplishes this very well due to its use of scientific facts to justify information which Wolke acquires due to extensive knowledge of both organic and inorganic chemistry.

Early on, the author challenges kitchen myths such as that of potatoes’ ability to lower the salt content of a soup or stew. People believed that potatoes absorbed salt and thus lessened salt content. However, L. Wolke disproved this, proving that potatoes only absorbed water, not salt. In this manner, he tested several other myths and explained the science behind them all. His extensive research makes this book highly informative.

Wolke also provided in depth explanations of several cooking processes. From smoking to poaching, Wolke provided in depth explanations of all of these possible processes due to his extensive chemical knowledge. As well, the various types of cooking were described in simple and easily understood terms that went into extensive scientific detail.

Overall, What Einstein Told His Cook does a very good job of explaining complex concepts. I would recommend this book for all audiences with an interest in science or even just in food. He explains everything from meringue to pork and relates them to commonly known cooking styles. Wolke has made science fun by pairing it with something we all enjoy. Who wouldn't want that?

What Einstein told his Cook by Robert L. Wolke dissects various kitchen myths with science in a way that is engaging and entertaining. Robert is a professor of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh as well as a food columnist for the Washington Post. For my Chemistry class we read this book in order to understand how Chemistry can be used to solve and understand things in different fields.

Robert talks about some of the more recent cooking inventions in order to teach us how they work. He talks about how microwaves actually heat up food by causing the molecules to violently vibrate. Another new technology he taught us about is induction where a metal can be heated by quickly switching its charge.

The author also talks about relatively popular foods and then explains the science behind how they are manufactured. In one chapter he talks about the ingredients of chocolate and how it's different types are classified. In another chapter it talks about merengue and the interesting ingredient known as cream of tartar.

In short, What Einstein Told his Cook is a great read that puts context behind the Chemistry and fosters a strange befuddlement about the crazy reactions hiding behind the mundane and everyday things such as eggs and flour.

This isn't a chemistry textbook (thank goodness). It's not really a cookbook, either. And Robert L. Wolke isn't quite the Cecil Adams of food, although sometimes he comes close. What this is, is a very useful and informative guide to food and cooking.
Wolke covers basic issues like "What is a calorie?" ... "What's the best way to defrost frozen food?" ... and "What's the point of clarified butter." And he addresses more complex ones, related to fats, various methods of cooking, the hows-and-whys of microwaves, and much more. He does so with a certain degree of flair and humor, but is also chock full of information. He clearly knows his stuff. Keep in mind, though, that most of what's in here originally appeared in the form of newspaper columns. That may be one explanation for why these answers sometimes aren't as in depth as some reviewers might have preferred.
(Interestingly, Wolke's answer to the question "How do they get the non-stick coating to stick to the pan?" gives us the opportunity for a head-to-head test with Cecil Adams, who answers the same question in one of his Straight Dope books. Personally, I think Cecil came out ahead, but your opinion may vary.)
What I found most interesting (apart from the chapter on fat, for some reason) was Wolke's deconstruction of the arguments against irradiated food. Keep this section handy for the next time someone wails about "the equivalent of one billion chest X-rays" (the correct response to which, Wolke notes, is "So what?").
Absorbing the knowledge here will, I think, make you both a better cook and a more informed consumer. And both of those are good things.

Have you ever wanted to know why things happen when you're cooking? What is going on in your oven? "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert L. Wolke is a witty cooking book that that can only be described as the culinary combination of the Discovery Channel's Myth Busters and Food Network's Good Eats. This book breaks down the science of cooking in an easy to read way such that a person with a basic understanding of chemistry - which is not even needed in some cases! - can understand the scientific aspects discussed, or the "Techspeak" in Wolke's vernacular, with minimal confusion.

This book is broken down into nine sections, each with its own unique topic filled with science, recipes, and random trivia! These topics include food, spices, "chemicals," ways to cook, beverages, microwaves, and kitchen technology.

The first section, Sweet Talk, discusses sugar. Now, sugar is involved with a lot of things in cooking, primarily in the browning process (Maillard reactions). Wolke - in one of his many asides - explains how sugar became so popular, how it got to the Americas, and how starch is a sugar polymer. The second section, The Salt of the Earth, lets us know about the many misconceptions about salt, why we use it, and how you can use it in cooking (and remove it!). Sea salt and table salt both can come from mines! The third section, The Fat of the Land, talks about the differences between fats, and some misconceptions about cooking sprays. They say fat free, but are in fact full of fat. How can they say that? Take a look at some FDA regulations, you'll be surprised with what you find!

