A revolution is underway in the art of cooking. Just as French Impressionists upended centuries of tradition, Modernist cuisine has in recent years blown through the boundaries of the culinary arts. Borrowing techniques from the laboratory, pioneering chefs at world-renowned restaurants such as elBulli, The Fat Duck, Alinea, and wd~50 have incorporated a deeper understanding of science and advances in cooking technology into their culinary art. In Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet--scientists, inventors, and accomplished cooks in their own right--have created a six-volume, 2,400-page set that reveals science-inspired techniques for preparing food that ranges from the otherworldly to the sublime. The authors and their 20-person team at The Cooking Lab have achieved astounding new flavors and textures by using tools such as water baths, homogenizers, centrifuges, and ingredients such as hydrocolloids, emulsifiers, and enzymes. It is a work destined to reinvent cooking. How do you make an omelet light and tender on the outside, but rich and creamy inside? Or French fries with a light and fluffy interior and a delicate, crisp crust that doesn't go soggy? Imagine being able to encase a mussel in a gelled sphere of its own sweet and briny juice. Or to create a silky-smooth pistachio cream made from nothing more than the nuts themselves. Modernist Cuisine offers step-by-step, illustrated instructions, as well as clear explanations of how these techniques work. Through thousands of original photographs and diagrams, the lavishly illustrated books make the science and technology of the culinary arts clear and engaging. Stunning new photographic techniques take the reader inside the food to see cooking in action all the way from microscopic meat fibers to an entire Weber grill in cross-section. You will view cooking and eating in a whole new light. A sampling of what you'll discover: *Why plunging food in ice water doesn't stop the cooking process *When boiling cooks faster than steaming *Why raising the grill doesn't lower the heat *How low-cost pots and pans can perform better than expensive ones *Why baking is mostly a drying process *Why deep-fried food tastes best and browns better when the oil is older *How modern cooking techniques can achieve ideal results without the perfect timing or good luck that traditional methods demand. Many invaluable features include: *Insights into the surprising science behind traditional food preparation methods such as grilling, smoking, and stir-frying *The most comprehensive guide yet published on cooking sous vide, including the best options for water baths, packaging materials, and sealing equipment; cooking strategies; and troubleshooting tips *More than 256 pages on meat and seafood and 130 pages on fruits, vegetables, and grains, including hundreds of parametric recipes and step-by-step techniques *Extensive chapters explaining how to achieve amazing results by using modern thickeners, gels, emulsions, and foams, including example recipes and many formulas *More than 300 pages of new recipes for plated dishes suitable for service at top-tier restaurants, plus recipes adapted from master chefs including Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria , Heston Blumenthal, David Chang, Wylie Dufresne, David Kinch, and many others. From the professional chef to the home cook, Modernist Cuisine is an indispensable guide for anyone who is passionate about the art and science of cooking.

The French edition. The culinary revolution that has transformed restaurant menus around the world is also making its way into home kitchens. The Cooking Lab, publisher of the encyclopedic six-volume set Modernist Cuisine, which immediately became the definitive reference for this revolution, has now produced a lavishly illustrated guide for home cooks, complete with all-new recipes tailored for cooking enthusiasts of all skill levels.Modernist Cuisine at Home, by Nathan Myhrvold with Maxime Bilet, is destined to set a new standard for home cookbooks. The authors have collected in this 456-page volume all the essential information that any cook needs to stock a modern kitchen, to master Modernist techniques, and to make hundreds of stunning recipes. The book includes a spiral-bound Kitchen Manual that reprints all of the recipes and reference tables on waterproof, tear-resistant paper. Drawing on the same commitment to perfection that produced Modernist Cuisine, Modernist Cuisine at Home applies innovations pioneered by The Cooking Lab to refine classic home dishes, from hamburgers and wings to macaroni and cheese. More than 400 new recipes are included, most with step-by-step photos that make it easy to bring dining of the highest quality to your own dinner table.Among the amazing techniques you'll find are: how to cook fish and steak perfectly every time, whether you're in the kitchen, the backyard, or tailgating in a parking lot;how to use a pressure cooker to make stocks in a fraction of the usual time while capturing more of the flavor;the secret to making quick, sumptuous caramelized vegetable soups and purees;how to outfit your home oven to make pizzas as crispy as you would get from a wood-fired brick ovenalong with recipes for: perfect eggs and breathtaking omelets that remove the guesswork for stress-free breakfasts, even for a crowd;gravies and a hollandaise sauce that are wonderfully rich, perfectly smooth, and never separate;a flawless cheeseburger and an ultrafrothy milk shake;chicken wings made better with Modernist techniques, plus seven great sauces and coatings for them;macaroni and cheese, including stove-top, baked, and fat-free versions, that can be made with any cheese blend you like, from gouda and cheddar to jack and Stilton.Cooking like a Modernist chef at home requires the right set of tools, but they're less expensive and easier to find than you might think. You'll also learn how to get the best out of the kitchen appliances you already own. Learn how to use your microwave oven to steam fish and vegetables to perfection, make exceptional beef jerky, and fry delicate herbs.The first 100 pages of the book are a trove of useful information, such as: how to test the accuracy of a thermometer, and why it's time to switch to digital;how to use (and not to use) a blowtorch to sear food fast and beautifully;how to marinate meats more quickly evenly by injecting the brine;the myriad uses for a whipping siphon beyond whipped cream;why those expensive copper pans may not be worth the price;how to deep-fry without a deep fryer;how to stop worrying and get the most out of your pressure cooker;how to cook sous vide at home with improvised equipment, a special-purpose water bath, or a home combi oven.Modernist Cuisine at Home is an indispensable guide for anyone who is passionate about food and cooking.