Food Science: It's Not Just for Nerds Anymore

Word came down the other day that the CIA is getting into food science. No, no......not that CIA. Not the one headquartered in Langley, VA. I'm talking about the one in Hyde Park, NY. The Culinary Institute of America.

According to an Associated Press story, the school is beefing up instruction in techniques more suited to the chemistry lab than to the kitchen. With the new wave of “modernist cuisine,” “molecular gastronomy,” and the attendant gimmicks like xanthan gum and liquid nitrogen, tomorrow's chefs will have to be more experimental than yesterday's. This has resulted in a new major at the Institute; culinary science, a field that embraces both food science and culinary art.



Molecular Gastronomy aficianado Chef Richard Blais
(Getty Images)

As anybody who has ever tried to make their own mayonnaise knows, cooking and science have always gone hand in hand. You employ the principles of emulsion in order to make mayonnaise. The effect of heat on food is a matter of basic scientific theorem. And a lot of chemical reactions occur in baking. So cooking has always been a mixture of art and science. But there's a world of difference between established cooking techniques like finishing a sauce with butter and the new wave idea of dipping a strawberry in liquid nitrogen before hammering it into tiny pieces and grinding up the results to make strawberry dust. These new methods require whole new schools of thought. And the addition of centrifuges and blow torches and immersion circulators and anti-griddles to the traditional line up of flat tops, blenders, and food processors requires new courses of instruction as well.
The story continues: “The CIA is tweaking the master-apprentice relationship that has been a hallmark of professional kitchens since the days of suspending iron pots over wood fires. The traditional way for a trainee to respond to a request is, 'Yes, chef.' Now school administrators want to make it closer to, 'Why, chef?' They want students to come up with hypotheses, test them, and discover the best methods.”

Well, I believe as long as there are old-school guys heading kitchens, “Why, chef?” is not going to fly too high. Picture an apprentice saying, “Why, chef?” to the likes of Gordon Ramsay. But the idea of applying scientific methods in a kitchen setting is a good one. Personally, I don't think it's enough to know that a certain food item behaves a certain way when you cook it. I like to know why it behaves the way it does and what I can do to alter or enhance or moderate that behavior.

And I don't believe that science in the kitchen needs to be limited to the professional kitchen. Home cooks who know what their food is and why it does what it does and how they can make it do better things become better cooks. To that end, I have a few suggestions and recommendations. And, no, enrolling at the CIA or a similar institution is not necessarily one of them, although........

What I had in mind is much simpler, less costly, and more easily attainable. And it comes from three sources: Harold McGee, Robert L. Wolke, and Alton Brown.

Harold McGee is the dean of food science writers. His exhaustive 1984 opus, On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, is practically a textbook and his scientific approach to food and cooking has influenced dozens of prominent chefs, food writers, and the food industry in general. The original work was greatly revised and updated for a second edition in 2004. World-famous chef Daniel Boulud scores McGee's book as “a must for every cook who possesses an inquiring mind."

Then there's Robert L. Wolke, author of two McGee-esque books on food science;What Einstein Told His Cook and the follow up What Einstein Kept Under His Hat. Both are wonderfully informative and entertaining reads. Whereas McGee organizes his work into categories based on specific ingredients such as milk and dairy, eggs, meat, fish, etc., and then expands at great length on each subject, Wolke takes a less pedantic approach, answering general questions like “What is Dutch process cocoa? How is it used differently from regular cocoa in recipes?” His responses are simple, direct, and generally quite entertaining. He's one of those instructors that makes learning interesting and fun.

But when it comes to interesting and fun, nobody holds a candle to Alton Brown. His Good Eats program that aired on Food Network from 1999 to 2012 is part Mr. Wizard and part Monty Python, with a touch of Jim Henson thrown in for good measure. I mean, here's a grown man who employs belching sock puppets to demonstrate the expulsion of carbon-dioxide by yeast. Episodes have punny titles like “Give Peas a Chance.” It's hilarious. But it's also extremely informative in a delightfully entertaining way that appeals to all ages. My 10-year-old nephew enjoys watching Good Eats as much as I do, and any food program that can capture and hold a kid's attention is a good one, indeed. When presented with a Peabody Award in 2006, it was said, "Rarely has science been taught on TV in such an entertaining – and appetizing – manner as it is in Alton Brown's goofy, tirelessly inventive series."


Alton Brown
(Food Network)

Although no longer in production, the show airs in reruns on both Food Network and sister broadcast outlet Cooking Channel. It's also available on DVD. And Brown has authored three best-selling Good Eats volumes based on the series, as well as several I'm Just Here for the Food books, which combine the instructional and literary styles of McGee and Wolke and spin them out in a quirky manner that only Alton Brown could accomplish.

