我从一开始就很清楚，我的思维不像其他人那样工作。但是，和其他人一样，我几乎可以学到任何东西，只要以一种有意义的方式向我解释。这就是为什么我经常抱怨老年人“就是不明白”，而老年人真正需要的是更好的解释！这与查看食谱有什么关系？极客烹饪，第二版(Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition)，旨在向那些以技术和科学术语思考并因此确信自己不会做饭的人解释烹饪，因为食谱很复杂，而且食谱不能正确解释事情。它成功了吗？阅读并找出。
初始化食谱
当我回顾这本书的第一版时，我发现读起来很有趣，回顾起来也很有趣，而且还有一些非常好的食谱。读者(reader ask)还能问什么？好吧，对于初学者来说，经过修订和扩展的第二版比第一版更有趣。
你会发现这个新版本中的一些章节名称使用了较少的技术词汇，但内容仍然旨在向习惯于科学方法的人解释厨房的奥秘。
还有一份令人印象深刻的采访清单，其中包括对亚当·萨维奇(Adam Savage)（《流言终结者(Mythbusters)》）和布里奇特·兰开斯特(Bridget Lancaster)（《美国(America)的测试厨房(Test Kitchen)》）和道格拉斯·鲍德温(Douglas Baldwin)（应用数学家）和莉迪亚·沃尔辛(Lydia Walshin)（美食作家(food writer)）等人的采访。这些散布在整本书中，根据需要提供见解和解释。还有一个专门针对每位受访者的页面，列出了他或她的资历和专业领域。
这本书以列出所有食谱的目录开头。它们分为“早餐(Breakfast)”和“电源”等类别，其中包含您可能期望的内容，还有“成分和成分(Components & Ingredients)”以及为书中科学实验指明道路的“实验室列表”。(Labs)想要检查您的味蕾(taste buds)，找到您的完美饼干，或校准您的烤箱或冰柜(oven or freezer)吗？这就是全部，还有更多。
尽管作者Jeff Potter鼓励人们直接跳到书中吸引他们的任何部分，但我想说，根据对烹饪厌恶的家庭成员的经验，如果你真的不熟悉烹饪，你会做得很远最好从第 1 章(Chapter 1)开始通读，直到您开始了解事物的工作原理。对于大多数真正的极客（波特先生(Mr. Potter)将其定义为“聪明和好奇”）来说，这不会花很长时间。
首先确定您是否“像极客一样思考”（有说明），然后继续定义您的厨房风格(kitchen style)、您如何处理食谱以及处理“厨房中的恐惧”。即使你已经在厨房里很自在，读完第一章也绝对值得。此外，对亚当·萨维奇(Adam Savage)的采访也在里面。是的，他喜欢做饭！
波特先生(Mr. Potter)还鼓励人们不要(not)遵循食谱。我可以理解他的观点，但我认为这种方法最适合在厨房有更多经验的人。如果您以前从未做过类似的事情，您无法说出什么是合理的“即兴发挥”方式。正如波特先生(Mr. Potter)所坚持的那样，遵循食谱会扼杀创新吗？(Does)如果您仍在学习如何根据食谱烹饪，至少在我的经验中（我已经烹饪了近 60 年），则不会。我总是严格按照食谱做——(recipe exactly—the)我第一次做的时候。在那之后，一切都会过去。🙂
我必须承认，当我看到有关“3 x 4台面(Countertops)规则(Rule)”的部分时，我笑了。我一生中从未在有这么大柜台空间的厨房工作过。事实上，我过去 20 年来一直使用的厨房甚至没有一个可以容纳这么大空间的柜台。
有一个很棒的部分讨论了厨房所需的所有设备。它不只是给你一个清单；它包含每个组件（刀、锅等），并解释了您为什么需要它们以及如何照顾它们。仅此部分就值本书的价格。
走向科学
一旦您阅读了基础知识，就该学习烹饪和饮食(cooking and eating)科学了。每章都以目录开始，向您展示您将要发现的内容。这是第 2 章(Chapter 2)的清单。
还有一份食谱清单、一份“实验室”（科学实验）清单和一份为本书接受采访的人员清单。
当您看到标题时，这些食谱可能看起来并不吸引人，但请继续阅读它们。他们在那里展示正在讨论的科学和技术(science and technology)，就像他们在那里帮助你创造好吃的东西一样。您可能不想实际准备任何给定的菜肴，但是当您阅读它时，您会看到它是如何解释您在该部分中学习的内容的。
这本书从解释味道开始。它不仅仅是“甜、咸、酸、苦、咸、辣”。例如，有一张图表显示了各种烹饪传统使用哪些成分来代表这些口味。这是其中的一部分。
还有一些实验让读者调查味道和气味(taste and smell)之间的联系，使用常见的厨房食材，以及导致一些人对各种味道和气味的反应完全不同的基因变异，以及是什么造就了“超级味觉者”。该实验需要一些您必须购买的科学用品。这是本书中其他实验室的代表。有些使用常见的成分，有些则需要更多的科学用品。
为极客做饭，第二版(Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition)还鼓励读者在尝试不寻常的成分时走出他或她的舒适区。(comfort zone)其他一些食谱只提供食谱，而这本书解释了成分是如何相互关联的。一种文化可能会使用一种成分，就像另一种文化使用不同的东西一样。例如，亚洲食谱中的大米与欧洲食谱中的小麦。还有另一个有用的图表显示了各种美食中的常见成分。老实说，整本书的图表都值得自己购买。
还有一个很好的部分解释了如何最好地储存农产品。有些成分不应该存放在一起，有些应该存放在较冷的温度下，有些东西比其他东西发霉得更快，等等。作为一个因发霉和糊状而失去新鲜农产品份额的人，我非常感谢将所有这些信息收集在一个地方。
我必须承认名为“计算风味灵感(Computational Flavor Inspiration)”的部分让我有点过头了。作者分析了很多食谱，看看哪些成分通常搭配在一起，哪些风味化合物在化学上相似，他用科学的术语解释了这一点，这肯定会让任何化学家感到高兴。然后是一个实验室来挑战读者：
有一章专门讨论“完成了吗？”的科学答案。（这对分析头脑非常有用）以及食品变质所必需的因素，并伴随着关于一般食品安全(food safety)的精彩论述。如今，我们似乎每周都会在新闻上看到某种与食物有关的疾病，知道如何尽可能地保护自己免受这些事情的影响是一个明确的优势。
我不想放弃整本书，因为我真的很想鼓励大家自己阅读。即使你不认为自己是个极客，或者如果你确定自己一点也不科学，这本书也会告诉你一些你不知道的有趣的事情。我想你会看到为极客烹饪，第二版(Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition)是科学和烹饪艺术的完美结合。
优点和缺点
这本书的第二版甚至比第一版还要好。这是我的想法，赞成和反对。
临：(Pro:)
- 由清楚了解烹饪和科学(cooking and science)的人撰写的引人入胜的文章
- 旨在展示所讨论的原则的食谱
- 旨在使每个原理更加清晰的实验
- 对广泛的专家的采访，也引人入胜
- (Scientific)强烈鼓励科学和烹饪实验