The fourth section, The Chemicals in the Kitchen, discusses the different chemicals that can be found in your tap water, what MSG is, the difference between baking powder and soda, why potato chips have green edges, and all about how lasagna eats your aluminum foil! In Surf and Turf, Wolke talks about how red meat is red, why ground beef looks the way it does, why your grandma puts bones in stock, and how you deal with cooking live lobsters, crabs, clams, and oysters. Fire and Ice talks about cooking ranges, what method of grilling is "better" (charcoal or gas), why there is still alcohol (granted in small amounts) when you cook with wine and spirits, fun ways to defrost foods, and some fun facts about freezing hot water.

The seventh section, Liquid Refreshment, discusses the misconceptions about beverages. Wolke even talks about how much alcohol is in a drink and defines (and explains) the definition of moderate drinking. Those Mysterious Microwaves talks about what a microwave can and cannot do to your food, what makes a container safe for use, what it can do to metal, and how water can be kept from blowing up in your face. In Tools and Technology, Wolke talks about everyday kitchen technology and how they work.

Throughout the book, Wolke encourages us to go through some "thought experiments," trying to find and discover for yourself how things happen. This is almost reminiscent of a professor encouraging their students to learn on their own. The recipes are fantastic, having tried out a few, and having a better understanding of what is happening in the process makes it taste that much better! He constantly debunks (or proves) some cooking lore myths, while describing what is happening!

Wolke talks to you in an easy to follow way, makes you laugh every few pages, and doesn't try to speak down to those who don't understand the chemistry - which I have seen in similar styles of books. He makes the reader a more informed consumer, which I hope will lead to more informed decision-making in the kitchen! As this book is more on the basics of food preparation, it is not science heavy. If that is more your speed, check out Harold McGee's books!

Overall, an engaging read and highly recommended!

What Einstein Told His Cook is a really helpful guide to learning chemistry. I am a high school student who before reading this book knew nothing about Chemistry and its laws. After reading this book I felt I had abetter understanding of what chemistry is and how it connects with our day to day lives. For example when it comes to food, our taste buds can pick basically any taste there is. For example the different taste with salt, sweet, savory, sour, bitter, our taste buds and pick out which one it is and send the reading through your senses to tell your brain which one it is. so our body all works together to let your brain know if something is good for you or bad for you. I promise, once you finish reading this book you will come away with a better understanding of what chemistry is and how it can relate to our everyday lives.

This book is a culmination of articles written on kitchen science. None of them will take more than a few minutes to read -- but are packed with fascinating information. All are written with great humor, which makes all of the information palatable.
Why does it take longer to cook at altitude?
What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda (and why are they used?)
Does the massive amount of soda/beer drinking contribute to global warming?
Does hot water freeze more quickly in the freezer?
Why could lasagna eat a hole in the aluminum foil?
Why are foods sweet?
What are sweeteners made of...?
What is the difference between all the salts on the market?
And many many more...

Scientist Wolke debunks myths about food and cooking, and answers questions as well about such.

There is much to be gained from these columns that Wolke wrote for his newspaper column. Especially good for this reviewer were the ones on salt, sugar and fish smell.

Thus, there is a literal mine of good info here for the chef, e.g. what kind of metal makes the best pots and pans, microwaving, defrosting, and even on that hottest summer day, where can one truly cook an egg?

All of this is fun in its execution and recipes included, which to me were not that interesting in the entirety of the collection, but a few were winners for my growing, large collection: Rock Cornish Brined Hens; Blueberry Blue Corn Pancakes; Ricotta Fritters.

Waiting to compare with Harold McGee's books on same.

If you enjoy cooking and science, or just want to know a little more about what you eat this book is for you. The author makes it easy to understand the ways things work even if you don't have a Ph.d in chemistry. The organization is very useful if you are looking for a specific topic. It is full of information you can use to make better food choices and interesting dinner conversation. This book is really a must read for those who enjoy cooking and science.

