Mayonnaise "takes" when a series of liquids form a semisolid
consistency. Eggs, a liquid, become solid as they are heated, whereas,
under the same conditions, solids melt. When meat is roasted, its
surface browns and it acquires taste and texture. What accounts for
these extraordinary transformations?
The answer: chemistry and physics. With his trademark eloquence and wit,
Hervé This launches a wry investigation into the chemical art of
cooking. Unraveling the science behind common culinary technique and
practice, Hervé This breaks food down to its molecular components and
matches them to cooking's chemical reactions. He translates the complex
processes of the oven into everyday knowledge for professional chefs and
casual cooks, and he demystifies the meaning of taste and the making of
flavor. He describes the properties of liquids, salts, sugars, oils, and
fats and defines the principles of culinary practice, which endow food
with sensual as well as nutritional value.
For fans of Hervé This's popular volumes and for those new to his
celebrated approach, The Science of the Oven expertly expands the
possibilities of the kitchen, fusing the physiology of taste with the
molecular structure of bodies and food.