Synopses & Reviews
Why can you stick your hand into a 450-degree oven but not into 212-degree boiling water without burning it? Why does fish taste different from meat? Why do you cook pork differently from beef? Why should you always start cooking dried beans in cold water, not warm? Why should you never cook a Vidalia onion?
What's the only kind of marinade that's really an effective tenderizer? Why is strawberry-rhubarb a good combination, scientifically speaking? And why don't potatoes fried in fresh oil ever brown completely, no matter how long they're cooked?
"Cooking is full of questions that science can help you answer, questions that can make you a better cook," writes the award-winning Los Angeles Times food editor, Russ Parsons. In this entertaining book packed with fascinating tidbits, Parsons explores the science behind such basic cooking methods as chopping, mixing, frying, roasting, boiling, and baking. You'll learn why soaking beans can't offset their gaseous effects, why green vegetables shouldn't be cooked under a lid for long, which fruits you can buy unripe and which you should buy fully ripened, which thickener to choose for your turkey gravy, which piecrust is foolproof for a beginner.
Along the way, Parsons slips in hundreds of cooking tips, provocative trivia, and touches of wit that make his scientific explanations go down smoothly. He also includes more than a hundred recipes that deliciously exemplify the principles he describes, from Tuscan Potato Chips and Crisp-Skinned Salmon on Creamy Leeks and Cabbage to Chocolate Pots de Creme and Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake.
Review
"Follow a single, microscopic yeast cell down a rabbit hole, and Alice, aka Adam, will take you on a fascinating romp through the Wonderland of ethyl alcohol, from Natures own fermentation to todays best Scotch whiskies—and worst hangovers. This book is a delightful marriage of scholarship and fun." —
Robert L. Wolke, author of What Einstein Kept Under His Hat and What Einstein Told His Cook "Proof, this irresistible book from Adam Rogers, shines like the deep gold of good whiskey. By which I mean it's smart in its science, fascinating in its complicated and very human history, and entertaining on all counts. And that it will make that drink in your hand a lot more interesting than you expected." —Deborah Blum, author of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
Review
“Lively . . . [Rogers’s] descriptions of the science behind familiar drinks exert a seductive pull.” —
New York Times “One of the best science writers around.” — National Geographic
“Rogers’s book has much the same effect as a good drink. You get a warm sensation, you want to engage with the wider world, and you feel smarter than you probably are. Above all, it makes you understand how deeply human it is to take a drink.” — Wall Street Journal
“A great read for barflies and know-it-alls—or the grad student who is likely both.” — New York Times Magazine
“In this brisk dive into the history and geekery of our favorite social lubricant, Wired editor Adam Rogers gets under the cap and between the molecules to show what makes our favorite firewaters so irresistible and hard to replicate—and how a good stiff drink often doubles as a miracle of human ingenuity.” — Mother Jones
“A comprehensive, funny look at booze . . . Like the best of its subject matter Proof’’s blend of disparate ingredients goes down smooth, and makes you feel like an expert on the topic.” — Discover
“A romp through the world of alcohol.” — New York Post
“This science-steeped tale of humanity’s ten-thousand-year love affair with alcohol is an engaging trawl through fermentation, distillation, perception of taste and smell, and the biological responses of humans to booze . . . Proof is an entertaining, well researched piece of popular-science writing.” — Nature
“A whiskey nerd’s delight . . . Full of tasty asides and surprising science, this is entertaining even if you’re the type who always drinks what the other guy is having.” — Chicago Tribune
“Written in the same approachable yet science-savvy tone of other geeky tomes (think Amy Stewart’s The Drunken Botanist and Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos), Rogers’s book sheds light on everything from barrels to bacteria strains.” — Imbibe Magazine
“This paean to booze is a thought-provoking scientific accompaniment to your next cup of good cheer.” — Scientist
“Follow a single, microscopic yeast cell down a rabbit hole, and Alice, aka Adam, will take you on a fascinating romp through the Wonderland of ethyl alcohol, from Nature’s own fermentation to today’s best Scotch whiskies—and worst hangovers. This book is a delightful marriage of scholarship and fun.” — Robert L. Wolke, author of What Einstein Kept Under His Hat and What Einstein Told His Cook
“Proof, this irresistible book from Adam Rogers, shines like the deep gold of good whiskey. By which I mean it’s smart in its science, fascinating in its complicated and very human history, and entertaining on all counts. And that it will make that drink in your hand a lot more interesting than you expected.” — Deborah Blum, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
“Absolutely compelling. Proof sits next to Wayne Curtis’s And a Bottle of Rum and Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses as a must-read.” — Jeffrey Morgenthaler, bar manager at Clyde Common and author of The Bar Book
“Proof is science writing at its best—witty, elegant, and abrim with engrossing reporting that takes you to the frontiers of booze, and the people who craft it.” — Clive Thompson, author of Smarter Than You Think
“Rogers distills history, archaeology, biology, sociology, and physics into something clear and powerful, like spirits themselves.” — Jim Meehan, author of The PDT Cocktail Book
“A page-turner for science-thirsty geeks and drink connoisseurs alike, Proof is overflowing with fun facts and quirky details. I’m drunk—on knowledge!” — Jeff Potter, author of Cooking for Geeks
“Adam Rogers writes masterfully and gracefully about all the sciences that swirl around spirits, from the biology of a hangover to the paleontology of microbes that transform plant juices into alcohol. A book to be savored and revisited.” — Carl Zimmer, author of Parasite Rex and A Planet of Viruses
“Reading Proof feels just like you’re having a drink with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic friend. Rogers’s deep affinity for getting to the bottom of his subject shines through on every page.” — Adam Savage, TV host and producer of MythBusters
“As a distiller I find most books on booze to be diluted. The science and history here are sure to satisfy the geekiest of drinkers. While the chapters, carried by stories, told through the lens of a rocks glass do not lose the casual. To get this kind of in-depth overview of how spirits are produced, consumed, and studied, you’d have to read twenty books.” — Vince Oleson, Head Distiller/Barrel Thief, Widow Jane Distillery
“An entertaining read . . . Rogers elegantly charges through what took me more than five years of research to learn . . . Proof will inspire and educate the oncoming hordes who intend to make their own booze and tear down the once solid regulatory walls of the reigning royal houses of liquor.”
