Kitchenwise: Essential Food Science for Home Cooks

Corriher was a research biochemist before becoming a cook. It was this experience that led her to begin to research why many recipes failed. Ultimately, she became intrigued by the science behind cooking and baking. Her knowledge for solving cooking problems gained the attention of food companies and notable cooks, such as Julia Child, who sought her advice. In her third book, following Cookwise and Bakewise, she writes explainers on why food ingredients behave the way they do in order to help both new and advanced cooks become more comfortable with the science behind the cooking process. While there are a few recipes, this is mostly a helpful how-to guide—among the topics covered are cooking with fruits and vegetables, navigating the times and temperatures of proteins, troubleshooting cake problems, and learning how different types of potatoes react to the process. Each topic is followed by one of her favorite recipes that illustrates the concepts covered.