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What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained | 
| Author: Robert L. Wolke
Publisher: W. W. Norton
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $10.85
You Save: $5.10 (32%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  48 reviews
Sales Rank: 47443
Media: Paperback
Edition: Reprint
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9
ISBN: 0393329429
Dewey Decimal Number: 641
EAN: 9780393329421
ASIN: 0393329429
Publication Date: October 13, 2008 (In 2 Days)
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Amazon.com Review
Why do recipes call for unsalted butter--and salt? What is a microwave, actually? Are smoked foods raw or cooked? Robert L. Wolke's enlightening and entertaining What Einstein Told His Cook offers answers to these and 127 other questions about everyday kitchen phenomena. Using humor (dubious puns included), Wolke, a bona fide chemistry professor and syndicated Washington Post columnist, has found a way to make his explanations clear and accessible to all: in short, fun. For example, to a query about why cookbooks advise against inserting meat thermometers so that they touch a bone, Wolke says, "I hate warnings without explanations, don't you? Whenever I see an 'open other end' warning on a box, I open the wrong end just to see what will happen. I'm still alive." But he always finally gets down to brass tacks: as most heat transfer in meat is due to its water content, areas around bone remain relatively cool and thus unreliable for gauging overall meat temperature.Organized into basic categories like "Sweet Talk" (questions involving sugar), "Fire and Ice" (we learn why water boils and freezers burn, among other things), and "Tools and Technology" (the best kind of frying pan, for example), the book also provides illustrative recipes like Black Raspberry Coffee Cake (to demonstrate how metrics work in recipes) and Bob's Mahogany Game Hens (showing what brining can do). With technical illustrations, tips, and more, the book offers abundant evidence that learning the whys and hows of cooking can help us enjoy the culinary process almost as much as its results. --Arthur Boehm
Product Description
"Like having a scientist at your side to answer your questions in plain, non-technical language."—Science News
Why is red meat red? How do they decaffeinate coffee? Do you wish you understood the science of food but don't want to plow through dry, technical books? In What Einstein Told His Cook, University of Pittsburgh chemistry professor emeritus and award-winning Washington Post food columnist Robert L. Wolke provides reliable and witty explanations for your most burning food questions, while debunking misconceptions and helping you interpret confusing advertising and labeling. A finalist for both the James Beard Foundation and IACP Awards for best food reference, What Einstein Told His Cook engages cooks and chemists alike.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 43 more reviews...
No Reason to Invoke Einstein September 21, 2008
This book is REALLY interesting! So far, I've just skipped around from section to section but soon will inevitably read it from cover to cover and love it all.
So far though, I see absolutely no rhyme or reason why the name Einstein was used at all in the book title. It just seemed like a weird marketing gimmick.
The book is good and stands on it's own. There's no need to tie it to the genius of Einstein. Or maybe I just missed the point....
 Want more? March 1, 2008
Full of trivia as well as little morsels of fact everyone wonders about. Completely worth the price, it just so happens we have all new facts and ideas!
Informative and easy read December 28, 2007
I found this book to be a very easy and entertaining read. The author did a very good job of making it entertaining with some anecdotes and tongue in cheek writing style. It was also very informative. If you are a fan of Alton Brown style of delivery, you will probably enjoy this book.
Einstein Sure Knew a Lot! October 31, 2007
The headmaster at the school where I teach recommended this book for my domestic arts class and it has been a great source of information - the kind you don't normally find in the usual textbooks. We have enjoyed learning all the ends and outs of information that is not normally covered in cooking classes. Plus the book is divided into sections with very creative titles; and with the use of well-placed humor, this book is not only very informative but very entertaining!
Funny and interesting cooking facts September 11, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
My husband and I are both engineers and enjoy cooking. This book appealed to us and is a wonderful explanation of the science behind the kitchen. The author has a certain humor, which keeps the book interesting, and explains details well, even for non-technical people. I would recommend it as an addition to your kitchen.
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