Keys to Good Cooking : A Guide to Making the Best of Foods and Recipes

**The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible __On Food and Cooking.__** From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, __Keys to Good Cooking__ is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish. A work of astounding scholarship and originality, __Keys to Good Cooking__ directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice. __Keys to Good Cooking__ distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular-__reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage__)-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster. A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, __Keys to Good Cooking__ will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With __Keys to Good Cooking__ McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere. The answers to many kitchen conundrums in one easy-to-use volume, from the author of the acclaimed culinary bible On Food and Cooking. From our foremost expert on the science of cooking, Harold McGee, Keys to Good Cooking is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of ingredients, recipes, food safety, and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish. A work of astounding scholarship and originality, Keys to Good Cooking directly addresses the cook at work in the kitchen and in need of quick and reliable guidance. Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information and advice. Keys to Good Cooking distills the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. Looking at ingredients from the mundane to the exotic, McGee takes you from market to table, teaching, for example, how to spot the most delectable asparagus (choose thick spears); how to best prepare the vegetable (peel, don't snap, the fibrous ends; broiling is one effective cooking method for asparagus and other flat-lying vegetables); and how to present it (coat with butter or oil after cooking to avoid a wrinkled surface). This book will be a requisite countertop resource for all home chefs, as McGee's insights on kitchen safety in particular- reboil refrigerated meat or fish stocks every few days. (They're so perishable that they can spoil even in the refrigerator.); Don't put ice cubes or frozen gel packs on a burn. (Extreme cold can cause additional skin damage )-will save even the most knowledgeable home chefs from culinary disaster. A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone that helps cooks spot flawed recipes and make the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be of use to cooks of all kinds: to beginners who want to learn the basics, to weekend cooks who want a quick refresher in the basics, and to accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. With Keys to Good Cooking McGee has created an essential guide for food lovers everywhere. A One-stop Reference Answers Nearly Every Kitchen Conundrum The Home Cook May Have In A Single Volume, From Equipment And Cooking Methods To How To Handle Nearly Every Ingredient. Getting To Know Foods -- Basic Kitchen Resources : Water, The Pantry, And The Refrigerator -- Kitchen Tools -- Heat And Heating Appliances -- Cooking Methods -- Cooking Safely -- Fruits -- Vegetables And Fresh Herbs -- Milk And Dairy Products -- Eggs -- Meats -- Fish And Shellfish -- Sauces, Stocks, And Soups -- Dry Grains, Pastas, Noodles, And Puddings -- Seed Legumes : Beans, Peas, Lentils, And Soy Products -- Nuts And Oil Seeds -- Breads -- Pastries And Pieces -- Cakes, Muffins, And Cookies -- Griddle Cakes, Crepes, Popovers, And Frying Batters -- Ice Creams, Ices, Mousses, And Jellies -- Chocolate And Cocoa -- Sugars, Syrups, And Candies -- Coffee And Tea -- Where To Find More Keys To Good Cooking, Harold Mcgee. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 525-528) And Index. Every kitchen conundrum is answered in this easy-to-use volume, from the acknowledged master of the science of cooking. A requisite countertop companion for all home chefs, Keys to Good Cooking distils the modern scientific understanding of cooking and translates it into immediately useful information. The book provides simple statements of fact and advice, along with brief explanations that help cooks understand why, and apply that understanding to other situations. Not a cookbook, Keys to Good Cooking is, simply put, a book about how to cook well. A work of astounding scholarship and originality, this is a concise and authoritative guide designed to help home cooks navigate the ever-expanding universe of recipes and ingredients and appliances, and arrive at the promised land of a satisfying dish. From the Hardcover edition. A one-stop reference answers nearly every kitchen conundrum the home cook may have in a single volume, from equipment and cooking methods to how to handle nearly every ingredient. By the author of On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of Kitchen.