The Inquisitive Cook (Accidental Scientist)
by Anne Gardiner, Sue Wilson, the Exploratorium
Review
Light yet Informative.
When I first began reading "The Inquisitive Cook", I was disappointed at its very simple, almost simplistic, style. Having slogged through "On Food and Cooking", and having read "The Science of Cooking", and "The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore", I wondered how such an obviously lightweight and short book could teach me anything. I need not have worried, though. Even though the chapters are short and the language usage is consistent with a 6th-to 8th-grade reading level, the book is highly informative. It doesn't go into deep discussions of principles, but instead gives a simple overview of a number of processes, together with lots of short, practical examples and experiments. I was very pleasantly surprised by how many of the things in the book covered new details on the topics I had already read about without excessively rehashing what I already knew.
If you really want to learn more of the science behind cooking, you might want to try one of the other books I mention above. If you're just looking to expand your knowledge of cooking in a painless and even fun way, this is the book for you.
You could easily read through the whole book in one session, but it really doesn't require that kind of investment of your attention. The chapters are short (as is the whole book), and there are lots of self-contained sidebars, so this book makes an excellent addition not only to your cooking library, but also to your bathroom magazine rack.
Reviewer: Brad Daniels from Sugar Land, TX USA
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