The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

I really enjoyed this book, Kenji's writing is clear and fun, and he does a great job of simplifying the science, while providing exhaustive descriptions of his experiments, missteps and successes. Personally I really like knowing the science behind WHY something works rather than just being given a recipe that has been scientifically tested-- I feel that when you understand the why it makes it easier for you to apply those rules in other contexts and tweak the recipes to achieve the effect you're after. I also really enjoyed all the references he throws in to nerdy things-- it made me feel that the book as written exclusively for me.

The only thing that I didn't love about the book were the recipes ironically. I'm not a huge fan of show more Americana style food (meatloaf, mac and cheese, burgers, etc...) and it felt like the focus was pretty heavy on these foods. Also, I was a little bummed that there was hardly any baking. Furthermore I feel like a lot of the recipes were influenced by classic french flavours-- a lot of recipes called for the addition of sherry, or other things that I feel are cloying. But overall the scientific explanation behind things was really exceptional, so I'm tempted to try some more of these recipes out regardless. show less

I'd give it ten stars if I could. If I could, I would give this book ten stars. It isn't a recipe book per se. It tells you HOW to make great food ... and WHY the techniques described work. Once you understand the science of WHY, you will become a better cook no matter what your present level of skill. I have a cookbook collection numbering about 1,500. This tome (it's big and heavy and rich in detail) has immediately joined my top five and, as the introduction noted, after ten minutes with this book you will become a better cook. You don't have to be a science geek, or even a great cook, to benefit from and to love this book. Lopez-Alt tells what works and why, and what doesn't. This book is what happens when a science geek loves to show more cook, and is cool enough to share his experiments with the world. I love this book. This -- and Page & Dornenberg's "The Flavor Bible" -- will become my go-to gift for weddings, birthdays and housewarmings for anyone who loves good food. It's really THAT good. I anxiously await the author's next book. show less

I finally get why I am such a lousy cook. I tend to just throw food together willy-nilly, barely look at how high or low the flame on my stove should be when cooking a particular food and if I go a little over or under on measurements so be it. And so I was pretty happy to receive an ARC from Edelweiss of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science by J. Kenji López-Alt. The message hit home. How you cook matters and knowing the science behind cooking can change your results for the better. In this 938 page tome, along with 1000 gorgeous photos, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, in a funny, breezy style shows how understanding the interaction between molecules, heat and energy and the energy can make the difference between good and great food. show more With this in mind, I took out my cast iron pan (not sure if it is treated enough but with the authors instructions it will be) and used his recipe to make a steak so delicious and tender I did a happy dance in my kitchen.

Will I use all of his techniques which sometimes seem to complicate cooking? No. Will I read this highly personable book and learn a lot and make better food. Most definitely.

Thank you to Edelweiss for giving me the opportunity to review this book for an honest opinion. show less

A great reference book for the kitchen. His writing is enjoyable to read and the two things I've cooked so far have been tasty. I asked my husband to rate the results and he gave an enthusiastic 5 stars.

Not for the faint of heart. But a read that is well worth it in the end.

Although it took me nearly half a year to read, I'm glad I did so. [a:J. Kenji López-Alt|7958610|J. Kenji López-Alt|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1439226893p2/7958610.jpg] shares his wealth of experience as a chef and working for The Test Kitchen, as well as his love of science, to give home cooks a scientific explanation for why things work in the kitchen. Similarly to [b:The Science of Good Cooking: Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen|14636971|The Science of Good Cooking Master 50 Simple Concepts to Enjoy a Lifetime of Success in the Kitchen|Cook's Illustrated show more Magazine|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1350473300s/14636971.jpg|20282019], he paces his chapters with a quick narrative related to the concept, some scientific background and experiments that he went through, and his final analysis of the work. Now, like a good scientist, it would be your job to repeat the experiment and see if your results are repeated. Or…you could just follow his recipes.

If you're like me, you will want to read the book from cover to cover, relishing in every morsel of wisdom that he has to offer. Other people may opt to flip to a food that they're interested in, read a little bit about the background of the science, and then try out a recipe. But if you're just interested in the recipes, why even bother getting the book? The whole point is to understand why things work the way that they do in the kitchen. It'll make you an even better cook in the long run!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it will be a definitely reference when I want to read up on the science of cooking. show less

Excellent recipes explaining the science of how to cook well, beautifully illustrated and interesting to read. Even the simple dishes have small details that really affect the outcome. We made scrambled eggs using his recipe that were the best I've ever eaten. It is a doorstop of a book, though!

It was okay, but I didn't appreciate the humor and didn't like that there was no baking section. I wish the structure was to present the technique and tips first, then go into recipes. I didn't like that explanations were pushed into recipe sections.