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W. W. Norton & Company

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

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Description

Over 1 Million Copies Sold A New York Times Bestseller Winner of the James Beard Award for General Cooking and the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award "The one book you must have, no matter what you’re planning to cook or where your skill level falls."―New York Times Book ReviewEver wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!)―and use a foolproof method that works every time?As Serious Eats's culinary nerd- in-residence, J. Kenji López-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don’t work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new―but simple―techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more. Over 1000 color photographs Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Norton; Illustrated edition (September 21, 2015)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 958 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393081087


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 84


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.56 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.8 x 8 x 1.8 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #45 in Cookbooks, Food & Wine (Books)


#45 in Cookbooks, Food & Wine (Books):


Customer Reviews: 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 10,672 ratings


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Funny and informative fare!
Review Image by Selome B. Selome B.
This book wasn't even on my radar until my best friend mentioned that it was on sale. As an occasional collector of cookbooks, I could not pass up the opportunity for such a tome, promising a wealth and depth of techniques, modern cookery, and quality photos. I was not disappointed! It is the first book I have ever ordered online to arrive in its own factory shrinkwrap, which for some odd reason felt extra fancy. It is a HEAVY hardcover book, so beware that if you are ordering multiple items from Amazon at once, this may be at the bottom of a box you forgot was arriving! I have only just cracked it open to see if random ingredients like brandy are covered (it is). Another great treat is the voice of the author. J. Kenji López-Alt is hilarious! Just read the paragraph flexing science-y facts and wry references about asparagus on page 457! I am already excited to learn about new and exciting ways to prepare foods, better techniques, and elevated lingo for hoity-toity dinner chats (minus the cringe). ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024 by Selome B. Selome B.
    • An indispensable resource for home cooks!
In the world of culinary arts, mastering the art of cooking requires more than just following recipes and hoping for the best. 'The Food Lab,' a groundbreaking cookbook by J. Kenji López-Alt, approaches home cooking with a scientific mindset, empowering home cooks to understand the underlying principles of their culinary creations. What's Inside the Food Lab? The Food Lab is a comprehensive guide to home cooking, featuring over 1,000 recipes, 400 techniques, and 500 food-science experiments. It provides a deep dive into the science behind each ingredient, technique, and recipe, enabling readers to develop an intuitive understanding of how food behaves. López-Alt meticulously explains the effects of heat, liquids, acids, and enzymes on the transformation of ingredients. He explores the role of pH in food preservation, the Maillard reaction in caramelization, and the physics of kneading dough. This scientific knowledge equips cooks with the tools to troubleshoot problems, improve techniques, and create innovative dishes. Key Principles of the Food Lab 1. Understanding Ingredients: The Food Lab breaks down the composition and properties of common ingredients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. This allows cooks to make informed choices and combine ingredients intentionally. 2. Precise Measurements: López-Alt emphasizes the importance of accurate measurements, providing precise instructions and techniques for measuring ingredients. This precision ensures consistent results and helps cooks understand the impact of each ingredient. 3. Controlled Temperature: The Food Lab stresses the significance of controlling temperature in cooking. From slow-simmered braises to crispy fried chicken, López-Alt explains how precise temperature management leads to optimal texture, flavor, and safety. 4. Cooking Techniques Demystified: The book demystifies cooking techniques by breaking them down into their individual steps. Techniques such as searing, roasting, and steaming are thoroughly explained, allowing cooks to master them with confidence. 