I have a 1984 edition of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". Does
anyone know if the 2004 edition has any significant new information
that's worth the price of upgrade?

Thanks

On Jun 2, 6:52*pm, Greg Esres > wrote:
> I have a 1984 edition of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". *Does
> anyone know if the 2004 edition has any significant new information
> that's worth the price of upgrade?
>
Very much so! The original was groundbreaking but the revision is
greatly expanded. No one who liked the original should fail to
replace it with the new edition.. The scope of food now includes Asia
and Mexico, there's lots of new analysis of the chemistry of flavor to
put some things on a factual footing rather than vague "taste
preferences". And much more that I can't describe here. -aem

aem wrote:

<<but the revision is greatly expanded. >>

Darn! Guess I'll have to get it, then. Thanks!

On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 08:53:49 -0700 (PDT), aem >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>On Jun 2, 6:52*pm, Greg Esres > wrote:
>> I have a 1984 edition of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". *Does
>> anyone know if the 2004 edition has any significant new information
>> that's worth the price of upgrade?
>>
>Very much so! The original was groundbreaking but the revision is
>greatly expanded. No one who liked the original should fail to
>replace it with the new edition.. The scope of food now includes Asia
>and Mexico, there's lots of new analysis of the chemistry of flavor to
>put some things on a factual footing rather than vague "taste
>preferences". And much more that I can't describe here. -aem

Question: I wandered over to amazon.com to check out the above
cookbook. There appear to be two of roughly the same title, but
different subtitles: _McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of
Cooking Science, History and Culture_ and _On Food and Cooking: The
Science and Lore of the Kitchen_. There is a considerable price
difference, which is one of the reasons I ask.

--

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

"Some weasel took the cork out of my lunch!"

-- W.C. Fields

On Jun 4, 6:37*pm, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> On Tue, 3 Jun 2008 08:53:49 -0700 (PDT), aem >
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>
> >On Jun 2, 6:52*pm, Greg Esres > wrote:
> >> I have a 1984 edition of Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking". *Does
> >> anyone know if the 2004 edition has any significant new information
> >> that's worth the price of upgrade?
>
> >Very much so! *The original was groundbreaking but the revision is
> >greatly expanded. *No one who liked the original should fail to
> >replace it with the new edition.. *The scope of food now includes Asia
> >and Mexico, there's lots of new analysis of the chemistry of flavor to
> >put some things on a factual footing rather than vague "taste
> >preferences". * And much more that I can't describe here. * * -aem
>
> Question: I wandered over to amazon.com to check out the above
> cookbook. There appear to be two of roughly the same title, but
> different subtitles: _McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of
> Cooking Science, History and Culture_ and _On Food and Cooking: The
> Science and Lore of the Kitchen_. There is a considerable price
> difference, which is one of the reasons I ask.
>
The second one, science and lore, is the 2004 edition, the one you
want. But don't expect a "cookbook" in any standard sense. It's
*about* food and cooking and it will improve your cooking but it's not
a collection of recipes. -aem

On Jun 4, 7:55*pm, aem > wrote:
>
> The second one, science and lore, is the 2004 edition, the one you
> want. *But don't expect a "cookbook" in any standard sense. *It's
> *about* food and cooking and it will improve your cooking but it's not
> a collection of recipes. * * -aem

You can get an idea of his approach and style by reading some of his
writings for the NY Times on his website: http://www.curiouscook.com/cook/home.php
-aem

Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:

:Question: I wandered over to amazon.com to check out the above
:cookbook. There appear to be two of roughly the same title, but
:different subtitles: _McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of
:Cooking Science, History and Culture_ and _On Food and Cooking: The
:Science and Lore of the Kitchen_. There is a considerable price
:difference, which is one of the reasons I ask.

This one:

http://www.amazon.com/Food-Cooking-S...dp/0684800012/

is what was being talked about. It's not a cookbook, in that it
doesn't have any recipes (well, it's got a few historical examples).
It's an encyclopedia, and tells you immense amount about food, why it
behaves the way it does, tastes the way it does, etc. Not really
something to read cover to cover (well, I did, but I'm weird.), but
more to browse, or look things up.

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 19:55:21 -0700 (PDT), aem >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>The second one, science and lore, is the 2004 edition, the one you
>want. But don't expect a "cookbook" in any standard sense. It's
>*about* food and cooking and it will improve your cooking but it's not
>a collection of recipes. -aem

Okay - got it. Something along the lines of _Le Cordon Bleu Complete
Cooking Techniques_? So, if I have that one, would it make sense to
"have to have" _On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the
Kitchen_ ?

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

In article >,
Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:


> Okay - got it. Something along the lines of _Le Cordon Bleu Complete
> Cooking Techniques_? So, if I have that one, would it make sense to
> "have to have" _On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the
> Kitchen_ ?
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
\

Well yes you need it but only if you like the SCIENCE of food and
cooking. It's not techniques, it's an encyclopedia of arcane knowledge
of odd foods, chemistry and physics of cooking and cooking processes. It
debunks myths like why you shouldn't wash mushrooms and how searing meat
doesn't seal juices in. It's a must have for serious cooks or curious
ones but it won't necessarily make you a better cook or teach you how to
cook anything.

It's great for browsing in bed or as bathroom reading but it is a
real encyclopedia. Go to a real book store and browse it before buying.