Molecular Gastronomy

Exploring the Science of Flavor

By: Herve This

Narrated by: Dennis Holland

This book will appeal to foodies and those who are deprived of cookbooks in audio format.

Molecular Gastronomy documents the sensory phenomena of eating and uses basic physics to put to bed many culinary myths. This audiobook presents pieces of conventional wisdom - such as whether it is better to make a stock by placing meat in already boiling water, or water before it is boiled - and gives its history before making scientific pronouncements.

Most of the discussions revolve around common practices and phenomenon: chilling wine, why spices are spicy, how to best cool a hot drink. This experimentation is not just for the mildly curious, but listeners unafraid to microwave mayonnaise will find many ideas here.

©2006 Columbia University Press (P)2008 Audible, Inc.

BORING

This book is boring and uninteresting. Not what I expected at all. The subject matter could be fascinating but instead this book seems to go nowhere. I have to admit I could not get through it.

Brain Food for the Nerdy Chef

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes if they want to know the science of cooking not just a recipe

What other book might you compare Molecular Gastronomy to and why?

on food and cooking

What insight do you think you’ll apply from Molecular Gastronomy?

this book alters how you cook because you understand the physics

Sleeping Aid

I was very excited when I bought this book. I thought it would be very interesting, I love to cook and I love to know how things work. I found that the only thing this book was useful for was putting me to sleep!
Each chapter would start out with a great topic and useful information but then would turn to the history and scientific explainations where my science degree didn't even help me. I was so confused by the end of the chapter that I didn't even know what I had heard. I believe if you are French or a World Class Chef, you may understand it and enjoy it.
I thought that I was an intelligent person, but this book made me feel very dumb because I just couldn't understand most of it. If you are looking for a great book to listen to to put you to sleep, this is the one. I put it on quite often and the sound of the narrator's voice and the big words I didn't understand lulled me right to sleep!

A collection of essays, really

If you do not know what a benzene ring is, you will not understand this book.
I was expecting more an orderly introduction to molecular gastronomy, starting from basic principles, then building into complex concepts. Instead, this book reads like a collection of unconnected and very scholarly essays. A lot of the chapters/essays are long and dry, while others have practical information you can use in the kitchen.

Yawn

As a preface, I have not finished listening to this audiobook. It was absolutely NOT what I was looking for. I was expecing it to be mostly about food science, chemistry, how food works - and how those principles apply to cooking. This book is much heavier on history and florid prose. I put it down after a couple hours - too much a danger to driving.

It may be a good book for what it was intended for - but I say no thank you.