5. Troubleshooting and Experimentation: The Food Lab encourages readers to experiment with recipes, observe the results, and troubleshoot any potential issues. López-Alt provides guidance on common problems and offers suggestions for troubleshooting and making adjustments. Benefits of Cooking with Science By embracing the scientific principles outlined in The Food Lab, home cooks can: * Improve their cooking skills: A deeper understanding of food science empowers cooks to make informed decisions and refine their techniques. * Create more flavorful dishes: By understanding the interactions between ingredients and techniques, cooks can enhance the flavors of their creations. * Cook with confidence: The scientific knowledge gained from The Food Lab instills confidence in cooks, enabling them to approach cooking with a newfound level of understanding and control. * Become more creative: By demystifying the art of cooking, The Food Lab fosters creativity and encourages experimentation, leading to innovative and delicious dishes. Conclusion 'The Food Lab' is an indispensable resource for home cooks who seek to elevate their skills and transform their kitchens into culinary laboratories. By unlocking the science behind home cooking, López-Alt empowers readers to create better, more flavorful dishes and develop a lifelong passion for the joy of cooking. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2024 by Susan
    • Was this chef reading my mind when he wrote this? AMAZING cookbook!!!
FINALLY, a chef gets it!!! So many chefs write the same old boring stuff. They start off with equipment and describe it like it was a chore that they have to get out of the way. Sort of like, here's the types of pans there are and here is what they are like and maybe here's how they are used. Kenji describes it with passion giving a great story of how when he tried to reduce cream using a pot that he didn't regularly use that the cream turned out a royal greasy mess due to the pan being too thin. There are other good cookbooks out there with great recipes. And there are other ones out there that do a pretty good job of teaching how to cook and why certain things work. However, NOBODY....absolutely NOBODY I've ever seen has ever described the science behind cooking better than Kenji. He tells it so well and makes it so enjoyable and easy to read! And his understanding of the subject matter is excellent. I'm a kitchen knife enthusiast. And no other chef I've seen has really properly described the characteristics of a knife that make the best ones the best. Few go into talking about the thinness of the blade actually being a GOOD thing. But at the same time, he looks at things from the beginner level AND the pro level, showing the full grip technique for beginners along with the balanced grip that most chefs use. And he understands that a cook also has to go with what they are comfortable with, like how he talks about how his wife loves her cheap, dull, unbalanced IKEA knife. Also, don't let the title fool you. This isn't some cookbook about freezing food with liquid nitrogen and making all of these petite and crazy little dishes you'd get in some gourmet restaurant that you'd never cook at home. This cookbook is brilliantly about using science to make the dishes we like to cook and eat everyday and learn how to turn them from good to spectacular. He's also got the experience to back up what he writes. He worked his way up from small kitchens to some of the fanciest restaurants in Boston. And Boston has some very good restaurants! Then he worked for Cook's Illustrated developing great recipes. Many of you might know Cooks Illustrated for some other names like America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country. And now he writes for seriouseats.com. I have a bunch of cookbooks, but none of them does nearly as great of a job as Kenji at explaining things. This is THE COOKBOOK of ALL COOKBOOKS if you have a passion for cooking like I do and really want to learn how to become a better cook. I'm definitely going to start following his blog and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND getting this cookbook. This isn't more of a recipe book. This is a HOW TO book that has recipes. I hope I get to see a lot more cookbooks from Kenji and I hope his publishers will let him really write what he wants to write. He's a genius chef and I'd take his cookbooks over Julia Child, Pepin, Jamie Oliver, Emeril, or any other big name cook out there. He's one chef I'd love to meet. Any of the negative reviews are undeserved. For once, we have a cookbook that is pure genius. Anybody who takes the time and reads it thoroughly and cooks from it is bound to realize it. I'm getting more out of this cookbook than dozens of others combined. He even gets into making your own sausage! About the best way I can describe this cookbook is it feels like he looked directly into the soul of cooking and wrote with the passion and understanding and genius of a chef to make a master-piece that I'll cherish for years to come. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2016 by Keith Sinders
    • If you are a food science nerd this is the cookbook for you
I think calling this a recipe book is misleading. It has some recipes, some very good ones but that is a very small portion of the book. The real selling point is that it reads like a novel that explains why food does what it does, how to alter what it does, and myths about what it does....for those of us who were brainwashed to believe you're supposed to cook pasta in a huge pot of water to keep it from sticking. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2024 by TC

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