內容簡介
Winner of the 2011 James Beard Foundation Award for Cookbook Hall of Fame
Winner of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award for Reference
Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking is a kitchen classic. Hailed by Time magazine as "a minor masterpiece" when it first appeared in 1984, On Food and Cooking is the bible to which food lovers and professional chefs worldwide turn for an understanding of where our foods come from, what exactly they're made of, and how cooking transforms them into something new and delicious.
Now, for its twentieth anniversary, Harold McGee has prepared a new, fully revised and updated edition of On Food and Cooking. He has rewritten the text almost completely, expanded it by two-thirds, and commissioned more than 100 new illustrations. As compulsively readable and engaging as ever, the new On Food and Cooking provides countless eye-opening insights into food, its preparation, and its enjoyment.
On Food and Cooking pioneered the translation of technical food science into cook-friendly kitchen science and helped give birth to the inventive culinary movement known as "molecular gastronomy." Though other books have now been written about kitchen science, On Food and Cooking remains unmatched in the accuracy, clarity, and thoroughness of its explanations, and the intriguing way in which it blends science with the historical evolution of foods and cooking techniques.
Among the major themes addressed throughout this new edition are:
Traditional and modern methods of food production and their influences on food quality
The great diversity of methods by which people in different places and times have prepared the same ingredients
Tips for selecting the best ingredients and preparing them successfully
The particular substances that give foods their flavors and that give us pleasure
Our evolving knowledge of the health benefits and risks of foods
On Food and Cooking is an invaluable and monumental compendium of basic information about ingredients, cooking methods, and the pleasures of eating. It will delight and fascinate anyone who has ever cooked, savored, or wondered about food.
作者簡介
Harold McGee is a world-renowned authority on the chemistry of foods and cooking. He studied science and literature at Caltech and Yale, and has written two prize-winning books, On Food and Cooking and The Curious Cook, as well as many articles and reviews. He lives near San Francisco.
內頁插圖
精彩書評
"In this long-awaited revision of his classic On Food and Cooking (1984), McGee has incorporated current information and covers a greater range of ingredients and how they can be prepared to develop their diverse flavors. To McGee, learning about the chemistry of foods encourages cooks to rely less on recipes and more on their own understanding of what happens to food in the skillet or the freezer. Ultimately, he believes, cooks become more confident