Have you ever wondered if it is really possible to fry and egg on a hot sidewalk? How about why it takes longer to cook foods at higher altitude? And what the heck does "ultra pasteurized" mean in regard to milk? If these questions have ever crossed your mind, you can find the answers, and the answers to many others, in "What Einstein Told His Cook" by Robert Wolke.
If e=mc2, is WAY over your head, have no fear, Wolke keeps the explanations basic. With witty remarks and answers to more questions about cooking, foods, and kitchen related topics than imaginable, Wolke makes learning about kitchen science easy and enjoyable. He explains all his concepts, ideas, and technology in straightforward English. On top of that, he even throws in recipes here and there, which is definitely an added bonus. The book's nine chapters covered more than imaginable. The first chapter went through everything sweet, from raw sugar to how white chocolate is made. The second chapter covered everything about salts. The third was all about fats, such as what partially hydrogenated means. The four was about kitchen chemicals, such as MSG and cream of tarter. The fifth covered everything about meats from surf (sea foods) to turf (red meat). The sixth covered fire and ice, such as "Can hot water freeze faster than cold water?" (In all honesty, I had heard that hot water froze faster that cold when I was younger, and I just learned that that's incorrect!) The seventh covered a lot about coffee and alcoholic beverages. I learned a lot that I never knew before from that chapter, probably because I've never touched either. The eighth was a really interesting chapter because it was all about the microwave and how it works. It was honestly fascinating and covered ideas I had never thought of. The ninth and final chapter was all about tools used in the kitchen. Once again, I found this chapter very informative. I also found myself wanting to head down to Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up some of these fun kitchen gadgets, like the olive picker.
I would give this book 5 stars. It was an easy and informative read. Wolke splashed the pages with humor that made it quite a delight to read. I also felt that I learned a lot from the book. I enjoy cooking and I learned some of the answers behind the questions I had. I also learned the answers to many questions I had never thought of before.
Personally, I thought this was a high quality book. I would recommend it to anyone looking to gain some more knowledge about everyday kitchen questions. It turned me into a little bit of a scientist in my own kitchen. I found myself testing out ideas that were in the book. When I cooked my popcorn, I caught myself thinking about what I had learned in the book. I think the knowledge I gained from this entertaining read will stick with me for a while.

**Just in case you were wonder, an egg fries at 158 degrees Fahrenheit. As Wolke says, "that's quite a bit hotter than any reasonably attainable ground temperature." He even tested it himself! To me, he is the "myth buster" of the kitchen. He did several experiments that brought kitchen science to life!

I have a long-standing interest in nutrition and food science, so this book and others like it hold great appeal to me. Unfortunately Wolke wrote this book with an annoying and patronizing style which I just couldn't stand after the 150 pages. I hung in there as long as I could because I appreciated the raw content, but after the umpteenth time of having some tidbit of information preceded by a volume of attempted cleverness, cuteness and forewarning, I gave up.

Why does European chocolate (or Mexican chocolate, for that matter) taste better than the Nestle and Hershey equivalents? Should roads be paved with molasses rather than asphalt? Why call white chocolate chocolate, when it's not chocolate at all? Does adding salt to water really make it boil faster? What does "partially hydrogenated oil" really mean? How do you defrost foods, make perfect cookies, clean silverware, or avoid blowing things up in the microwave? Wolke's book is the perfect mouthful of information for anyone who has ever spent time in the kitchen and wondered why things work the way they do. Chapter by chapter, Wolke explain some of the questions that have been haunting cooks for years. He uses both scientific and layman terms to explain to all from the novice to the chemistry professor that the kitchen is the ultimate lab for biology, chemistry, and physics. Rather than digging through pages of scientific literature, Wolke provides short, clear answers to every-day questions concerning all aspects of the kitchen and food science, from sugar to salt to kitchen tools.
Rather than limit his explanations to paragraphs of information, Wolke, with the help of food professional Marlene Parrish (his wife), he has you, the reader, put the concepts to the test. Where else to test kitchen science than in the kitchen? His physical examples include everything from Chocolate Velvet Mousse (ever tried mixing chocolate and oil?) to Boiled Live Lobster (should you boil or steam it?). If you've ever questioned the conventions of cooking, Wolke probably has a witty yet clear answer for you in What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained.

This is a most delightful book, full of kitchen wisdom and chemistry, good and bad puns, and many, many clever witticisms. It is a flat out pleasure to read, but what really makes it such an outstanding piece of work, and a book every kitchen should have, is that it is so full of information, from why and how corn syrup ends up in sodas to why and how to wash your mushrooms--and yes, they are indeed grown in manure, but not to worry, as Wolke explains on pages 286-288 in a little essay entitled, "You Can't Wash Your Car with a Wet Mushroom." (I believe that.) This is the kind of book you'll find yourself reading from cover to cover instead of peeling the potatoes. Speaking of which, Wolke advises that there is a very slight problem with green potatoes, but that reports of their poisonous nature are greatly exaggerated. (See pages 117-120 for the true scoop.)

I have just one problem: nowhere does Wolke say how many sesame seeds are in a teaspoon. However, inspired by Wolke's labor-intensive lime squeezing experiment on pages 281-284, I was able to work it out myself. The answer is 840. I found this by counting the number in a half teaspoon and multiplying by two, genius that I am. (Alas, this was before I realized that I could have counted the number in a quarter teaspoon and multiplied by four.) Which reminds me of the joke about a guy on a train counting cows in a field. When asked how he could do this he explained that he counted their legs and divided by four.