Okay, so you don't have to be a food scientist in order to cook. Just like you don't have to be a mechanic to drive a car. But if you ever find yourself stuck by the side of the road on a dark and stormy night, it sure helps. Knowing how to scramble or fry or poach an egg makes you a cook. Knowing the various components of the egg and how their physical characteristics and chemical makeup affect the way the egg scrambles, fries, or poaches makes you a much better cook.

So if you've ever caught yourself wondering why a piece of meat browns the way it does (it's the Maillard reaction) or why water boils at a lower temperature at higher altitudes (decreased air pressure), you might be a closet food scientist. And that's okay, because nowadays food science is cool. After all, the folks at the CIA ought to know.

Book Review: "To Romance, With Love" by Dave Valletta

I was cruising the vendor booths at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Atlanta a few weeks ago. Tucked away among the merchants selling everything from orange juice to exotic sea salts was a small cubicle occupied by a charming and friendly couple, Dave and Denise Valletta. They weren't hawking barbecue sauce or kitchen gadgets; they were selling romance.

I'm a firm believer in the romantic possibilities of the kitchen. I have frequently spoken and written on the subject of cooking as a form of couples' therapy. My wife and I live in our kitchen. It's where we exercise our culinary passion to create delicious food. It's also where we go to talk, laugh, and have a good time together. Whether commercial or home, there are no “chores” or “tasks” in our kitchens. There is no drudgery, only mutual enjoyment of a shared activity. So I was immediately drawn to and intrigued by Dave's book, “To Romance, With Love.”

Subtitled as “A Cookbook for Lovers and Those Who Want to Be,” the book is 115 pages of fun. The first thing you'll notice is the book's unique design. It's a sturdy spiral-bound hardback with slick, glossy pages that are intended to actually be used in the kitchen. The text is cleverly divided into chapters with headings like “Ready for a Romantic Dinner,” which outlines the “ingredients” for the perfect romantic evening. “Being Equipped to Romance” lists the pots and pans and kitchen tools you'll need to execute the recipes contained in the book's later chapters. There are also chapters on “The Passionate Pantry,” “The Menu,” and other nuts-and-bolts topics as well as some cute chapters with titles like, “The First Time Ever She Saw Him Cook.”

One of the book's most interesting features are the recipes themselves. They are all organized on individual “menu” pages that are neatly tucked into their own little pockets. For instance, the “I Got You, Babe” menu consists of an appetizer of bruschetta followed by an arugula w/ tomato and Parmesan salad. The entrée is Chicken Marsala with a vegetable side of asparagus with garlic. The dessert “suggestion” calls for strawberries with chocolate sauce. There's a gorgeous photo facing the little pocket containing the menu card. On the reverse side of the card are the actual recipes for the entire meal. As a bonus, the pocket also contains a shopping list for all the ingredients. I mean, a real list you can actually take out and carry to the grocery store.

To add to the fun, the pockets all feature quotes on love and romance. The quote accompanying the “I Got You, Babe” menu on page 33 says, “A happy man marries the girl he loves; a happier man loves the girl he marries.” – Anonymous.

According to his bio blurb on Amazon.com, “Dave Valletta has had a lifelong romance with food. Ever since his mother first showed him how to prepare sauces as a young boy, Dave developed a love for cooking. He continued to experiment with different flavors, putting his own sumptuous spin on classic meals. He is a frequent host for friends and family, who ultimately convinced him that he needed to share his unique recipes with others."

"Although Dave is passionate about cooking, the true love of his life, and the inspiration for this cookbook, is his wife Denise. For the past 26 years they have enjoyed a loving marriage filled with great fun, food, faith and four wonderful children. As a hopeless romantic, Dave uses every opportunity to romance his wife and believes that is the key to a happy successful marriage. He truly believes that preparing a romantic night for your spouse is one of the most rewarding experiences."

"Dave has spent the last three years compiling his delectable recipes and romance tips to create 'To Romance, With Love', the ultimate guide to igniting the flame in any marriage.”

Part cookbook, part advice column, and part philosophy of love and romance, “To Romance, With Love” is a wonderful addition to any lovers' kitchen – or, as the subtitle indicates, to the kitchen of anyone desirous of being a lover. Any couple, newlywed or old retread, will benefit from the advice and techniques contained within these pages.

The recipes, text, and photographs for “To Romance, With Love” are all by Dave Valletta, who states that the book is “not possible without Denise Valletta.” It is richly illustrated by Christine Kerrick and is privately published by To Romance With Love, LLC, ©2009. Available through www.toromancewithlove.com, the book is also listed on Amazon.com.

Buy a copy today and cook something for – or, better still, with – someone you love tonight.

Book Review: "How Italian Food Conquered the World" by John F. Mariani

I have long believed that Italian cuisine is the most popular on the planet, supplanting even its stuffy French cousin. Now comes noted author and food and wine correspondent John F. Mariani with the facts to back up my belief.

