"On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee

[ChrisZ]

Just bought this today and began to wonder if the awesomeness I'm about to delve into is contradictory to or made obsolete by Modernist Cuisine? Or does MC just go much, much more in depth?

They are different, and complimentary, but I'm reluctant to try and describe the differences myself as I don't think I can do either book justice. Perhaps you could describe McGee as an encyclopaedia of food, while MC is an encyclopaedia of cooking? One of the quotes on the back of McGee observes that it doesn't actually have any recipes in it - perhaps that's the most poignant difference. I might be oversimplifying, but McGee doesn't really spell out cooking advice, whereas MC is full of step-by-step guides on various techniques.

[Miranda]

Oh Good, i finally can post this typo from somewhere:

Harold McGee's tomb and Ricki Carrol's cheese book can tell you more about this.

Can you imagine how large his tombstone would have to be?

Sorry, Mr McGee, I hope you are in good health and spirits.

I bought a copy of this for my nephew who is doing a wine-making/ ag science degree. He loves it and his girlfriend got one too. I must say it is still one of my favourite dip-into books just to read for fun and it always has something useful to say when i need particular information.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Miranda (log)

[qrn]

I picked up a copy from the library a week or so and went thru it.lots of interesting info,took it back the other day...didnt like it as well as his first one, however..

Bud

[nonkeyman]

Being a Chef, I can't say I found any book as useful as this one!

 

If you want to understand the science behind cheese, sweetness, and food in general. This book is amazing. When I first started at the Herbfarm, the current Sous Chef the time handed me this book and I couldn't get enough of it. Don't expect any pretty pictures, only basic diagrams of microbes and fauna here! I am a firm believer in understanding something at its lowest point first and then building from there. That way you can really make it your own.

 

Has anyone used this book to help them come up with dishes, or maybe just to help them understand a process??

 

It really goes into depth, there are like 10 pages on milk alone. It goes through it from the lowest level, to the highest and lets you see the whole picture of a culinary product.