Synopses & Reviews
When youre cooking, youre a chemist! Every time you follow or modify a recipe, you are experimenting with acids and bases, emulsions and suspensions, gels and foams. In your kitchen you denature proteins, crystallize compounds, react enzymes with substrates, and nurture desired microbial life while suppressing harmful bacteria and fungi. And unlike in a laboratory, you can eat your experiments to verify your hypotheses.
In Culinary Reactions, author Simon Quellen Field turns measuring cups, stovetop burners, and mixing bowls into graduated cylinders, Bunsen burners, and beakers. How does altering the ratio of flour, sugar, yeast, salt, butter, and water affect how high bread rises? Why is whipped cream made with nitrous oxide rather than the more common carbon dioxide? And why does Hollandaise sauce call for “clarified” butter? This easy-to-follow primer even includes recipes to demonstrate the concepts being discussed, including:
· Whipped Creamsicle Topping—a foam
· Cherry Dream Cheese—a protein gel
· Lemonade with Chameleon Eggs—an acid indicator
Review
"The author does a solid job of breaking complex electronic processes down into simpler steps, explaining how and why things work along the way...High school and college art students, crafts enthusiasts, and DIY makers all can find something to spark their interest here." —Library Journal
Review
"Many of Coelhos questions are things that other adolescents (and adults) may have wondered, and here they are answered by a knowledgeable scientist who gives readers all the tools they may need to understand the complex chemistry of the everyday world." —Booklist
Review
"Just the book to inspire the budding chemist, or simply entertain, while teaching, the rest of us."—The Pioneer Woman
Review
"A very helpful volume identifying unusual and practical applications of chemical compounds." —Choice
Review
“Full of charts, step-by-step photos, structural formulas, and amazing recipes (the cherry cream cheese has me drooling), you will become a better cook without even trying.” —MAKE Magazine
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“This clear primer to the chemistry of cooking goes well beyond the basics to teach cooks how to improve their results scientifically.” —Science News
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“The writing style is very personable and he does a great job of illustrating concepts with recipes.” —Smithsonianmag.com
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“With information advanced enough to interest the well-seasoned, hard-boiled home cook, the information in this book is written in such a friendly and approachable manner that even beginner kitchen-chemists will be delighted to learn from it.”—San Francisco Book Review
Review
“A gateway into the science of food.” —Gastronomica
Synopsis
With today's modern technology--LEDs, servomotors, motion sensors, speakers, and more--artwork can incorporate elements of light, sound, and motion for dramatic effects. Author and educator Simon Quellen Field has developed a primer for creative individuals looking for new ways to express themselves though electronically enhanced art. Following step-by-step examples of basic circuitry and programming, readers can develop the skills necessary to enhance their works of art. The book also features art projects to try, including a bouquet of glowing flowers, an LED metronome, a talking computer, a sensile robot, and a simple wheeled robot. A variety of artistic works created by Field's students and based on these open-ended lessons are also included to provide creative sparks for the readers. For those interested in programming their circuits, Field explores the basics of Energia, a free software package, and provides simple programs to create flashing light patterns, computer controlled motors, and LCD text displays.
Synopsis
With todays modern technology—LEDs, servomotors, motion sensors, speakers, and more—artwork can incorporate elements of light, sound, and motion for dramatic effects. Author and educator Simon Quellen Field has developed a primer for creative individuals looking for new ways to express themselves though electronically enhanced art. Following step-by-step examples of basic circuitry and programming, readers can develop the skills necessary to enhance their works of art. The book also features art projects to try, including a bouquet of glowing flowers, an LED metronome, a talking computer, a sensile robot, and a simple wheeled robot. A variety of artistic works created by Fields students and based on these open-ended lessons are also included to provide creative sparks for the readers. For those interested in programming their circuits, Field explores the basics of Energia, a free software package, and provides simple programs to create flashing light patterns, computer controlled motors, and LCD text displays.
Synopsis
Covering a wide variety of everyday chemistry concepts from the very simple to the more complex, this question-and-answer primer provides straightforward, easy-to-understand explanations for inquisitive young scientists questions. A dozen unique experiments to try at home—from lifting latent fingerprints from a “crime scene” using super glue (for smooth surfaces) or iodine (for paper) to hollowing out the zinc interior of a penny using muriatic acid—are interspersed with the answers to such questions as What makes soda so fizzy? and Why do you get cavities when you eat too much sugar? From separating food coloring into its component dyes to using easy-to-find chemicals to create “slime,” Silly Putty, or bouncing balls, this handy guide is the ideal resource for the budding chemist.
Synopsis
A Selection of the Scientific American Book ClubExplaining why antifreeze is a component of toothpaste and how salt works in shampoo, this fascinating handbook delves into the chemistry of everyday household products. Decoding more than 150 cryptic ingredients, the guide explains each component's structural formula, offers synonymous names, and describes its common uses. This informative resource can serve curious readers as a basic primer to commercial chemistry or as an indexed reference for specific compounds found on a product label. Grouped according to type, these chemical descriptions will dissolve common misunderstandings and help make consumers more product savvy.
About the Author
Alexa Coelho is a curious teenager who asks a lot of chemistry questions. Simon Quellen Field is the author of Culinary Reactions, Gonzo Gizmos, and Why Theres Antifreeze in Your Toothpaste and the creator of the popular website www.scitoys.com. They both live in Los Gatos, California.