Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism

An internationally renowned chemist and bestselling author, Herve This is the head of the world's first laboratory devoted to molecular gastronomy, or the scientific exploration of cooking and eating. By testing recipes that have guided cooks for centuries, including the dictums and maxims on which they depend, Herve This unites the head with the hand in order to defend and transform culinary practice. With this book, the molecular gastronomist's scientific project enters an exciting new phase. Considering the preparation of six bistro favorites--hard-boiled egg with mayonnaise, simple consomme, leg of lamb with green beans, steak with French fries, lemon meringue pie, and chocolate mousse--Herve This isolates the exact chemical properties that tickle the senses and stimulate our appetites. He connects the mind and the stomach, identifying methods of culinary construction that appeal to our memories, intelligence, and creativity. By showing that the creation of a meal can be as satisfying as its consumption, Herve This recalibrates the balance between food and our imaginations, resulting in a revolutionary perspective that will tempt even the most casual cooks into greater experimentation.