Note-by-Note Cooking: The Future of Food(Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History)

Note-by-Note Cooking is a landmark in the annals of gastronomy, liberating cooks from the constraints of traditional ingredients and methods through the use of pure molecular compounds. 1-Octen-3-ol, which has a scent of wild mushrooms; limonene, a colorless liquid hydrocarbon that has the smell of citrus; sotolon, whose fragrance at high concentrations resembles curry and at low concentrations, maple syrup or sugar; tyrosine, an odorless but flavorful amino acid present in cheese-these and many other substances, some occurring in nature, some synthesized in the laboratory, make it possible to create novel tastes and flavors in the same way that elementary sound waves can be combined to create new sounds. Note-by-note cooking promises to add unadulterated nutritional value to dishes of all kinds, actually improving upon the health benefits of so-called natural foods. Cooking with molecular compounds will be far more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable than traditional techniques of cooking. This new way of thinking about food heralds a phase of culinary evolution on which the long-term survival of a growing human population depends. Herve This clearly explains the properties of naturally occurring and synthesized compounds, dispels a host of misconceptions about the place of chemistry in cooking, and shows why note-by-note cooking is an obvious-and inevitable-extension of his earlier pioneering work in molecular gastronomy. An appendix contains a representative selection of recipes, vividly illustrated in color.

Table of Contents:
A Note on the Translation Tables, Figures, and Color Plates Introduction: Why the Need for Note-by-Note Cooking Should Be Obvious 1. Shape Polyhedrons Nonpolyhedral Solids The Fable of the Man with the Golden Brain 2. Consistency A Woeful Misunderstanding The Relation Between Consistency and Flavor Not Everything Has to Be Soft Thinking in Physical Terms Additives Contrasting Consistencies 3. Taste Misdirection and Misperception The Impossible Description of Unknown Tastes Sapid Compounds Mineral Salts Organic and Mineral Acids Amino Acids and Their Derivatives Sugars Alcohols and Polyols Intense Sweeteners Flavoring Agents Bitterants Matrix Effects A New Basic Taste 4. Odor Manipulating Odorant Compounds Methods of Extraction and Processing Natural, Same as Natural, Artificial Volatility, Threshold Perception, Toxic Risk A Lexicon of Basic Culinary Odors Odorant Compounds On the Properties of Odorigenic Extracts and Compositions Trigeminal Sensations 5. Color The Eye Precedes the Palate Legally Approved Coloring Agents Natural Versus Artificial Redux 6. Artistic Choice and Culinary Nomenclature Substance and Form The Construction of Flavors Naming Dishes The First Generation of Note-by-Note Menus 7. Nutrition, Toxicology, Market Dynamics, Public Interest The Mixed Blessings of Abundance A World of Plenty, Filled with Danger Selection and Supply of Compounds Political Considerations Appendix: A Few Recipes Index

About the Author :
Herve This is a physical chemist on the staff of the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique in Paris and scientific director of the Fondation Science & Culture Alimentaire at the Academie des Sciences. His translated works include The Science of the Oven; Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism; Kitchen Mysteries: Revealing the Science of Cooking; and Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor, all published by Columbia University Press. M. B. DeBevoise has translated more than thirty works from French and Italian in every branch of scholarship.

Review :
If anyone is going to change the way we cook, it will be him. -- Heston Blumenthal, as quoted in the Observer Taking kitchen science to a whole new (molecular) level, Herve This is changing the way France-and the world-cooks. Gourmet Once again, Herve This makes a compelling case for the science of deliciousness with his latest book, breaking ingredients down into their constituent compounds. Sometimes controversial yet always thought-provoking, such 'note by note' deconstructing of dishes in the pursuit of flavor challenges culinary convention-food for thought on the future of cooking, of interest to both professional chefs and home cooks alike. -- Michael Laiskonis, creative director of the Institute of Culinary Education No matter what level home cook or professional chef you are, Herve This's detailed, scientific approach to the kitchen provides a fascinating perspective on the chemistry of cooking. These notes are useful for chefs and cooks of all levels and an entertaining and practical guide that every chef would benefit from reading. -- Chef Daniel Boulud This... explores the science behind shape, consistency, odor and color, giving readers the knowledge to create their own magnum opus in the kitchen. Discover Keen cooks...will devour the latest work by molecular gastronomist Herve This. New Scientist This writes the way he speaks - with subtle irony, whim and humour, and each of his books, apart from being scientifically revealing, is an almost taste-able and invariably delicious literary delight. Engineering and Technology Inspiring. Chemistry World Valuable for readers interested in how the food system may evolve in the future. Choice