An internationally renowned chemist, popular television personality, and
bestselling author, Hervé This heads the first laboratory devoted to
molecular gastronomy--the scientific exploration of cooking and eating.
By testing recipes that have guided cooks for centuries, and the various
dictums and maxims on which they depend, Hervé This unites the head with
the hand in order to defend and transform culinary practice.
With this new book, Hervé This's scientific project enters an exciting
new phase. Considering the preparation of six bistro
favorites--hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise, simple consommé, leg of lamb
with green beans, steak with French fries, lemon meringue pie, and
chocolate mousse--he isolates the exact chemical properties that tickle
our senses and stimulate our appetites. More important, he connects the
mind and the stomach, identifying methods of culinary construction that
appeal to our memories, intelligence, and creativity. By showing that
the creation of a meal is as satisfying as its consumption, Herve This
recalibrates the balance between food and our imaginations. The result
is a revolutionary perspective that will tempt even the most casual
cooks to greater flights of experimentation.