This one was an interesting combination of reference and cookbook. Setup somewhat like a Q&A or FAQ, the author addresses popular questions about food, cooking, kitchen tools and busts a few urban myths. His answers are from a chemist's POV and as a professor emeritus of nuclear chemistry for U of Pittsburgh, I guess he knows what he's talking about.

The narrative is laid back and engaging: he might be a chemistry professor but Mr. Wolke was (is?) also a columnist for The Washington Post and most of the writing is chatty and humorous.

More than a couple of the recipes sound like they're worth trying, too.

Overall, I enjoyed the book quite a bit - enough that I'm going to look for this other works for future reads. ( )

have hardback and paperback

An interesting and oddly entertaining collection of practical food science lessons for the non-scientist. The author brings the world of chemistry alive fielding everyday questions about everything from nonstick surfaces to browning and emulsifying and the irradiation of fruits and vegetables. The recipes are enticing as well. ( )

I was somewhat disappointed with this book. I was hoping for more...

I'm not sure what I was hoping for. I do know that the book as a whole felt hodge-podge. Answers to some of the questions were quite thorough and others were so glancing as to leave me wondering why he bothered even including them.

The science of cooking is very fascinating to me (I've always been a wanna-be scientist) and I suppose it's a good thing that you can read this whole book in basically one sitting.

I guess I expected this book to more scientifically rigorous and less populist in style. I'm not sure why I expected that - it's clearly advertised as being a populist work - so I have only myself to blame for this disappointment. ( )

The author explains the science of cooking, very interesting ( )

Interesting FAQ style. Easy to read. ( )

Kitchen science explained

Interesting. The first couple of chapters more so than the rest. ( )

It was a bit difficult to get through some parts due to the science aspect. What I liked is that it's easy to pick up on; you can read any section without reading previous sections. When I read fiction, I have to frequently flip a few pages back and refresh myself on the plot. I also liked his witty commentary. Another reviewer mentioned that his humor doesn't make it through, but I chuckled quite often. Again, like another reviewer mentioned, I tabbed a lot of pages. I bought this book as a Christmas gift, and I find myself rushing to transcribe many recipes and techniques to my digital "cookbook."

It contains useful tips on both cooking ingredients and equipment, as well as information on common questions and misconceptions, and some recipes. I'd definitely recommend it! ( )

More superficial and less relevant *to me* than I'd hoped. ?áA lot like a lot of similar 'debunking pseudo-science' books I frequently read, including, just this week, the latest from Dr. Joe Schwarz. ?áSometimes the light tone is just right, sometimes Wolke strains for humor and doesn't reach it. ?áIt's always clear and easy to read though.

I did use a lot of book darts to mark bits of note, so let's see what they point to:

A recipe for 'White Chocolate' Bars. ?áOf course, white chocolate has no chocolate, and upon second look these bars look much too rich for me, more like fudge than blondies. ?áSkip.

Clarified butter [akin to ghee] will keep much longer than whole butter will, because bacteria can work away at protein, but not at pure oil."

To make clarified butter, melt slowly, then refrigerate. ?áThree layers appear, the top casein froth which is tasty and will flavor veggies nicely, the middle ghee, and the bottom watery sedimented layer, for which there is no suggested use.

Test your baking powder by adding it to ordinary water - it should fizz vigorously.

A recipe for Fish in a Package, which informs me that parchment paper and aluminum foil are interchangeable in these little oven-steamed packets.

Since metal conducts energy, thaw packages more quickly simply by placing them in a metal bowl or skillet, w/ as much surface in or near contact as possible. ?á(I tested this informally - it does seem to work terrifically!)

If using the microwave to heat water for tea, heat it extra long in a larger container, so that you can bring it to a full boil temperature, so you get fully dissolved tea and less sludgy precipitate. ?áOr use a teakettle on the stove. ?áI tried extra-long in the microwave and it seems like it did help quite a bit to make the tea more fully flavored and the empty cup less messy.

Chipped or crazed ceramic is not safe in the microwave, because the chip breaks the glaze and exposes the porous clay. ?áWater can get trapped in there, then it may boil in the hot microwave, and crack the cup or bowl.

A recipe for Lemon Curd. ?áOmg it looks nummy. ?áBut realistically I am not likely to make it, neither should I. ?áOh well.