— Dan Garrison, Garrison Brothers Distillery
“From the action of the yeast to the blear of the hangover, via the witchery of fermentation, distillation and aging, Wired articles editor Rogers takes readers on a splendid tour of the booze-making process.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Impressively reported and entertaining . . . Rogers’s cheeky and accessible writing style goes down smoothly, capturing the essence of this enigmatic, ancient social lubricant.” — Publishers Weekly
Review
"With passion and enthusiasm, Russ Parsons explains the science behind kitchen common sense, then illustrates it with recipes. His book makes me feel smarter and more in control. As if that's not enough, the recipes are some of the most appealing ever." - Deborah Madison
"Russ Parsons new book is fascinating to read and totally useful in the kitchen. Food lovers like me are always hungry for an understanding of what is happening inside our saucepans, our pot roasts, and our peach pies. Parsonss scientific explanations are very satisfying and his recipes look mouthwatering. He writes with the clarity of a good journalist, the skepticism of an accomplished editor (which, as editor in chief of the L.A. Times Food Section, he surely is), and the energy of a passionate home cook, who knows just what the rest of us need to know." Jeffrey Steingarten
" If you want to know why onions make you cry, are terrified by hollandaise or curious to find out why good cooks add old oil to new, this is the book for you.
The recipes not only tell you the what, but also the why. I learned a lot." Ruth Reichl, editor in chief Gourmet magazine Gourmet
Synopsis
A spirited narrative on the fascinating art and science of alcohol, sure to inspire cocktail party chats on making booze, tasting it, and its effects on our bodies and brains, from "one of the best science writers around" (
National Geographic)
Synopsis
Named a Best Science Book of 2014 by Amazon, Wired, the Guardian, and NBC
Winner of the 2014 Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book in the United States
-Lively . . . Rogers's] descriptions of the science behind familiar drinks exert a seductive pull.- -- New York Times
Humans have been perfecting alcohol production for ten thousand years, but scientists are just starting to distill the chemical reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers takes us from bourbon country to the world's top gene-sequencing labs, introducing us to the bars, barflies, and evolving science at the heart of boozy technology. He chases the physics, biology, chemistry, and metallurgy that produce alcohol, and the psychology and neurobiology that make us want it. If you've ever wondered how your drink arrived in your glass, or what it will do to you, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.
-Rogers's book has much the same effect as a good drink. You get a warm sensation, you want to engage with the wider world, and you feel smarter than you probably are. Above all, it makes you understand how deeply human it is to take a drink.- -- Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
Drinking gets a lot more interesting when you know whats actually inside your glass of microbrewed ale, single-malt whisky, or Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. All of them begin with fermentation, where a fungus called yeast binges on sugar molecules and poops out ethanol. Humans have been drinking the results for 10,000 years. Distillation is a 2,000- year-old technology—invented by a woman—that were still perfecting today. And the molecular codes of alcoholic flavors remain a mystery pursued by scientists with high-tech laboratories and serious funding.
In Proof, Adam Rogers reveals alcohol as a miracle of science, going deep into the pleasures of making and drinking booze—and the effects of the latter. The people who make and sell alcohol may talk about history and tradition, but alcohol production is really powered by physics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and a bit of metallurgy—and our taste for those products is a melding of psychology and neurobiology.
Proof takes readers from the whisky-making mecca of the Scottish Highlands to the oenology labs at UC Davis, from Kentucky bourbon country to the most sophisticated gene-sequencing labs in the world— and to more than one bar—bringing to life the motley characters and evolving science behind the latest developments in boozy technology.
Synopsis
New York Times Bestseller
Humans have been perfecting the science of alcohol production for ten thousand years, but modern scientists are only just beginning to distill the complex reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers puts our alcoholic history under the microscope, from our ancestors’ accidental discovery of fermented drinks to the cutting-edge laboratory research that proves why—or even if—people actually like the stuff.