Now you may think this was an idle exercise and wonder if I am not slyly making fun of Wolke's book. Au Cointreau! What I learned by counting sesame seeds exemplifies one of the lessons in the book, namely how hard it is to measure anything exactly. On page 294 Wolke asks, "Have you noticed how surface tension makes the liquid bulge up above the rim of the measuring spoon? How accurate can that be?" Well, I have, and I want to tell you getting a straight line of sesame seeds across the top of that measuring spoon was no piece of cake either!

There are nine chapters and a really excellent index, suggestions for further reading and a brief glossary. There are some excellent recipes by Wolke's wife, Marlene Parrish. I performed a "thought experiment" on several of them and found that my mouth was watering. One of them, how to make turkey or chicken gravy on page 156 is almost exactly the way I make it. (Smile.) Parrish uses the roasting pan, transferring it to the stove top burners after removing the bird, and then deglazes the pan more or less in the French style. I must note that on the previous page Wolke himself does not recommend this technique finding it "hard to straddle two burners" not to mention "one big cleanup job after dinner."

Which makes me wonder who makes the gravy in their household--or, better yet, who does the dishes!

The chapters begin with sugar, "Sweet Talk" and end with "Tools and Technology." Wolke gives us a full mouthful on the differences between cane and beet sugar, between brown and white sugar, between cocoa and chocolate, and makes me feel good about not being crazy about white chocolate. He separates the sea salt from the rock salt; he explains what MSG is and where it comes from; how home water filters works; why "the nearer the bone, the sweeter the meat" is actually true, and of course how to open a champagne bottle and clarify butter... Ghee, I'm exhausted!

One of my favorite explanations is why beef in the supermarket looks bright pink on the outside and brown on the inside. (See pages 127-128, and, no, they don't spray it with dye, which is what I always thought.) I also liked it when Wolke got down and dirty and tried to fry an egg on the sidewalk, and after some heavy-duty "Techspeak" came to the conclusion that you can't; that frying an egg on the sidewalk is an urban legend. (But try the roof of your Arizona "sun-baked, dark blue, 1994 Ford Taurus" which "measured 178 degrees F, more than hot enough to coagulate both white and yolk.") (p. 193)

The icing on the cake for me (if you will) was Wolke's explanation of "Why Crackers Are Holey" beginning on page 307. What his explanation amounts to is a guide on how to make crackers, which is something I've been stumbling around in the kitchen, trying to do off and on for ages. Two key factors that I was unaware of: One, the oven has to be very, very hot ("saltines are baked at 650 to 700 degrees F."; matzos at "800 to 900 degrees F.") and Two, crackers need holes to let the air out! And now to find an oven that gets that hot...

Here are a couple of witticisms: On page 305 Wolke is talking about ovens that use light to cook food, and "the promotional statements...[that sound] like pseudoscientific hype:" They "harness the power of light." They cook "with the speed of light" and "from the inside out." He comments: "Light does indeed travel, appropriately enough, at the speed of light, but it doesn't penetrate most solids very far. Try reading this page through a steak."

Or, "The makers of matzos, the unleavened flatbread of the Jewish Passover, seem to have gone hog wild (you should excuse the expression) on perforations. Matzos are much hole-ier than secular crackers." (p. 307)

Bottom line: fascinating and fun to read.

--Dennis Littrell, author of "Dennis Littrell's Funniest! Most Satirical! and Just Plain Meanest! Reviews"

Wolke certainly enjoys food -- but more than that, he enjoys debunking scientific myths and putting the truth out there to his readers. His explanations of the old stories about frying an egg on the sidewalk, using a potato to soak up salt, selecting a caviar spoon, etc. are great fun. They also present science as logical, straightforward, and interesting, as it should be presented. As a popularizer of science, Wolke is hard to top.

He is, sadly, addicted to puns that range from bad to terrible.

This "technical" book on the science of cooking (it's not really an art you know - the art is in the presentation, not the preparation) answers even the questions I had forgotten to ask. Anyone with an interest in improving his/her talents for handling and preparing food should read this text. I had a very difficult time putting it down. Admittedly, the opening chapters may be a bit difficult to struggle through. However, as I progressed through the question/answer format, my fascination increased with each chapter. When I finished it, I wished there were more of it to read.

