"Modernist Cuisine" by Myhrvold, Young & Bilet (Part 3)

[Guy MovingOn]

I have been lugging various volumes of MC backwards and forwards between my university accomodation, the library, my family home, and visiting relatives etc... Yesterday the leather on my Mulberry bag eventually gave up under the weight of volumes 2 and 3 and fell from my back crashing to the floor... that's the price I have to pay to being addicted to reading these volumes!

Oh, and also possibly failing my finals because I'm so obsessed with reading MC! Hope the MC team fancies hiring a final year undergrad student!

[gdenby]

I have been lugging various volumes of MC backwards and forwards between my university accomodation, the library, my family home, and visiting relatives etc... Yesterday the leather on my Mulberry bag eventually gave up under the weight of volumes 2 and 3 and fell from my back crashing to the floor... <snip>

You see, MC is not just a cook book, or a history, but also an exercise device to offset the caloric intake caused by ogling the pictures!

[Guy MovingOn]

I have been lugging various volumes of MC backwards and forwards between my university accomodation, the library, my family home, and visiting relatives etc... Yesterday the leather on my Mulberry bag eventually gave up under the weight of volumes 2 and 3 and fell from my back crashing to the floor... <snip>

You see, MC is not just a cook book, or a history, but also an exercise device to offset the caloric intake caused by ogling the pictures!

A very expensive exercise device!

[catsrus9]

Andrew,

I am in the same boat as you. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with Barnes and Noble. So frustrating. Thankfully, the folks at Modernist Cuisine are working very hard to try and sort this out. Of course, when I call Barnes and Noble myself, everyone plays dumb.

[avaserfi]

Andrew,

I am in the same boat as you. I have absolutely no idea what is going on with Barnes and Noble. So frustrating. Thankfully, the folks at Modernist Cuisine are working very hard to try and sort this out. Of course, when I call Barnes and Noble myself, everyone plays dumb.

When did you order? I think you ordered before me.

[jmolinari]

Page 2-155 has a table for cure ingredients. Listed on there is vitamin C, ascorbic acid.

this is often added to cured meats for to reduce nitrosamine formation and as an antioxidant. MC points out that "dangerous reactions" can be caused when used with nitrates/nitrites at pH below 4.8

This seems very vague to me. I'd like to understand this better. What dangerous reactions are cause? I ask b/c ascorbic is sometimes added to salame which is a fermented product, which may at times, ferment to as low as 4.8....

[Guy MovingOn]

Although each portion looks pretty tiny... you had 29 courses?!?! That must have required a crazy amount of prep! And I wouldn't like to be whoever has to do the washing up!!

Yes, 29 by my count. (And six very nice wines served throughout the evening). They started out small, but by the 20th course, they looked HUGE! I keep trying to come up with the appropriate words to describe the food and the experience, but my limited vocabulary fails me completely!

This was, by far, the culinary highlight of my life!

Larry

I am incredibly, incredibly jealous! So far going to the Fat Duck has been the culinary highlight of my life, where we had 13 courses plus an extra course of cheese. That already took 4 hours. We weren't totally stuffed, but very full by the end. The MC dinner seems to have smaller courses than The Fat Duck, but still... 29?!?! Crazy!

Thank you so much for sharing!

[JodyS]

Well, after some internal debate as to whether or not I really wanted to spend over $500 on a cookbook, I decided to pull the trigger.

I'd never heard of Nathan Myrhvold before, but after hearing about the book, reading up on him a bit, and watching a few videos, I was sold. Guys like him come along once in a generation, in my opinion. There are lots of really smart people with phds around, but the enthusiasm and skill with which he shares his knowledge is unusual (I have seen a copy). There's another physicist I can think of that shared a similar trait and his name was Richard Feynman. He's actually got a published book called "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out." Myhrvold's got that same spirit.

Those of you that aren't physicists or didn't spend any time studying physics probably don't understand the meaning of such a complement. Feynman set that standard for physics education with his Lectures on Physics for decades. Oh and he won a Nobel prize, worked on the Manhattan Project, and did lots of other crazy stuff. His books are well worth reading for pure entertainment; I've found myself actually laughing quite frequently while reading them. And don't worry, they're not actual science books, for the most part. Some videos of a different set of lectures have been posted on Microsoft's site, for those that are interested.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to receiving my copy when the 2nd printing finally begins shipment. Thanks for all your effort, Nathan.

Edited May 4, 2011 by JodyS (log)

[avaserfi]

It looks like I will be waiting until the second edition too. My Barnes and Noble order was canceled this morning for some reason (not my doing), despite being told it would ship this morning yesterday. They have no clue why, but are "looking into it." Supposedly, they are now out of copies and aren't expecting any until July. The weird thing is I know three people who ordered after me. All their orders have been fulfilled.

So frustrating!

[JodyS]

It looks like I will be waiting until the second edition too. My Barnes and Noble order was canceled this morning for some reason (not my doing), despite being told it would ship this morning yesterday. They have no clue why, but are "looking into it." Supposedly, they are now out of copies and aren't expecting any until July. The weird thing is I know three people who ordered after me. All their orders have been fulfilled.

So frustrating!

That sucks. They printed 6000 copies in first run and at last update 7600 had been sold. Not sure what the right strat is but my order is with amazon. They'll ship copies out based on order placed.

The good news is a lot of corrections have been made for the 2nd printing. Still, it's going to be a long wait. That said, I thought they were supposed to begin shipping in june and not july. I hope i'm right and you're wrong...

