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Cookwise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed (精装)
by Shirley Corriher
| Category:
Cookbook, Gastronomic science, Culinary Arts & Techniques |
| Market price: ¥ 318.00
MSL price:
¥ 288.00
[ Shop incentives ]
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
An excellent addition to any cooking library, this book was written for cooks who not only enjoy cooking, but also strive for perfection. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 8 items |
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Library Journal (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
Corriher is a well-known culinary consultant and problem solver whose answers to kitchen mysteries have appeared in many food publications. Now she has set down some of her vast knowledge in this big, wide-ranging reference/cookbook. In seven basic chapters, from The Wonder of Risen Bread to Sweet Thoughts and Chocolate Dreams, she explains why recipes work, what to do when they don't, and how to make them even better (anyone who's ever wondered why the same cake recipe always tastes better when her neighbor makes it will find out the probable reasons why). More than 200 recipes interspersed throughout demonstrate Corriher's explorations and explanations. Also included are At a Glance charts for easy reference (e.g., Finetuning Cookies), trouble-shooting charts (Yeast Bread Problems), charts on the basics (Whipped Cream: What To Do and Why), and dozens more. Although the recipes are delicious?and surely foolproof?this unique work will be far more valuable as a reference than as a cookbook. Highly recommended. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
Yes, this book gives you the why's and what-for's, but wait till you taste some of these recipes! I just finished the cheddar-crusted chicken breasts with grapes and apple in grand marnier sauce, served over the sherried rice and barley, accompanied by a salad with the basil vinaigrette. It was some of the best food I've tasted outside of France. Really. I tried the eat-your-veggies spaghetti sauce and found the addition of the pureed carrots inspired. But when you taste Shirley's basic, moist, sweet cake with old-fashioned burnt sugar icing, you will transcend mere food tasting and wind up dumbfounded, staring at the stars, wishing your mother had known how to make a cake like this. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
This book is designed for the person who wants not just some good recipes, but also is interested in learning the "whys" behind the various techniques described. Why are sauces cooked in this or that way? What properties of certain vegetables affect their shelf life and usage? How does the chemistry of an ingredient affect the preparation of a dish? If you'd like to know the science (no, not the baccalaureate kind) behind what we do in the kitchen, this is one great book. I never thought I'd READ a cookbook, but I did. It succeeds on both levels. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
Quite simply, this book is a necessity for every person who wants to know the "why" of cooking and baking. Ms. Corriher explains the science of baking in terminology that is easily understood. Although I've been cooking and baking since I was 8, it's only been since I purchased this book that I've come to understand why ingredients act and interact with each other the way they do, and why certain changes in the form of an ingredient (softened versus melted butter, for example) render one form a completely different ingredient than the other form.
As a result, I'm now able to correct and improve recipes, and create my own recipes, having a better idea before I even start cooking of what the results will be. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
Have you ever wondered which were important steps in a recipe, and which were OK to change? Have you wondered why you can't get consistent results from some ingredients, and wished you knew exactly what was happening so that you could compensate? Shirley Corriher explains chemically and mechanically what is happening to the ingredients at each point in preparation and cooking and gives you the benefit of hundreds of controlled kitchen experiments that it would take years (and endless patience) to duplicate for yourself. This book provides the tools to launch off into your own creations even in the previously mysterious realms of breads and sauces.
The recipes are good, but more importantly, they illustrate a particular reaction or effect, and give you the tools to customize them for yourself. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
This is one of the best cooking books I've come across. Not just a collection of recipes, in fact, the recipes are relatively unimportant, rather they are used as explanations of the theory the Author has just been describing.
Want to know the growth patterns of yeast and the biomechanical mechanism behind Gluten?
Unhappy with your bread not rising?
Don't know which yeast to buy?
Want to know how to make a Hollandaise?
Or want to know WHY you can make a Hollandaise?
Or just need a bunch of simple tips on whipping up cream?
This book has answers for all of these things.
The layout mostly follows theory first, followed by various example recipes, each with a cut-out section of tips. This allows you to easily find what you are looking for by finding a recipe similar to what you are trying to make, then scan the tips or if that doesn't help, read the associated in depth food science behind it.
A great book, even if you don't go into the detailed theory, there is enough useful bites of information in the tips for every recipe to help you lift your cooking game a couple of notches. |
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Christopher Estep (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
I first saw Shirley Corriher on Cooking Live on FoodTV. I was greatly impressed by how she explained the principles behind cooking ingredients and techniques in a very conversational, yet thorough manner. Her book is every bit as conversational and charming as she is live. What stands out about Cookwise is that it is written specifically with practical application in mind. It's not just a "here's what happens to the molecules" book, but "here's what happens and how you can apply it to your own cooking." Too many books of this type come across as Bill Nye the Science Guy books, but Cookwise has exactly the right balance. After reading the book you will come away more confident in experimenting with your own recipes and concoctions because you will understand why certain things happen. It's organized well, the recipes are broad, and it's a very easy read. I can't recommend this book enough and look forward to her next book, Bakewise, when it comes out. |
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-11-25 00:00>
Although I can nitpick that there are many annoying things about this book (such as poor organization and overly complex recipes), it should be read by every serious cook. It has an abundant source of cooking information which I find more useful than that in Harold Mcgee's book. She also offers many of her favorite recipes which I find less useful, but some are excellent. It is helpful, but not absolutely essential, to have some knowledge of chemistry (e.g. high school chemistry) to appreciate this book.
I have been making bread for 25 years and thought that there was nothing new to learn, but was amazed to find that her techniques do result in a superior loaf. However, I do not like the way she measures a cup of flour. Her cup of flour is quite a bit larger than is usual. It is really better and much more accurate to weigh flour with an inexpensive kitchen scale.
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1 Total 1 pages 8 items |
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