The Science of Cooking

1: Foreword

2: Taste and flavour

1: Why do we cook?

2: How do we taste?

3: Why does cooked food taste so good?

4: Why do some flavours go together so well?

3: Kitchen essentials

1: An essential guide to knives

2: An essential guide to pots and pans

3: An essential guide to utensils

4: Meat and poultry

1: In focus: meat

2: How can I tell if meat is good quality?

3: Should I avoid buying meat that has gone brown?

4: Why do different meats look and taste so different?

5: Is it better to choose organic meat?

6: Are purebred and heritage cattle breeds tastier?

7: Do larger chickens lack flavour?

8: How can an animal's feed affect the taste and texture of its meat?

9: Is fillet steak from the tenderloin really the best cut of beef?

10: Why is it so expensive to buy Wagyu beef?

11: What is the difference between organic, free-range, and indoor chickens?

12: How can I tell if meat has been injected with water?

13: If I freeze meat, will it destroy the taste and texture?

14: Do I really need to pound meat?

15: The process of barbecuing

16: What are the benefits of marinating meat?

17: Should I season meat with salt well in advance or just before cooking?

18: How do I smoke meat at home?

19: Is it possible to age meat at home?

20: Should I trim all the fat off meat?

21: Does it matter if you cut meat across the grain or along it?

22: What is the secret to perfectly crispy pork crackling?

23: Should I cook meat from room temperature?

24: Does searing a steak really "seal in" juices?

25: How do I cook the perfect steak?

26: The process of slow cooking

27: How can I stop chicken or turkey from drying out?

28: What does basting do?

29: How can I tell when meat is done?

30: Why do I need to rest meat after cooking?

31: What can I do with overcooked meat?

32: What's the secret of a tasty sauce?

33: Is it worth all the effort to make my own stock?

34: Why is it safe to eat rare beef, but not chicken or pork?

35: Why do so many foods taste like chicken?

5: Fish and seafood

1: In focus: fish

2: How do I know if fish is fresh?

3: Why is fish called "brain" food?

4: Why does salmon come in varying shades of orange?

5: Is farmed fish as good as wild?

6: Is it better to buy prawns with their heads on?

7: Is it better to buy prawns raw or pre-cooked, fresh or frozen?

8: Why do we eat oysters raw?

9: When is the best season for oysters?

10: The process of pan-frying

11: How can I preserve fish at home?

12: What happens when you salt bake fish?

13: Is it better to buy fresh or frozen fish?

14: Can I cook fish from frozen?

15: Should I bake fish in a parcel or uncovered?

16: How can I keep fish moist with different cooking methods?

17: Can fish go soggy if poached slowly?

18: The process of sous-vide

19: How do I cook fish to have crispy golden skin?

20: Why don't you need to rest fish?

21: Can I eat sashimi safely?

22: How does citrus juice "cook" raw fish?

23: Why do shellfish change colour when cooked?

24: What are the rules when cooking mussels?

6: Eggs and dairy

1: In focus: eggs

2: Should I limit how many eggs I eat?

3: Are there more nutrients in free-range eggs?

4: Is it safe to eat raw eggs?

5: Where is the best place to store my eggs?

6: Why do rotten eggs smell bad?

7: How can I tell if an egg is fresh?

8: Is it true that only fresh eggs poach well?

9: How can I cook soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks?

10: What's the best method to peel hard-boiled eggs?

11: How do I make the perfect scrambled eggs?

12: What is the secret of creamy, smooth custard?

13: Does it matter if yolk gets in my whipped egg whites?

14: How can I prevent split mayonnaise?

15: In focus: milk

16: Why do we pasteurize milk?

17: Can I cook successfully with low-fat dairy products?

18: Which type of cream should I use?

19: How can I heat milk without a skin forming?

20: Can I make ice cream at home without an ice-cream maker?

21: Do ice-cream makers make creamier ice cream than whisking by hand?

22: Is it worth making my own yogurt?

23: Why does yogurt split in spicy dishes?

24: Should I eat probiotic yogurt?

25: In focus: cheese

26: If the veins in blue cheese are mould, why is it edible?

27: Why are some cheeses so strong and smelly?

28: Why does some cheese go stringy?

29: Should I avoid processed cheese?

30: Can I make perfect soft cheese at home?

