Publisher's Synopsis
“The most astonishing cookbook of our time.” The Wall Street Journal
Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking is a revolutionary treatment of cooking that pushes the boundaries of culinary arts. Winner of the 2012 James Beard Award for Cookbook of the Year, this six-volume set was named one of the best cookbooks of the century by the New Yorker. Through thousands of gorgeous photographs and helpful diagrams, the art, science, and technology of cooking come alive. Modernist Cuisine will become a proven companion and inspire you to innovate in your own kitchen.
Spanning 2,438 pages, Modernist Cuisine explores the history of cuisine and explains the science of cooking in a way that’s accessible to both professional chefs and home cooks. Created by a team of scientists, chefs, editors, and writers, these volumes explore research spanning the field of culinary science with careful attention to practicality and applicability in the kitchen. Inside this massive tome, you’ll discover techniques being used in today’s top restaurants as well as over 1,500 recipes, including 49 plated-dish recipes, which cover everything from making Ultrasonic Fries to encapsulating spheres of tomato water in basil oil.
Volume 1 - History and Fundamentals
Volume 1 of Modernist Cuisine is dedicated to the history of cooking as well as fundamental scientific principles that govern the way we grow, cook, store, and eat food. This volume also explores the physics of water and food, heat and energy, food safety, and microbiology.
Volume 2 Techniques and Equipment
Learn about the techniques and equipment of Modernist cuisine in Volume 2. From traditional techniques, such as barbecuing and stir-frying, to the science-inspired tools of the Modernist kitchen, this volume includes an in-depth discussion of sous vide machines, centrifuges, dehydrators, and cryogenic freezers.
Volume 3 - Animals and Plants
Get to know the science behind cooking all of your favorite plants and animals. Volume 3 explores the structure of meat, the science of the Maillard reaction, the nuances of pressure cooking, and the hidden complexity of cooking vegetables.
Volume 4 - Ingredient and Preparations
Volume 4 takes you through both traditional and Modernist ingredients and preparations. It explores key principles like thickening, gels, emulsions, and foams as well as the science of two of our favorite beverages: wine and coffee.
Volume 5 Plated-Dish Recipes
From the sublime to the otherworldly, Volume 5 is completely dedicated to the plated-dish recipes we created for this book.
Volume 6 Kitchen Manual
The Kitchen Manual contains every reference table, technique step-by-step, and recipe found in Modernist Cuisine. Each page of this spiral-bound volume is waterproof and tear proof, making this manual a durable companion in the messiest of kitchens.
By the numbers:
2,438pages
+1,500 recipes
3,700 photos
52 lbs
4 lbs of ink
5 languages
“For me, it is the most in-depth book that has ever been produced of what is happening in the world gastronomy and modern cooking techniques.” Heston Blumenthal
“The most important book in the culinary arts since Escoffier.” Tim Zagat
“Modernist Cuisine is a landmark contribution to the craft of cooking and our understanding of its underlying principles. It will be an invaluable resource for anyone with a serious interest in cooking techniques, whether the professional innovations of the last few decades or the long traditions on which they build.” Harold McGee