Professor Wolke (professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh) covers a plethora of subjects revolving around cooking and food preparation, from knife sharpening and storage to how chocolate is made, and he covers them with considerable humor and a great deal of attention to how much chemistry his reader is likely to know. His explanations are complete, and, as far as this amateur can tell, accurate. They are also fun to read.
He also includes quite a few recipes, which are simple and easy to prepare. By themselves, they would make a pretty good book.

There are two things I really love (well more than two but they don't necessarily relate to this topic) - cooking and details, details, details. And this book gives me alot of both. Actually when I first went out to look for a cooking book I was looking for a recognized, technical reference like the Culinary Institute of America's Professional Chef or the Cordon Bleu School of Cooking Techniques. I can cook up a storm but I feel like some of my most basic understandings of cooking could use some improvement. I can create many recipies from experience but I don't understand or know all of the classic methods. However while looking through those reference books I came across Robert Wolke's Einstein book. Seeing it twigged a distant memory of hearing about it on the radio. And as I thumbed through the book I was torn between it and one of the classic reference books I was considering. But economic restrictions wouldn't allow me to purchase both. So my morbid curiousity for details guided me to buying this book. I am not dissapointed. It is a wonderful resource of little known facts and descriptions of the chemistry of cooking. A term I often use. It has really added to my understanding of blending flavors and combining foods and cooking techniques. But it is also fun and eady to read. There is one downfall I can see for other readers and that is the way in which in dispells well known and oft used kitchen myths. For some readers it could be like finding out Santa or the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny don't exist. But that's all part of growing up isn't it? So perhaps you can think of this book as a step towards culinary maturity. I highly recommend it.

This book is REALLY interesting! So far, I've just skipped around from section to section but soon will inevitably read it from cover to cover and love it all.
So far though, I see absolutely no rhyme or reason why the name Einstein was used at all in the book title. It just seemed like a weird marketing gimmick.

The book is good and stands on it's own. There's no need to tie it to the genius of Einstein. Or maybe I just missed the point....

The headmaster at the school where I teach recommended this book for my domestic arts class and it has been a great source of information - the kind you don't normally find in the usual textbooks. We have enjoyed learning all the ends and outs of information that is not normally covered in cooking classes. Plus the book is divided into sections with very creative titles; and with the use of well-placed humor, this book is not only very informative but very entertaining!

This book reads like more like a conversation, or informal lecture than like a textbook or even a cookbook. The author follows a basic cookbook and textbook rule by splitting his subject matter into small and distinct chapters. If you're looking for a cookbook, look elsewhere. This book has some, but they can be found elsewhere. They're used here to expound upon the subject matter of the particular chapter in which they appear. If you're looking for hardcore science look elsewhere, this book is written for the chemistry layman (it includes little techspeak terms most of which you should already know from high school chemistry.) If you're a serious foody you probably already know a great deal of whats in this book. But if you're the average person looking for a good read or a basic food chemistry education this book is perfect. The author dispells many modern food myths, and teaches basic food science.

There's more to cooking then just following a recipe. Knowing the why's and wherefore's are a definite help especially if you are going to be creative yet alone effective. This book is a great strat. I'd recommend it for any fledgling gourmet. I've recently purchased the sequel to this and hope to get to it ASAP.

Its a light week-end reading, plus the bonus brought be a number of recipes of delicious food, from his wife, Marlene Parrish, to bring the flavor into your kitchen and pave the way to a conscious nutrition. More on [...]

Wow! How refreshing! This book explains lots of fun stuff about kitchen physics...it provided interesting conversation at the dinner table and taught my 10 year old a thing or two (if that's possible...they seem to know everything!). Well written and funny, although it does get pretty "molecular" (meaning too advanced for this college education) but still fun and a good read. I imagine it will stay in my library for a good long time yet!

My husband and I are both engineers and enjoy cooking. This book appealed to us and is a wonderful explanation of the science behind the kitchen. The author has a certain humor, which keeps the book interesting, and explains details well, even for non-technical people. I would recommend it as an addition to your kitchen.

If you already know a decent amount of Food Chemistry, high school level, you'll find this book reviewing that. However, it answers questions you never thought about, and you come away with new knowledge of what you didn't exactly expect or want from the book when you first sat down. It's super, but only super for what it contains. If you have time to spare you might not mind reading it, but if you were looking fr a different topic sand depth, not for you.

Excellent writing! I used to love the sciences growing up but now I've entered the "real world" complete with a sit-all-day-looking-at-a-computer-screen job. Because of that, I have recently found cooking (something to invigorate my mind and senses in the evening). Wolke's book is the perfect combination of both cooking and science, with just the right amount of humor and sarcasm. I just finished it last night and am already online to buy his other works. Happy reading!