Kitchen/Food Science

[Nicholas]

The science of cooking has always intrigued me, and I've come to a point where I want to discover the "hows" of cooking and all that.

Are there any food science book that anyone can specifically reccomend?

And also, I recently started work in a restaurant, and realised there are many valuable "tricks of the trade" to pick up.

Does anyone know, that why adding salt while boiling eggs help make them peel easier?

And why does white vinegar stops bleeding?
*A nasty and painful experience, because of wrong hand/knife technique, shame on me. *

I've done some research, and all I could find were the helpful tips, but not the explanation.

Can someone shed some light on the matter?

[cape chef]

http://translate.google.com/translat...D%26ie%3DUTF-8

Nick,

Take a look at this site by Chef Simon. It's pretty cool.

[Nicholas]

Oh wow, thanks for the link.
It's like the treasure chest I never opened.

[cheflayne]

Kitchen science: A compendium of essential information for every cook
by Howard Hillman
This is a great book. Do a google search for Kitchen Science Amazon and you will pop up quite a few interesting books with that in the title.

[Nicholas]

Thanks cheflayne, I'll look into it.

[phoebe]

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is the food science bible of the CIA (at least that's my understanding). But you might want to wait just a bit before buying it because he's coming out with a substantially revised edition any moment now.
Robert L.Wolke's What Einstein Told His Cook and Russ Parson's How To Read a French Fry are both a lot of fun and more reader-friendly if science was not your best subject in school but you still really like it.

[scott123]

Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking by Shirley O. Corriher

[hans.schallenbe]

cooking techniques, that is the term you will find in the english version in the philip pauli book [classical cooking the modern way] page 222 to 227.

in this pages, which are truly brief, it explains the effects of water, carbohydrates, fat and protein in cooking.

having read this now, you have to focus on the product knowledge, how each product has a chemical composition, like the egg yolk contains lecithin [fat], that is the reason why, when making a fresh mayonnaise, you add the acid last, as acid breaks down fat.

hans

[scott123]

Originally Posted by hans.schallenbe

having read this now, you have to focus on the product knowledge, how each product has a chemical composition, like the egg yolk contains lecithin [fat], that is the reason why, when making a fresh mayonnaise, you add the acid last, as acid breaks down fat.

Acid 'breaks down' fat? I wasn't aware of this. In what way does it 'break' down?

Lecithin, btw, is not a fat, it is a phospholipid.

[Anneke]

Good for you for being inquisitive. Pick up any book by Hervé This (French scientist, but his books have been translated in many languages).

[chrose]

Originally Posted by phoebe

Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking

That's the one I always turn to. In a pinch you can always ask Kuan

[chefjason]

I own both Harold McGee's "On Food And Cooking" and "Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking" by Shirley O. Corriher. I enjoy them both. The first reads like a text book and would only be enjoyable for anyone who is truly intrested in learning more about the how's and why's of cooking. The second on the other hand is broken down into more practical yet still informative information along with being paired with recipes to show examples of the scientific principles being explained. I do reccomend both and am glad I begged my wife to get them for me for christmas.

[hans.schallenbe]

Originally Posted by scott123

Acid 'breaks down' fat? I wasn't aware of this. In what way does it 'break' down?

Lecithin, btw, is not a fat, it is a phospholipid.

lipid, and assists in building of cell membranes, nerves, bone marrow and blood cells. it has fat and water soluble properties, it functions as an emulsifier in hollandaise and mayonnaise, chocolates etc. together with the proteins.

how acid breaks down fat, make a mayonnaise, one add the vinagar together with the egg yolk, the second one add it last and you will see the difference.

hans

[scott123]

Hans, the difference in results you describe are based upon the water constituent in the vinegar, not it's Ph level. If you perform the same experiment with water (adding it to the yolk or at the end), you'd get the same results. It has to do with the amount of lecithin in the yolk and it's emulsifying capabilities. I don't see how acidity has anything to do with emulsification.

[hans.schallenbe]

Originally Posted by scott123

Hans, the difference in results you describe are based upon the water constituent in the vinegar, not it's Ph level. If you perform the same experiment with water (adding it to the yolk or at the end), you'd get the same results. It has to do with the amount of lecithin in the yolk and it's emulsifying capabilities. I don't see how acidity has anything to do with emulsification.

well that is what we learned.

however try it out, same you have with the hollandaise, if your reduction is too strong [acid], your hollandaise will never be that firm and will not hold as long.

an other example along the same line with fat and acidity is when you prepare egg whites [foaming] if you are not sure if there are fat stains in your container you quickly clean the container with lemon, as fat inhibts egg white from foaming.

an other point with acidity, when you marinate a sauerbraten or game stew with vinegar and or a rather acid red wine, acidity has an direct reaction with the collagen in the connective tissues, as they expand and soften [weaken] and become gelatinous and tender.

well im am not sure unless there is an other chemical explanation, the way acidity interact with proteins, lecitin and others.

hans