缺点：(Con:)
- 食谱可能有点深奥。如果您正在寻找绝对初学者“如何烧水”，这不是。
- 有些食谱需要的设备在普通厨房中并不常见。
- 有些科学和数学(science and math)的水平比有些人容易理解的要高。
但是，正如我所说，我鼓励每个人自己阅读《极客烹饪》第二版(Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition)。
判决
为极客做饭，第二版(Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition)是一本写得很好的书，它吸引了读者，并以任何人都能理解的方式解释了几乎所有内容。即使您没有在其中烹饪任何食谱并且从未想过科学和烹饪(science and cooking)齐头并进，您也可以像阅读任何其他带您进行探索之旅的操作指南一样阅读这本书. 我打算把我的副本交给我家里有化学学位的人，他经常在厨房里弄糊涂，因为他对食谱不放心。我期待着看到他头顶上的灯泡亮着。(light bulb)🙂
Book review: Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition
I've been aware pretty much from the beginning that my mind does nоt work like other рeople's. But, like other people, I can lеarn almost anything, if іt is explained to me in a way that makes sense. This is why I so often griрe about the constаnt complaints that older рeople "just don't get it," when what the older people really need iѕ а better exрlanation! What does this have to dо with revіewing a cookbook? Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition , is designed to explain cooking to people who think in technical and scientific terms and who are therefore convinced they can't cook because recipes are complicated and cookbooks don't explain things properly. Does it succeed? Read on and find out.
Initializing the cookbook
When I review ed the first edition of this book, I've found that it was fun to read and fun to review and had some darn good recipes, too. What more could a reader ask? Well, for starters, a revised and expanded second edition that's even more fun to read than the first.
You'll find some of the chapter names in this new edition use a little less technical vocabulary, but the content's still aimed at explaining the mysteries of the kitchen to people who are accustomed to the scientific method.
There's also an impressive list of interviews with people like Adam Savage ("Mythbusters") and Bridget Lancaster ("America's Test Kitchen") and Douglas Baldwin (applied mathematician) and Lydia Walshin (food writer). Those are interspersed throughout the book, providing insights and explanations as needed. There is also a page devoted to each interviewee, laying out his or her credentials and areas of expertise.
The book begins with a table of contents that lists all the recipes. They're separated into categories like "Breakfast" and "Mains," which contain what you might expect, but also "Components & Ingredients," and a "List of Labs" which points the way to the scientific experiments in the book. Want to check out your taste buds, find your perfect cookie, or calibrate your oven or freezer? That's all there, plus much more.
Although the author, Jeff Potter, encourages people to just jump to whatever section of the book appeals to them, I would say, based on experience with cooking-averse family members, that if you're really new to cooking you'd do far better to start with Chapter 1 and read through till you've begun to understand how things work. For most true geeks (which Mr. Potter defines as "smart and curious") this will not take long.
