Note-By-Note Cooking - (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary H) by Hervé This (Paperback)

About the Book

The visionary food chemist surveys a vast new world of flavor.

Book Synopsis

Note-by-Note Cooking is a landmark in the annals of gastronomy, liberating cooks from the constraints of traditional ingredients and methods through the use of pure molecular compounds. 1-Octen-3-ol, which has a scent of wild mushrooms; limonene, a colorless liquid hydrocarbon that has the smell of citrus; sotolon, whose fragrance at high concentrations resembles curry and at low concentrations, maple syrup or sugar; tyrosine, an odorless but flavorful amino acid present in cheese-these and many other substances, some occurring in nature, some synthesized in the laboratory, make it possible to create novel tastes and flavors in the same way that elementary sound waves can be combined to create new sounds.

Review Quotes

Inspiring.-- "Chemistry World"

Keen cooks will devour the latest work by molecular gastronomist Hervé This.-- "New Scientist"

Taking kitchen science to a whole new (molecular) level, Hervé This is changing the way France--and the world--cooks.-- "Gourmet"

This writes the way he speaks - with subtle irony, whim and humour, and each of his books, apart from being scientifically revealing, is an almost taste-able and invariably delicious literary delight.-- "Engineering and Technology"

This... explores the science behind shape, consistency, odor and color, giving readers the knowledge to create their own magnum opus in the kitchen.-- "Discover"

Valuable for readers interested in how the food system may evolve in the future.-- "Choice"

No matter what level home cook or professional chef you are, Hervé This's detailed, scientific approach to the kitchen provides a fascinating perspective on the chemistry of cooking. These notes are useful for chefs and cooks of all levels and an entertaining and practical guide that every chef would benefit from reading.--Chef Daniel Boulud

Once again, Hervé This makes a compelling case for the science of deliciousness with his latest book, breaking ingredients down into their constituent compounds. Sometimes controversial yet always thought-provoking, such 'note by note' deconstructing of dishes in the pursuit of flavor challenges culinary convention--food for thought on the future of cooking, of interest to both professional chefs and home cooks alike.--Michael Laiskonis, creative director of the Institute of Culinary Education

If anyone is going to change the way we cook, it will be him.--Heston Blumenthal, as quoted in the Observer

About the Author

Hervé This is a physical chemist on the staff of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris and scientific director of the Fondation Science & Culture Alimentaire at the Académie des Sciences. His translated works include The Science of the Oven; Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism; Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking; and Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor, all published by Columbia University Press.

M. B. DeBevoise has translated more than thirty works from French and Italian in every branch of scholarship.