From fermentation to distillation to aging, Proof offers a unique glimpse inside the barrels, stills, tanks, and casks that produce iconic drinks. Rogers ventures from the whiskey-making mecca of the Scottish Highlands to the most sophisticated gene-sequencing labs in the world—and to more than one bar—introducing us to the motley characters and evolving science behind the latest developments in boozy technology. He uncovers alcohol’s deepest mysteries, chasing the physics, molecular biology, organic chemistry, and even metallurgy that power alcohol production, and the subtle mixture of psychology and neurobiology that fuels our taste for those products.
With intoxicating enthusiasm, Rogers reveals alcohol as a miracle of science. If you’ve ever wondered how exactly your drink of choice arrived in your glass, or exactly what will happen to you once you empty it, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.
Synopsis
Named a Best Science Book of 2014 by Amazon, Wired, the Guardian, and NBC Winner of the 2014 Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book in the United States
Finalist for the 2015 PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award
“Lively . . . [Rogers’s] descriptions of the science behind familiar drinks exert a seductive pull.” — New York Times
Humans have been perfecting alcohol production for ten thousand years, but scientists are just starting to distill the chemical reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers takes us from bourbon country to the world’s top gene-sequencing labs, introducing us to the bars, barflies, and evolving science at the heart of boozy technology. He chases the physics, biology, chemistry, and metallurgy that produce alcohol, and the psychology and neurobiology that make us want it. If you’ve ever wondered how your drink arrived in your glass, or what it will do to you, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.
“Rogers’s book has much the same effect as a good drink. You get a warm sensation, you want to engage with the wider world, and you feel smarter than you probably are. Above all, it makes you understand how deeply human it is to take a drink.” — Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
A clever distillation of Americaandrsquo;s favorite libation, by the New York Times best-selling authors of The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert.
Synopsis
Named a Best Science Book of 2014 by Amazon, Wired, the Guardian, and NBC Winner of the 2014 Gourmand Award for Best Spirits Book in the United States
“Lively . . . [Rogers’s] descriptions of the science behind familiar drinks exert a seductive pull.” — New York Times
Humans have been perfecting alcohol production for ten thousand years, but scientists are just starting to distill the chemical reactions behind the perfect buzz. In a spirited tour across continents and cultures, Adam Rogers takes us from bourbon country to the world’s top gene-sequencing labs, introducing us to the bars, barflies, and evolving science at the heart of boozy technology. He chases the physics, biology, chemistry, and metallurgy that produce alcohol, and the psychology and neurobiology that make us want it. If you’ve ever wondered how your drink arrived in your glass, or what it will do to you, Proof makes an unparalleled drinking companion.
“Rogers’s book has much the same effect as a good drink. You get a warm sensation, you want to engage with the wider world, and you feel smarter than you probably are. Above all, it makes you understand how deeply human it is to take a drink.” — Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
A clever distillation of Americaandrsquo;s favorite libation, by the New York Times best-selling authors of The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert Whiskey fever is sweeping the nation. Every day, craft distilleries are popping up in remote counties and urban centers, offering a wealth of great choices to consumersandmdash;and just as many puzzlements. Does the introduction of a simple andldquo;eandrdquo; to go from whisky to whiskey mean anything? Whatandrsquo;s the difference between Scotch and Rye? Whatandrsquo;s Canadian whisky anyway? And what about the whiskeys of Scotland, Japan, and Ireland? Whereand#39;s a humble Joe to start?and#160;and#160;In this witty kid-style book on an adult topic, Richard Betts boils down his know-how into twenty pages, cooling our andldquo;brown-sweatandrdquo; anxieties and dividing whiskey into three simple categories: Grain, Wood, and Place. While most whiskey tomes are about as fun as a chemistry lesson, Betts makes the learning slide down easy, reassuring us that this exalted spirit is just distilled beer and, through a nasal romp, helping us figure out which kinds we love best. Humorous illustrations and scratch-and-sniff scents (vanilla, sandalwood, grass, and more) help would-be connoisseurs learn their personal preferences. Language label and Map to Your Desires included.
About the Author
RICHARD BETTS is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Essential Scratch and Sniff Guide to Becoming a Wine Expert. He has been featured in the New York Times, Wine Spectator, Food and Wine, Outside, GQ, and Details and speaks frequently on wine throughout the country. He is also the founder of two wine companies, Betts and Scholl and Scarpetta, which have won top praise from leading wine publications. He is also theandnbsp;founder and president of Sombra Mezcal and Tequila Astral, and his newest wine ventures include Saint Glinglin Bordeaux, My Essential Red, My Essential White, and My Essential Rosandeacute;.CRYSTAL ENGLISH SACCA is an award-winning advertising art director.WENDY MacNAUGHTONand#39;s work has appeared in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Table of Contents
Introduction 1Yeast 14
Sugar 35
Fermentation 59
Distillation 80
Aging 104
Smell and Taste 133
Body and Brain 160
Hangover 187
Conclusion 205
Acknowledgments 213
Notes 215
Bibliography 235
Index 248