When it happens, it feels like winning the lottery. An email arrives out of the blue, from one of my publishers or a festival director or a member...
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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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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.
"Review"
by Library Journal,
"A good reference work for those interested in knowing the makeup of food and essential for fans of McGee."
"Synopsis"
by Ingram,
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 Penguin,
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 Firebrand,
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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