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Binding: Hardcover Dewey Decimal Number: 641.815 EAN: 9781584793410 ISBN: 1584793414 Label: Harry N. Abrams Manufacturer: Harry N. Abrams Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 336 Publication Date: October 01, 2004 Publisher: Harry N. Abrams Sales Rank: 3766 Studio: Harry N. Abrams
Product Description: In his best-selling first book, Food Network star Alton Brown described what happens when food meets heat. Now Brown is back and ready to revolutionize the world of baking-and more. Breads, cakes, cookies, pies, custards, ice creams: The popular host of Good Eats explores the science behind our favorite sweets-and savories-explaining it all in his own inimitable style.
The book opens with a complete encyclopedia of the core ingredients or "the molecular pantry"-what they are, what they do, and how they play together (or don't). The main part of the book is divided by mixing method: Biscuit, Creaming, Muffin, Straight Dough, Modified Dough, Eggfoam, Custards, and a section called As Well As . . . , which includes such specialized methods as crepes, popovers, mousse, and doughnuts. .
To underscore the importance-and ease-of mastering the mixing techniques, the book features a special design that adds a half-page flap to the opening page of each mixing section. Printed on the flap is the master mixing technique to serve as a ready reference for each recipe that follows in that section.
At 304 pages, the trivia-filled tome also contains all the fun components Brown fans have come to expect: fact-packed sidebars, intricate illustrations, glossaries, appendices, equipment lists-the works. It's everything readers have been waiting for . . . and more! AUTHOR BIO: Alton Brown is the writer, director, and host of the popular Food Network television program Good Eats. His first book, I'm Just Here For the Food, received the 2003 James Beard Foundation KitchenAid Book Award for Best Reference Book. His second book, Alton Brown's Gear For Your Kitchen, was nominated for both a James Beard and an IACP cookbook award.
Amazon.com Review: Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food: Food x Mixing + Heat = Baking should be required reading for those who truly want to learn how to become great bakers. In his own off-beat style Alton explains the science behind the process simply and in a manner you will not only remember, but subconsciously apply to all your baking endeavors. What is salt's role in the baking process? Why use eggs? Why is the way you mix important to overall success? Stylized and presented like his first book and popular Food Network show Good Eats, Baking is more like a goofy textbook rather then a pretty, photographed book with a bunch of recipes. If you are looking for a couple of quick, simple recipes to make cookies or bread, keep looking. If it's an education about the "Whats," "Whys," and "Hows" of baking with the intent to lift your skills to a new level: welcome!
Baking is a precise science that needs to be followed to the letter if you want success. It is highly recommended to read the introduction and "The Parts Department" section before attempting any of the recipes in this book. The essence of Alton Brown's book is not to simply follow recipes, but to get a deep understanding of what is going on during the baking process. The introduction goes over the layout of the book and how it should be used (the ingenious "method flaps" for instance), the low down on how to read recipes, the importance of measuring by weight vs. volume, and baking's five core steps. The "Parts" section explains just that: ingredients. What is the chemical make up of proteins, carbs, and fats? Why is their interrelationship so important to success? How well do you know flour, eggs, sugar, and baking soda? Once you have the basics down and your parts measured it's time to get mixing. The rest of the book is smartly broken up by the six major mixing methods (Muffin, Biscuit, Creaming, Straight Dough, Egg Foam, and Custards). Each technique is explored in detail with recipes to follow. You won't find any ultra fancy recipes in Baking. The focus here is on the basics and getting the basics down right. Rediscover some old favorites like chocolate cookies and muffins, buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, shortcake, multigrain loaf bread, and good old fashioned cheesecake. There is no denying it, follow Alton's advice and you will be a better baker. Guaranteed. --Rob Bracco
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Genius!
I religiously watch good eats. This book has some great recipes in it. the only issue is you have to read it front ot back to get down all his cooking techniques.
Rating: - One of my "Go To" cookbooks
I have been to pastry school and have at least a hundred cookbooks dedicated strictly to baking but this is one of the books that I pull off the shelf first. The recipes are good basic recipes with solid explanations regarding the methods being used. I absolutely love the chocolate cake recipe in here and the chocolate mousse. The two together make a great special occasion cake. The recipes in here use normal ingredients you have around the house and do not require a lot of fancy equipment.
Rating: - Awesome...Fascinating...need I say more?
If you not only enjoy cooking, but find the science of cooking fascinating, this book is for you. Alton writes just like he talks, which makes this book not only interesting, but fun and enjoyable. I highly recommend it!
Rating: - Love this!
I have watched the Alton Brown show for a while and love the science take on cooking. So to have this book in the kitchen is great. I also purchased Brown's "Cooking (2.0)".
Rating: - Oh Bother...
Huge fan of Alton Brown, but it sounds like a lot of errors in this book (I have only found the "tk" error in his brownie recipie). All the errors are really to bad because I think if it did not have all of the errors Alton may have gotten another nod from the James Beard Foundation. But with that said I would still recommend it to learn the science of baking.
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