Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History) (2007)

Hervé This, one of the founding fathers of molecular gastronomy, applies physical chemistry to explain everyday domestic culinary phenomena. Through lucid laboratory demonstrations, he explains why stock clouds when boiled vigorously, how whipping speed stabilizes mayonnaise droplets, and how salt changes egg white elasticity. His analytical yet light-hearted approach demystifies centuries of received kitchen folklore with empirical proofs.