On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 13

France.Andanumberoffoodmoleculesand
microbeshavebecomefamiliarfiguresinthe
news,bothgoodandbad.Anyonewhofollows
thelatestinhealthandnutritionknowsabout
thebenefitsofantioxidantsand
phytoestrogens,thehazardsoftransfatty
acids,acrylamide,E.colibacteria,andmad
cowdisease.
Professionalcookshavealsocometo
appreciatethevalueofthescientificapproach
totheircraft.InthefirstfewyearsafterOn
FoodandCookingappeared,manyyoung
cookstoldmeoftheirfrustrationintryingto
findoutwhydisheswerepreparedacertain
way,orwhyingredientsbehaveastheydo.To
theirtraditionallytrainedchefsandteachers,
understandingfoodwaslessimportantthan
masteringthetriedandtruetechniquesfor
preparingit.Todayit’sclearerthatcuriosity
andunderstandingmaketheirown
contributiontomastery.Anumberofculinary
schoolsnowoffer“experimental”coursesthat


investigatethewhysofcookingand
encouragecriticalthinking.Andseveral
highlyregardedchefs,mostfamouslyFerran
AdriàinSpainandHestonBlumenthalin
England,experimentwithindustrialand
laboratorytools—gellingagentsfrom
seaweedsandbacteria,non-sweetsugars,

aromaextracts,pressurizedgases,liquid
nitrogen—tobringnewformsofpleasureto
thetable.
Assciencehasgraduallypercolatedinto
theworldofcooking,cookinghasbeendrawn
intoacademicandindustrialscience.One
effectiveandcharmingforcebehindthis
movementwasNicholasKurti,aphysicistand
foodloverattheUniversityofOxford,who
lamentedin1969:“Ithinkitisasad
reflectiononourcivilizationthatwhilewe
cananddomeasurethetemperatureinthe
atmosphereofVenus,wedonotknowwhat
goesoninsideoursoufflés.”In1992,atthe
ageof84,Nicholasnudgedcivilizationalong