Publisher's Synopsis
This fully illustrated book, which includes photographs of food taken through an electron microscope, is a blend of culinary lore and scientific explanation that examines the history of food, its make-up and its behaviour when it is prepared and cooked. Containing historical and literary anecdotes, it covers all the major food categories, from meat and potatoes to sauce bernaise and champagne.;Simple scientific explanations throw light on such mysteries as how to tell stale eggs from fresh, whether searing really seals in flavour and what happens when a cook kneads dough. A chapter on nutrition exposes the fallacies behind food fads, past and present. There is also a section on additives and one on the sensations of taste and smell.