On Food and Cooking

France. And a number of food molecules and
microbes have become familiar figures in the
news, both good and bad. Anyone who follows
the latest in health and nutrition knows about
the benefits of antioxidants and
phytoestrogens, the hazards of trans fatty
acids, acrylamide, E. coli bacteria, and mad
cow disease.
Professional cooks have also come to
appreciate the value of the scientific approach
to their craft. In the first few years after On
Food and Cooking appeared, many young
cooks told me of their frustration in trying to
find out why dishes were prepared a certain
way, or why ingredients behave as they do. To
their traditionally trained chefs and teachers,
understanding food was less important than
mastering the tried and true techniques for
preparing it. Today it’s clearer that curiosity
and understanding make their own
contribution to mastery. A number of culinary
schools now offer “experimental” courses that