I need to shop around for some equipment in the meantime. Not sure if i'll get an immersion circulator or a SVS, for one. And I don't know what vacuum sealer to get! If only vacuum chambers were a bit less money hehe.

[jmolinari]

why not cancel with B&N? It doesn't seem like they are earning your money.

screw them

[avaserfi]

why not cancel with B&N? It doesn't seem like they are earning your money.

screw them

I got it on sale, cheaper than I could find anywhere else. It took quite a while of saving for me to get enough to order it on the sale (I started well before the books were released). If I cancel with B&N, I don't know how much longer I would have to save up to get it. Graduate student budget makes me deal with B&N, I guess.

[JodyS]

why not cancel with B&N? It doesn't seem like they are earning your money.

screw them

I got it on sale, cheaper than I could find anywhere else. It took quite a while of saving for me to get enough to order it on the sale (I started well before the books were released). If I cancel with B&N, I don't know how much longer I would have to save up to get it. Graduate student budget makes me deal with B&N, I guess.

cheaper than the $460 on amazon? what did you pay if you don't mind my asking?

[avaserfi]

why not cancel with B&N? It doesn't seem like they are earning your money.

screw them

I got it on sale, cheaper than I could find anywhere else. It took quite a while of saving for me to get enough to order it on the sale (I started well before the books were released). If I cancel with B&N, I don't know how much longer I would have to save up to get it. Graduate student budget makes me deal with B&N, I guess.

cheaper than the $460 on amazon? what did you pay if you don't mind my asking?

In early April B&N had an in store only half off coupon. I ordered a copy with that coupon so I paid a little more than half the Amazon price. I also know they have redeemed other orders using the coupon, so they aren't trying to get out of it because of the price I paid. Plus, my card has already been charged.

[jmolinari]

ah..makes sense...that's a lot of $

[Merridith]

Amusing article about the errors:

http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sbrc7FW835ixX9Rqiqhn_YA/view.m?id=15&gid=books/booksblog/2011/may/04/classic-book-mistakes&cat=books

I would still love to own my own copy - errors or not. Having edited and worked on books of my spouse, I know it is damned hard to make an error proof book. Also, at least at our publisher (one of the largest text book publishers in the world) the copy editing sucked!

[Guy MovingOn]

I think that anyone who complains about the price of MC, or the lack on inclusion of a baking/pastry section, should take a look at this book and the number of pages it contains, and there is a also a follow up. They are actually books that I would be interested in owning... but MC is definitely WAY better value! And it will take me a while to get through that first!

[nathanm]

I just ordered those books, so I'll let you know what I think. Most technical and professional books - whether in food or engineering, medicine or law - are very expensive.

The fact is that we're all spoiled by the very low cost of consumer cookbooks. That is mostly a good thing, but it does tend to make people have an expectation that every book is like that.

[gfweb]

Well, after some internal debate as to whether or not I really wanted to spend over $500 on a cookbook, I decided to pull the trigger.

I'd never heard of Nathan Myrhvold before, but after hearing about the book, reading up on him a bit, and watching a few videos, I was sold. Guys like him come along once in a generation, in my opinion. There are lots of really smart people with phds around, but the enthusiasm and skill with which he shares his knowledge is unusual (I have seen a copy). There's another physicist I can think of that shared a similar trait and his name was Richard Feynman. He's actually got a published book called "The Pleasure of Finding Things Out." Myhrvold's got that same spirit.

Those of you that aren't physicists or didn't spend any time studying physics probably don't understand the meaning of such a complement. Feynman set that standard for physics education with his Lectures on Physics for decades. Oh and he won a Nobel prize, worked on the Manhattan Project, and did lots of other crazy stuff. His books are well worth reading for pure entertainment; I've found myself actually laughing quite frequently while reading them. And don't worry, they're not actual science books, for the most part. Some videos of a different set of lectures have been posted on Microsoft's site, for those that are interested.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to receiving my copy when the 2nd printing finally begins shipment. Thanks for all your effort, Nathan.

Feynman is/was fantastic. Brilliance combined with curiosity and enthusiasm. A good story teller too. Physics wasn't enough to keep his interest and he turned to reforming education in his later years. I think I've read all his popular stuff and there's not a bad book in the lot.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk

[Twyst]

I just wish I could get mine already! I was late to the party and ordered in early April so I imagine it will be at least late July before I ever see my copies

[gdenby]

The fact is that we're all spoiled by the very low cost of consumer cookbooks. That is mostly a good thing, but it does tend to make people have an expectation that every book is like that.

I had no problem with the price. Having worked in a small way in the production of art books, and having had a friend who collected art books until he had children to raise, the cost of MC is entirely reasonable. I've brought a few of the volumes to the museum where I work, and also to friends who are practicing painters and printmakers. Everyone has appreciated the quality. For those who cook, the "OMG" comes when they look over the parametric tables, not just the images.

[Guy MovingOn]

I just ordered those books, so I'll let you know what I think.

Thank you Nathan, yes please do let me know! There are actually several technical baking books on that website, I'm sure eventually you will own all of those books!

[Guy MovingOn]

I was a bit disappointed to see the lack of an inclusion of a more recent, popular, and highly scientific theory in the Food Safety section:

The 5 Second Rule.

Perhaps Nathan might want to revise the current edition to include it in later printings??

[roygon]

Any news on a printable index for the kitchen manual? Nathan commented to a request saying that it was a great idea but I haven't seen anything since

Thanks,

rg

[jmolinari]

I printed the index without any issues. Printed it front and back and had it sprial bound. Quite useful.