Rating: 
Summary: fun and informative!
Review: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I got it for Christmas and thought that I wouldn't learn much from this book as I have many other similar books (Cookwise and so on). How wrong I was! This is a well-written, easy-to-read book for anyone with an interest in why cooking works or doesn't work. It contains a few recipes for you to 'experiment'. The author is the most engaging and entertaining science professor I've ever heard (I wish mine were like this at school), he can explain ions, density, sugars, starches and much more with great clarity and humor! As a pastry chef, premed student and mom I shall be using many of his ideas (like why two cups of sugar 'fits in' to one cup of water) for my kids and my own pleasure! I especially like the Q&A style which means I can read a bit and read more later when I have more time!
Rating: 
Summary: Only for real amateurs
Review: If you know absolutely no chemistry, have never read a cookbook, and have no powers of observation, you might like this book as a just-about-adequate introduction. But for a better-written, more interesting start on kitchen chemistry, try Arthur Grosser's "The Cookbook Decoder" or Hillman's book (sorry, can't remember the title)or "The Inquisitive Cook by Anne Gardiner and Sue Wilson. Then move right on to McGee. The rest is history!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book !
Review: If you like food and science,you'll love this book.
Informative, easy to understand, and humorous. I hope
the author writes a 2nd volume. (Hint!)
Rating:
Summary: You can do Better
Review: If you're interested in kitchen science, chances are you're not stupid, so why buy a book that treats you as if you were?
The Q&A format means the book can't fully develop a satisfactory explanation; it also reads like a collection of magazine columns. Any explanation that sounds even vaguely technical is covered in as few words as possible, sequestered in parentheses and prefaced with the irritating word "techspeak". This does nothing for the book's already patronizing air.
If you're a thinking cook who has taken High School chemistry, you'll be better off with Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, an acessible classic that is used as a textbook at the Culinary Institute of America--a distinction this book will never claim.
This book will serve admirably as an introduction to food science--for your nearest reasonably bright 7th grader.
Rating:
Summary: You can do Better
Review: If you're interested in kitchen science, chances are you're not stupid, so why buy a book that treats you as if you were?
The Q&A format means the book can't fully develop a satisfactory explanation; it also reads like a collection of magazine columns. Any explanation that sounds even vaguely technical is covered in as few words as possible, sequestered in parentheses and prefaced with the irritating word "techspeak". This does nothing for the book's already patronizing air.
If you're a thinking cook who has taken High School chemistry, you'll be better off with Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, an acessible classic that is used as a textbook at the Culinary Institute of America--a distinction this book will never claim.
This book will serve admirably as an introduction to food science--for your nearest reasonably bright 7th grader.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, but totally pedestrian and unprofessional
Review: Interesting that our collegue who wrote the first review of this book mentioned Alton Brown's Book for a replacement of this one. On Alton's website, he not only recommends this book, he wished he had written it. Since I am a DIEHARD Good Eats/Alton Brown Fan, I had to of course, go look at this book and consider it and it lives up Mr. Brown's recommendataion and will remain on my bookshelves when other "unpedestrain and professional" cookbooks will be tossed aside. I am glad this genre of cookbook is growing and look forward to books from this author and Mr. Brown.
Rating: 
Summary: Kitchen Chemistry
Review: It turns out that you can view cooking as a kind of chemistry mixed with biology, physics and (in the case of some French pastries, engineering.) It's no accident that the author Wolke is a retired professor of chemistry. Chemistry and cooking really do go together. After all, cooking creates chemical and physical changes in foods.So what if you are NOT a fan of sciences? Will this book bore your or excite you? Well, I think most anyone could enjoy this book because there are quite a few bits of information that make for fascinating reading. And some of it is helpful for healthful cooking. For example, the green on potatoes is a chemical called solanine and forms in sunlight under the skin of the tuber. This is an alkyloid that's toxic, so keep your potatoes away from light and toss those green meanies. The section on methods of cooking; pressure cooking, microwave, and induction cooking ranges was useful. These are common methods of cooking but how many of us really get an explanation of what's happening? If you are tutoring your kids in science at home, or teaching them to cook, this book is invaluable. If you are curious about the "why" of cooking, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Kitchen Kemistry is Kool for Kiddies
Review: My son, an aspiring chef, saw this book in a student bookstore in Pittsburgh, and fell in love! I have to admit that my husband (a mechanical engineer) and I peeked at a few sections of the book before wrapping it up for Christmas. We can hardly wait until our son allows us to borrow it to read. If you enjoy the cooking science/humor of FoodTV's Alton Brown, this book is for you! It is well written and perhaps more importantly, well explained. If you're at all interested in the "WHY DOES IT DO THAT" of cooking, this book is a MUST for you!
Rating:
Summary: Questions answered and explained
Review: OK, so I'm not a professional chef, nor an arrogant biochemist, but I think Robert Wolke's style of writing in this book adds some fun to what could be a real boring read. He doesn't just answer the questions, he explains why it is so. I don't want to become an expert in the field - I just want to know quick answers, so I think this book is terrific!!!!
This book is truly a gift to share with others. Just like my new beverage of choice that replaced my morning brew. Its called s oyfee and taste so wonderful with no caffeine or acids. Organic and made from soya! Bye bye acid stomach and hello healthy tummy! Google it under "acid free coffee". I love to read this book. Enjoy it!
Rating:
Summary: Interesting, Well-Written, and Accurate
Review: Professor Wolke (professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh) covers a plethora of subjects revolving around cooking and food preparation, from knife sharpening and storage to how chocolate is made, and he covers them with considerable humor and a great deal of attention to how much chemistry his reader is likely to know. His explanations are complete, and, as far as this amateur can tell, accurate. They are also fun to read. He also includes quite a few recipes, which are simple and easy to prepare. By themselves, they would make a pretty good book.
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