7: Rice, grains, and pasta

1: In focus: rice

2: How much water should I add to my rice?

3: How can I cook fluffy rice every time?

4: Is it okay to reheat cooked rice?

5: The process of pressure cooking

6: Why is wholegrain better than processed?

7: Do I really need to soak pulses before I cook them?

8: Why exactly is quinoa so special?

9: How can I stop beans giving me gas?

10: Is it true that uncooked kidney beans are poisonous?

11: Why does popcorn pop?

12: How can I make my own fresh pasta?

13: Is fresh pasta better than dried?

14: How does adding salt to my pasta water help?

15: Should I add oil to the cooking water to stop pasta sticking?

8: Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds

1: Are organic fruit and vegetables better than non-organic?

2: Are heirloom varieties tastier?

3: Do vegetables lose nutrients as they age?

4: Is it better to eat vegetables raw?

5: Should I throw away the green tops?

6: Is it better to peel or scrub?

7: Can leaving mushrooms in the sun really increase their vitamin D content?

8: The process of steaming

9: How do I chop an onion without crying?

10: Why do different-coloured peppers taste different?

11: How do I roast vegetables without them going soggy?

12: How do I cook vegetables to optimize nutrients?

13: Does adding salt to the water cook vegetables faster?

14: What is the secret of the perfect vegetable stir-fry?

15: In focus: potatoes

16: How do I make fluffy mashed potatoes?

17: The process of microwaving

18: How does lemon juice stop sliced fruit from turning brown?

19: Is juicing a good substitute for whole fruit and vegetables?

20: How do bananas help ripen other fruit?

21: How do you use bananas at different stages of ripeness?

22: Can I cook soft fruit from frozen?

23: How can I cook fruit without it turning mushy?

24: Why are olives brined?

25: Are black olives really dyed?

26: In focus: nuts

27: How can I enjoy the freshest nuts?

28: Do nuts and seeds taste better cooked?

9: Herbs, spices, oils, and flavourings

1: In focus: herbs

2: What's the best way to prepare fresh herbs?

3: How do I get the best from dried herbs?

4: When should I add herbs during cooking?

5: Can how I prepare garlic affect its strength?

6: How can I get the most flavour from spices?

7: Why do recipes often say to add spices to oil at the start?

8: Why is saffron so expensive?

9: In focus: chillies

10: How can I tame food that's too hot?

11: What's the best way to take away chilli heat?

12: In focus: oils and fats

13: Why are some olive oils better quality than others?

14: What's the best way to store olive oil?

15: Why does food cook faster when it's fried?

16: Why is fried food bad for your health?

17: How does alcohol enhance food?

18: What happens when I flambe food?

19: Does alcohol really evaporate when I cook with it?

20: How can I stop my salad dressing from splitting?

21: Is there much variance between different grades of balsamic vinegar?

22: In focus: salt

23: Can I salvage over-salted dishes?

24: Is it better to use light or dark soy sauce for cooking?

10: Baking and sweet things

1: In focus: flour

2: Why do I need to sift flour?

3: Why do baking recipes recommend adding salt?

4: Can I use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda?

5: Which is the best type of fat for baking?

6: How important is it to preheat the oven?

7: Why hasn't my cake risen?

8: Why do cakes go hard and biscuits soft?

9: What is a sourdough starter?

10: What are the basics of a good bread dough?

11: Why do you need to prove dough before baking it?

12: The process of oven baking

13: Why doesn't gluten-free bread rise very well?

14: Why isn't home-made bread as light as shop-bought?

15: Why shouldn't I "overwork" pastry?

16: Do I always need to chill pastry before rolling it out?

17: What's the secret to light puff pastry?

18: How do I prevent my pie getting a "soggy bottom"?

19: In focus: sugar

20: Can I make fluffy marshmallows at home?

21: What is the secret behind caramelization?

22: How do I get my jam to set properly?

23: In focus: chocolate

24: Why does chocolate from different countries taste so different?

25: What is the difference between melting and tempering chocolate?

26: Can I still use chocolate that's turned white?

27: How do I salvage melted chocolate that's gone lumpy?

28: How do I make a chocolate ganache?

29: Can I make chocolate sauce that hardens on ice cream?

30: How do I master a chocolate souffle?

11: Index and acknowledgments