Begin by finding out whether you "think like a geek" (there are instructions) and carry on to defining your kitchen style, how you approach recipes, and dealing with "fear in the kitchen." Even if you are already at ease in the kitchen, reading through this first chapter is definitely worthwhile. Besides, the interview with Adam Savage is in there. Yes, he loves to cook!
Mr. Potter also encourages people to not follow the recipe. I can see his point, but I think this approach works best for people who've had more experience in the kitchen. You can't tell what would be a reasonable way to "wing it" if you've never done anything like it before. Does following recipes kill innovation, as Mr. Potter insists? Not if you're still in the process of learning how to cook from a recipe, at least in my experience (I've been cooking for almost 60 years now). I always follow a recipe exactly—the first time I make it. After that, anything goes. 🙂
I must admit I laughed when I saw the section about the "3 x 4 Rule of Countertops." I have never in all my life worked in a kitchen that had that much counter space. In fact, the kitchen I've used for the past 20 years doesn't even have one counter with that much space in it.
There is an excellent section that talks about all the equipment you will need for your kitchen. And it doesn't just give you a list; it takes each component (knives, pots, etc) and explains why you need them and how to take care of them. This section alone is worth the price of the book.
On to the science
Once you've read the basics, it's time to move along with the science of cooking and eating. Each chapter starts with a table of contents that shows you what you're going to discover. Here's the listing for Chapter 2.
There's also a list of recipes, a list of "labs" (scientific experiments) and a list of the people who were interviewed for the book.
The recipes might not look appealing when you see the titles, but go ahead and read them. They're there to demonstrate the science and technology that's under discussion, just as much as they're there to help you create something good to eat. You might not want to actually prepare any given dish, but as you read through it you can see how it works to explain what you're learning in that section.
The book starts out by explaining taste. And there's a lot more to it than just "sweet, salty, sour, bitter, savory and hot." There's a chart, for example, that shows which ingredients various culinary traditions use to represent those tastes. Here's a portion of it.
There are also experiments that let the reader investigate the link between taste and smell, using common kitchen ingredients, and the genetic variations that lead some people to react quite differently to various tastes and smells and what makes a "supertaster." That experiment requires some scientific supplies that you'll have to shop for. That's representative of the other labs throughout the book. Some use common ingredients, some require more scientific supplies.
Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition also encourages the reader to move outside his or her comfort zone when it comes to experimenting with unusual ingredients. Some other cookbooks just provide recipes, while this book explains how the ingredients are interrelated. One culture might use one ingredient in the same way another culture uses something different. For example, rice in Asian recipes versus wheat in European recipes. There's another helpful chart that shows common ingredients in a variety of cuisines. Honestly, the charts throughout the book are worth buying it all by themselves.
And there's an excellent section that explains how best to store produce. Some ingredients should not be stored together, some should be stored in colder temperatures, some things get moldy faster than others, and so forth. As someone who's lost her share of fresh produce to mold and mushiness, I really appreciated the gathering of all this information in one place.
I must admit the section called "Computational Flavor Inspiration" was a bit over my head. The author analyzed a lot of recipes to see which ingredients commonly went together and which flavor compounds are chemically similar, and he explains this in scientific terms that will surely delight any chemist. Then there's a lab to challenge the reader:
There's a chapter devoted to the scientific answers to "Is it done yet?" (which will be very useful to the analytical mind) and the factors that are necessary for food to spoil, accompanied by an excellent discourse on food safety in general. Nowadays when it seems like every week we see some kind of food-related illness on the news, knowing how to keep yourself as safe as possible from these things is a definite plus.
I don't want to give away the whole book, because I really would like to encourage everyone to read it for themselves. Even if you do not think you are a geek or if you're sure you're not in the least bit scientific, this book will tell you something interesting that you did not know. I think you will see how Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition is a perfect combination of science and culinary art.
Pros and cons
This second edition of this book is even better than the first. Here are my thoughts, pro and con.
Pro:
- Engagingly written by someone who clearly knows both cooking and science
- Recipes designed to demonstrate the principles under discussion
- Experiments designed to make each principle more clear
- Interviews with a wide range of experts, also engagingly written
- Scientific and culinary experimentation is strongly encouraged
Con:
- Recipes can be somewhat esoteric. If you're looking for absolute-beginner "How to boil water," this ain't it.
- Some recipes require equipment that is not exactly common in the average kitchen.
- Some of the science and math is at a higher level than some people might find easy to understand.
But, as I said, I would encourage everyone to read Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition for themselves.
Verdict
Cooking for Geeks, Second Edition is a well-written book that draws the reader in and explains nearly everything in terms anyone can understand. Even if you don't cook a single recipe in it and never thought of science and cooking going hand in hand, you can read this book the same way you'd read any other how-to guide that takes you on a journey of exploration. I plan to hand my copy to someone in my house who has a degree in chemistry and who often gets fuzzled in the kitchen because he's not at ease with recipes. I look forward to seeing the light bulb go on over his head. 🙂
