What Einstein Told His Cook, by Robert L. Wolke. As one who has read and profiled quite a number of science and cooking books, I learned a few things from this one (the potential use of citric acid “sour salts,” for example). So up front, I will say that Wolke is worth the read. Not as thorough as McKee or as applicable as Corriher but Wolke’s article format and light style—he writes for the Washington Post—makes his stuff more fun to read and the book easy to set down and pick up again. All the usual subjects are covered here, fats, sugars, chemical reactions, calories, acids and the like, along with a recipe or two to make a point. His chapter on Tools and Technology is current and especially good regarding microwave ovens, irradiation and the worried illiterate.
Readers can expect writers of kitchen science books to delight in debunking old cooking fictions and deflating the exaggerations of both consumer and industry advocates. Wolke is no exception and the results are right up there with McKee and Corriher. Concerning what I consider the hallmarks of the food phobics and wellness hypochondriacs, he says, “I hate warnings without reasons . . . [and] anxiety without information.”
I found but one lapse. Regarding the thawing of frozen products, Wolke fails to mention thawing under potable running cold water, which is the only in-kitchen method approved by the FDA.
I’ve stated before and hold to it that Shirley Corriher’s Cookwise is the most useful of the “here’s why” books. What Einstein Told His Cook is also worth your time, in contrast to How to Read a French Fry, which is trashed in a profile on this page, below.