[eugene]

I am just a home cook from Israel, so I don't know the correct terms. But here is what I need.
I need a book that covers the principles of cooking. A book that will explain for example which products absorb taste, and which spread it. A book that will explain what it is better to cook and what is best to simmer or bake.
It should also explain which cooking technique is working best for each product, what's the difference between oil and butter and when you should use each.
Why eggs and onion are needed so much for different products, etc...

I don't want a book with recipes at all, just a book that covers the principles and essentials of cooking so that I can understand why each recipe is the way it is and will be able to modify it and not ruin the food.

What do you recommend?
If something is available online I'd like to hear too.

[castironchef]

The best is On Food & Cooking by Harold McGee.

Check out the archive of his great one-week visit to this humble site.

[eugene]

There is also "Essentials of Cooking" by "James Peterson".
Maybe it's better? Or maybe there is something else?

[eugene]

Ok, I searched Amazon, read many reviews, and here is a list of books people recommended on the subject:

On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen: 0684800012
Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed: 0688102298
The Science of Cooking: 3540674667
Essentials of Cooking: 1579652360
I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking: 1584790830
The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore: 0020098014
The Inquisitive Cook (Accidental Scientist): 0805045414

I want to be able to understand in each recipe why certain things are done and why other things aren't. The final goal is to be able to create my own recipes from given ingredients.

So which book from this list can help me with this stuff best?

[Jacaranda]

The Science of Cooking ISBN 3540674667

I'd strongly recommend Peter Barham's book The Science of Cooking. Barham is a physicist, but collaborated on this book very closely with the Michelin 3-star British chef Heston Blumenthal, so it never strays far from direct relevance to the kitchen. There are some great recipes, and - crucially - every one explains why and how the dish looks, smells, tastes and feels the way it does.