and creative. Whether that is their goal or not, serious home cooks and professionals will repeatedly turn to this unique resource for technical details and in-depth information on everything from storing olive oils to the molecular composition of fruits. Beginning cooks who want just a smattering of food science can use Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for the Food: Food+Heat=Cooking for its basic techniques and recipes. This new edition will be in demand for years to come and should be purchased by larger public and academic libraries to give their cookery collections currency and depth."
--Andrea R. Dietze, Orange Cty. P.L., Santa Ana, CA
前言/序言
《廚房的科學與傳說:食材的奧秘與烹飪的藝術》 內容簡介 本書並非僅僅是一本食譜或烹飪指南,它是一場深入廚房核心、探尋食材本質與烹飪技藝根源的知識探險。我們生活在一個被烹飪深深環繞的世界,但很少有人停下來思考,一塊肉是如何在火上變成焦香的美味,麵團又是如何從簡單的麵粉和水蛻變成口感豐富的麵包。本書旨在揭開這些日常現象背後的科學原理,同時追溯烹飪傳統中那些代代相傳的“傳說”和技巧的由來。 第一部分:元素的交響——食材的分子世界 烹飪的本質,是物質在熱力學和化學作用下的轉化。本書將從最基礎的元素層麵剖析我們餐桌上的主角。 水的角色與魔力: 水是生命之源,也是烹飪中的核心介質。我們將詳細探討“水活度”(Water Activity)在食物保鮮和質地形成中的關鍵作用。從澱粉糊化到蛋白質變性,水分子如何參與其中,以及為什麼控製水的狀態(液態、固態、蒸汽)是掌握烹飪的關鍵。例如,深度解析油炸時水分快速蒸發如何形成酥脆外殼,而蒸汽在烤箱中如何確保肉類多汁。此外,書中會涵蓋高壓鍋、真空低溫烹飪(Sous Vide)等現代技術如何精確控製水的狀態以達到理想效果。 蛋白質的結構與命運: 無論是肉類、蛋類還是豆類,蛋白質都是構建風味和質地的支柱。我們將解構蛋白質的三維結構,解釋“變性”(Denaturation)過程——即加熱如何使蛋白質縴維鬆散,從而嫩化肉類或凝固蛋液。對不同蛋白質(肌紅蛋白、膠原蛋白)的化學性質進行細緻分析,幫助讀者理解為什麼牛排需要靜置,以及肉類在不同溫度下口感的細微差彆。膠原蛋白水解成明膠(Gelatin)的過程,將以清晰的化學圖示展示,解釋高湯熬製和肉皮的Q彈口感是如何産生的。 脂肪的香氣與口感: 脂肪不僅僅是熱量的載體,更是風味分子(Flavor Molecules)的載體。本書將深入探討飽和脂肪、不飽和脂肪以及多不飽和脂肪的結構差異及其對煙點(Smoke Point)的影響。我們會解釋美拉德反應(Maillard Reaction)中,脂肪如何通過熱傳遞加速反應的發生,並生成數百種復雜的芳香化閤物,賦予煎烤食物特有的“焦香”。此外,書中還會探討乳化作用的原理——蛋黃中的卵磷脂或芥末中的膠質如何穩定油水混閤物,從而創造齣穩定、順滑的蛋黃醬和荷蘭醬。 碳水化閤物的轉化: 麵粉、土豆、糖,是烘焙和甜點製作的基石。我們將係統地介紹澱粉的直鏈和支鏈結構,解釋加熱和水分如何導緻澱粉顆粒膨脹、破裂,最終形成糊狀——這是製作濃稠醬汁或鬆軟蛋糕的基礎。對於糖類,我們將深入研究焦糖化(Caramelization)的過程,對比其與美拉德反應的異同,並解釋如何通過精確控製溫度來獲得從淺琥珀色到深黑色的不同風味層次。 第二部分:熱力學的藝術——烹飪技法的科學基礎 烹飪技法是人類智慧的結晶,而每一種技法背後都有其科學邏輯。 乾熱與濕熱的較量: 書中將對比乾熱(如烘烤、煎炒)和濕熱(如燉煮、蒸煮)對食材的影響。乾熱側重於水分蒸發和錶麵褐變;濕熱則側重於溶解、滲透和嫩化。我們將用實例說明,為什麼需要先將肉類煎封(Searing)以鎖住風味,再用濕熱慢慢燉煮以達到骨肉分離的軟爛效果。 發酵的微生物哲學: 發酵是人類最早掌握的化學轉化之一。我們將探討酵母、細菌和黴菌如何在特定環境下對食材進行改造。酸奶的乳酸菌、麵包的酵母菌、以及醬油和奶酪中的微生物群落,它們如何分解復雜的分子結構,産生新的風味物質和獨特的質地。書中會深入講解如何通過精確控製溫度和時間來引導這些微生物的活動,從而保證發酵過程的穩定與安全。 香料的化學指紋: 香料是風味的建築師。本書將不再停留在“加XX剋”的層麵,而是解析每種香料的核心化學成分——萜烯、酚類化閤物、醛類等。例如,丁香中的丁香酚,肉桂中的肉桂醛。理解這些成分的揮發性和溶解性,能指導我們何時加入香料(在油中爆香以釋放脂溶性風味,還是在湯汁即將完成時加入以保留易揮發香氣),從而最大化其效用。 第三部分:廚房中的“傳說”與現代驗證 許多流傳已久的烹飪“秘訣”經不起科學的推敲,但也有一些“民間智慧”恰恰是基於深刻的經驗觀察。 關於鹽的哲學: 鹽(氯化鈉)不僅僅是鹹味的來源。我們將詳細分析鹽在醃製、脫水和嫩化過程中的滲透壓作用。探討為什麼在烹飪前或烹飪後放鹽會産生不同的效果?深入剖析鹽如何改變蛋白質的結構,從而影響肉類的保水能力。 油脂的真相: 現代廚房對不同食用油的選擇眼花繚亂。本書將係統對比豬油、黃油、橄欖油、菜籽油等在飽和度、煙點和風味特性上的差異。澄清關於“好油”與“壞油”的常見誤解,解釋反式脂肪的形成機製,並為不同烹飪需求提供基於科學的油脂選擇指南。 烘焙中的平衡藝術: 烘焙被認為是廚房中最精確的科學。書中會詳細分析麵筋(Gluten)的形成機製——麵粉中的醇溶蛋白和麥榖蛋白在水和揉捏作用下如何形成彈性網絡。我們將解釋糖、酸和堿(如小蘇打與泡打粉)在麵團中的化學反應,以及它們如何共同決定麵包的體積、顔色和內部結構。任何微小的配方偏差,都可能導緻最終産品的災難性失敗,本書旨在提供理解這些偏差背後的科學邏輯。 結論:從工匠到科學傢 本書的目標是武裝讀者以知識的力量,將烹飪從一種盲目的模仿行為,提升為一種有意識的創造過程。理解“為什麼”能讓你在麵對意外情況時,能夠即興調整,而不是束手無策。它鼓勵讀者將廚房視為一個活生生的實驗室,每一次烹飪都是一次驗證假設的實驗,最終,將傳統技藝與現代科學融會貫通,達到烹飪藝術的更高境界。