“How Italian Food Conquered the World” is a fact-filled romp through Italian culinary history from Apicius to Mario Batali. Among its 270 pages you will find fascinating and informative anecdotes detailing Italian food's rise from the relative obscurity of the Italian peninsula to its current position of global dominance. If this sounds like hype, consider this; can you think of a place in the world where pizza has not carved out a culinary niche? Or pasta? From a position as a reviled and ignoble peasant food, pasta can now be found on the menu of nearly every upscale restaurant in the world – including the fancy French establishments.

As a student of Italian food, I was delighted to tear through the pages of this book and discover a wealth of little culinary gems. Exclamations of “I knew that!” and “I didn't know that” accompanied the turn of nearly every page. Even in places where Mariani's opinions might have conflicted with mine – sorry, John, but I'm one of those Italian cooks who proudly contends that Catherine de Medici did teach the French how to cook – I found his grasp and presentation of the subject matter to be superb.

In terms of style, the book is very much like a conversation with a friend. Facts and ideas, concepts and anecdotes all flow together seamlessly in a nice, easy read that you can either choose to devour all at once or parcel out section by section to enjoy over time. A few critics have taken Mariani to task for bogging down or slowing down his otherwise enjoyable treatise with overly arcane passages about expensive restaurants in “chic locales” and dwelling too long on subjects like the “Italian mobster stereotype.” I, too, found slow reading in some areas, but overall the book carries itself extremely well.

Another critical note asserts that Mariani fails to connect to his theme of Italian food conquering “the world” by spending too much time focused on the rise and popularity of Italian-American cuisine. I would dispute that since it is my opinion that Americans have been largely responsible for the spread of Italian food to other parts of the globe. But that's a nit pick that could easily be the subject of its own book. In fact, the “sub-plot,” if you will, of “How Italian Food Conquered the World” seems to be a subtle telling of the overall Italian immigration experience. The book isn't just about Italian food, but about the people behind Italian food – the ones who are responsible for its growing ubiquity.

With a foreword by Italian culinary maven Lidia Bastianich and acknowledged input from a laundry list of Italian cooking notables, Mariani has produced a truly delicious book that even throws a few truly delicious Italian recipes into the mix, just for good measure. It is what The Daily Meal.com's Colman Andrews describes as “equal parts history, sociology, gastronomy, and just plain fun.”

Published by Palgrave Macmillan and available as a hardback at bookstores everywhere (and as an ebook through various online outlets), “How Italian Food Conquered the World” is a “must have” addition to any comprehensive culinary library.

Book Review: "I'm Just Here For the Food" by Alton Brown

I love Alton Brown's work. The ubiquitous Food Network personality is at once wildly entertaining and enormously informative. To give you an idea of the depth and breadth of Alton's popularity, my nine-year old nephew is such a fan that my wife and I have to make sure there is always an adequate supply of “Good Eats” episodes on the DVR whenever he comes to visit.

What can you say about a man who brilliantly demonstrates cooking and food science principles through the use of offbeat characters, Tinker Toys, Barbie dolls, and sock puppets? Alton Brown is what happens when Bill Nye (the Science Guy) meets Mr. Rogers, Jim Henson, and McGyver in Julia Child's kitchen.

So when I saw a copy of his book, “I'm Just Here For the Food,” on the shelves of my local public library, I checked it out. However, after reading just a chapter or two, I returned the book to the library. And headed straight for the bookstore. This book had to be a part of my collection!

Weighing in at 287 pages (and roughly 3 pounds), “I'm Just Here For the Food” is not a cookbook in the traditional sense of a book full of recipes, although there are plenty of those. Rather, this is a book about food and cooking methods.

Divided into ten chapters, the book covers more than fifteen different cooking methods, ranging from searing, through braising, and ending up at microwaving. Each chapter details not only the method itself, but all the whats, whys and hows involved in successfully implementing it in your kitchen.

For example, in the chapter entitled, “King Sear,” Alton not only breaks down what searing is, but how it works, what foods are the best candidates for searing, what materials are best used to sear food, and all the tips and tricks involved in achieving a sure-fire sear. Then come the recipes for searing everything from skirt steak to duck to portobello mushrooms.

In addition to the chapters on the various cooking methods, the book provides a comprehensive appendix of essential information. “Critter Maps,” for example (I'm sure I don't need to explain), and a look into “The Basic Culinary Toolbox.” There's a guide to kitchen cleanliness and food safety and a metric conversion chart.

All written in Alton's inimitable lighthearted, humorous, and decidedly unpedantic style, “I'm Just Here For the Food” is not only an informative read but an entertaining one as well.

Published in 2002 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York, “I'm Just Here For the Food” was the winner of the 2003 James Beard Award in the “Reference” category. Available nationwide through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other fine booksellers. For more information on Alton Brown's books, visit http://www.altonbrown.com/.