It's important to use a measuring device close to the size of the amt you're measuring. ?áMy oldest son likes to get out the 2 cup glass measure and use it for everything, even the 1/4 cup oil. ?áBut because of settling, and the wide mouth relative to the portion, that's not going to yield a successful recipe. ?áWolke recommends the funnel-shaped Perfect Beaker made by EMSA Design of Frieling USA. ?áAccurate from one ounce to one pint. ?áI'm off to shop for it right after I finish this review.

"Spoilage bacteria make food repulsive and inedible, but they generally won't make us sick. ?áPathogenic bacteria, otoh, may be completely undetectable by taste or appearance, but are still dangerous. ?áLow temperatures inhibit them both."" ( )

Wolke covers all kinds of kitchen science in this fun, easy-to-read book. His explanations are the answers to common questions like: If Teflon doesn't stick to anything, how does it stick to the pan?

Really fascinating reading, I frequently laughed out loud and read witty sentences aloud to whoever happened to be nearby (they chuckled halfheartedly - like they were humoring the crazy person).

If you like Good Eats, you will like this. ( )

Very interesting resource book for the dedicated cook. It answers questions you never think of asking, like why you preheat skillets and why some butter is salted and some is not. ( )

Robert provides an entertaining and educational book on science and cooking. I learned a few things and liked his humorous presentation. I recommend the book for those with limited science background as much of the information covered is at a high school science level. ( )

Learned a few things; will have this one on hand in my kitchen for reminders about what's going on. Note: not many good recipes here, and although there's a few practical tips, that's not really the focus. ( )

Featured at An Abundance of Books

What Einstein Told His Cook is one of my dad's books that he loves it and has purchased several copies for friends. I enjoyed flipping through the sections and reading random entries.

What Einstein Told His Cook is set up like a reference book, and while you could read it straight through, I had a good time flipping around and reading different odds and ends. This was a surprisingly engaging book, not tedious or boring at all. I chuckled at almost every entry. And while Wolke was answering question that never even occurred to me, the answers were really interesting. He nicely explains any technical words or processes - you don't have to be a scientist to understand this book.

This is a fun book to just pick up and flip through randomly. Wolke's writing is casual and humorous and explains the science cooking and eating concisely but without losing the reader. This is a fun book for those who enjoy cooking, trivia, or science in general. While the topic might not be for everybody, it's a surprisingly enjoyable and accessible read and I give it 4 stars (and I'm asking for a copy for Christmas).

Read full review HERE ( )

There were a whole lot of things that as non-north-american, I badly knew it existed. But there were some interesting explanations. ( )

Author Robert Wolke answers questions about the chemistry and physics of what goes on in our kitchens, such as "What exactly is in artificial sweeteners?", "Why do we add salt when boiling water for pasta?", "What causes freezer burn?" and "Why is it bad to put metal in a microwave?" The explanations are very simple and clear for non-scientific audiences without being too dumbed down, and while some address matters of mere idle curiosity, others may actually help you to become a better cook or a smarter consumer as well as learning some basic scientific principles along the way. There are also a number of recipes which illustrate various points discussed in the book, and in general they look easy and rather appealing. There are a couple I'm decidedly interested in trying, and that's pretty rare for me. ( )

A good pop-science book for anyone interested in the chemical and physical why and how of cooking. I know I learned plenty, including the fact that "sea salt" is not any saltier than normal one. Now if I could only figure out why it's still more expensive. ( )

The subtitle is "The Science of Cooking", and that's what this is.
I'm usually terribly disappointed by pop chemistry texts which tend to be nothing more than laundry lists, but this was not bad. The level of science was, no surprise, not as high as I would like, but the subject is intrinsically interesting and the material covered was well chosen. ( )

Lesestoff zum Sattwerden, nicht Geniessen; chemische Grundlagen für alle, die in der Schule nicht aufgepasst haben und das sonderbare Messwesen in den USA (unterschiedliche cup-Mengen für feste und flüssige Stoffe - tz- tz- tz ...) und alles, was man über die FDA wissen sollte: 4,9 % Fett = fettfrei. Das einzig originelle sind die eingestreuten Rezepte (z.B. mit Hirschhornsalz!). ( )

Joshua Swanson

http://robertwolke.com/told-his-cook/contents/, also has excerpts