Keys to Good Cooking

Harold McGee is our foremost authority on the science of cooking, and an adviser to chefs worldwide. In Keys to Good Cooking he distills his knowledge and experience into a practical, comprehensive kitchen guide for home cooks.

Cookbooks past and present frequently contradict one another about the best ways to prepare foods, and many contain erroneous information about ingredients and methods. Keys to Good Cooking is a handy one-volume corrective to this world of confusion. It provides simple statements of fact and advice, along with brief explanations that help cooks understand what they're doing, and then apply that insight on their own. McGee covers everything from the market to the table, advising, for example, how to choose asparagus (thick spears have the largest proportion of tender flesh), how best to prepare it (snapping off tough ends wastes good asparagus; reclaim it by slicing them into thin rounds), and how to serve it (a thin coating of oil reduces moisture loss and wrinkling). His guidance about kitchen safety in particular will help save even the most knowledgeable cook from causing unintended harm (refrigerate leftovers quickly because cooking and slow cooling can stimulate the growth of harmful microbes; don't treat a burn with ice because extreme cold can cause additional skin damage). ÿ

A companion volume to recipe books, a touchstone for spotting flawed recipes and making the best of them, Keys to Good Cooking will be a welcome aide for cooks of all kinds: for beginners who want to learn the basics, for weekend cooks who want to improve on favorite recipes or explore new ones, and for accomplished cooks who want to rethink a dish from the bottom up. Keys to Good Cooking is an invaluable countertop resource for anyone who prepares food and wants to do it well.