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This title in other editions

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes

by

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes Cover

ISBN13: 9781594202681
ISBN10: 1594202680
All Product Details

 

Staff Pick

Long before it was trendy, McGee was providing the skinny on food science. In Keys to Good Cooking, he converts this knowledge into hands-on cooking tips. Have a kitchen disaster? McGee can explain what went wrong and how to get it right the next time.
Recommended by Tracey, Powell's City of Books

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking.

From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.

A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.

Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular — reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage) — will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.

A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere.

Review:

"No matter how creative the chef, every great dish relies on proven science, and this compendium of well-researched data is a textbook for proper food preparation. Curious Cook columnist for the New York Times and author (On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen), McGee will banish any romantic notions about cooking with his fast-draw expertise. Keys is a companion guide designed to be used in conjunction with cookbooks. With chapters devoted to Kitchen Tools, Heat and Heating Appliances, and Cooking Methods, McGee's 101 approach takes nothing for granted, but will surprise readers with lesser known insights, such as that salted water reduces the loss of flavorful and nutritious substances during boiling and that foil should not be used to wrap acidic foods or nonaluminum metal pans. McGee breaks down methods with basic tips--in pan-frying, for instance, warming meats to room temperature and drying food surfaces ahead are important factors for success that are often left out of recipes. Descriptions of foods from common fruits to cultured dairy products and seed legumes are detailed but not trivially so, with McGee summarizing the safe handling, purchase and storage, preparation, and basic characteristics. With an eminently pragmatic approach to cooking and a user-friendly précis of a lifetime's devotion to the kitchen, this is an invaluable addition to food literature. (Nov.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)

Review:

"A good reference work for those interested in knowing the makeup of food and essential for fans of McGee." Library Journal

Synopsis:

The author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking offers answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume.

Synopsis:

The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking.

From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.

A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.

Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage)-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.

A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere.

Synopsis:

The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary classic On Food and Cooking

Harold McGee is our foremost expert on the science of cooking, advising professional chefs worldwide. Now he offers the same  authoritative advice for food lovers everywhere in Keys to Good Cooking. A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone for spotting flawed recipes and making the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking is a welcome aid for cooks of all types—translating the modern science of cooking into immediately useful information. Taking home cooks from market to table--and teaching them the best way to select, prepare, and present an amazing array of food--Keys to Good Cooking is an invaluable resource for anyone who prepares food and wants to do it well.

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About the Author

Harold McGee writes about the science of food and cooking. He’s the author of the award-winning classic On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, and writes a monthly column, "The Curious Cook," for the New York Times. He has been named food writer of the year by Bon Appetit magazine and to the Time 100, an annual list of the world’s most influential people. He lives in San Francisco.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Molly Newman, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by Molly Newman)
McGee follows up his monumental "On Food and Cooking" with a stellar kitchen reference that reads more like a handbook than a textbook. Perfect for figuring out how to create your own recipes or how to save a published recipe that's gone astray, this is an invaluable addition to the library of any passionate cook.
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strawberryrhubarb, January 1, 2011 (view all comments by strawberryrhubarb)
This book answers so many of the questions that have popped into my head since I began cooking in earnest more than 20 years ago. McGee offers advice that is of great use to every cook, and, since much of his focus is on food safety, it's of even greater use to everyone who EATS -- in other words, everyone! His style is accessible and unadorned, and he really covers all the bases. Looking back at all the times my parents left cooked food out for several hours at a time, it's a wonder I'm still alive!
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Daniel Say, December 8, 2010 (view all comments by Daniel Say)
Not very good. He mentions Helen Charley where he got his early notes, but doesn't acknowledge his great debt.

There are other, better organized books, on such food notes, and saving a meal.

Skim, and pass it up in favour of older books.

Books in German and French of such hints are better, partly because of better kitchens and organization, scales rather than 'cups' and other science based tools.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781594202681
Author:
McGee, Harold
Publisher:
Penguin Press
Subject:
General
Subject:
Reference
Subject:
Cooking and Food-Culinary Reference
Copyright:
2010
Edition Description:
Hardback
Publication Date:
20101031
Binding:
HARDCOVER
Grade Level:
from 12
Language:
English
Pages:
576
Dimensions:
9.09 x 7.43 x 1.3 in 2.45 lb
Age Level:
17-17
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Related Subjects

Cooking and Food » General
Cooking and Food » Reference and Etiquette » General

Keys to Good Cooking: A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes New Hardcover
0 stars - 0 reviews
$35.00 In Stock
Product details 576 pages Penguin Press - English 9781594202681 Reviews:
"Staff Pick" by ,

Long before it was trendy, McGee was providing the skinny on food science. In Keys to Good Cooking, he converts this knowledge into hands-on cooking tips. Have a kitchen disaster? McGee can explain what went wrong and how to get it right the next time.

by Tracey
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "No matter how creative the chef, every great dish relies on proven science, and this compendium of well-researched data is a textbook for proper food preparation. Curious Cook columnist for the New York Times and author (On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen), McGee will banish any romantic notions about cooking with his fast-draw expertise. Keys is a companion guide designed to be used in conjunction with cookbooks. With chapters devoted to Kitchen Tools, Heat and Heating Appliances, and Cooking Methods, McGee's 101 approach takes nothing for granted, but will surprise readers with lesser known insights, such as that salted water reduces the loss of flavorful and nutritious substances during boiling and that foil should not be used to wrap acidic foods or nonaluminum metal pans. McGee breaks down methods with basic tips--in pan-frying, for instance, warming meats to room temperature and drying food surfaces ahead are important factors for success that are often left out of recipes. Descriptions of foods from common fruits to cultured dairy products and seed legumes are detailed but not trivially so, with McGee summarizing the safe handling, purchase and storage, preparation, and basic characteristics. With an eminently pragmatic approach to cooking and a user-friendly précis of a lifetime's devotion to the kitchen, this is an invaluable addition to food literature. (Nov.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright PWyxz LLC)
"Review" by , "A good reference work for those interested in knowing the makeup of food and essential for fans of McGee."
"Synopsis" by , The author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking offers answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume.
"Synopsis" by ,
The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking.

From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish.

A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice.

Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage)-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster.

A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere.
"Synopsis" by ,
The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary classic On Food and Cooking

Harold McGee is our foremost expert on the science of cooking, advising professional chefs worldwide. Now he offers the same  authoritative advice for food lovers everywhere in Keys to Good Cooking. A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone for spotting flawed recipes and making the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking is a welcome aid for cooks of all types—translating the modern science of cooking into immediately useful information. Taking home cooks from market to table--and teaching them the best way to select, prepare, and present an amazing array of food--Keys to Good Cooking is an invaluable resource for anyone who prepares food and wants to do it well.
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