The Food Lab

A New York Times Bestseller Winner of the James Beard Award for General Cooking and the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award "The one book you must have, no matter what you’re planning to cook or where your skill level falls."—New York Times Book Review Ever wondered how to pan-fry a steak with a charred crust and an interior that's perfectly medium-rare from edge to edge when you cut into it? How to make homemade mac 'n' cheese that is as satisfyingly gooey and velvety-smooth as the blue box stuff, but far tastier? How to roast a succulent, moist turkey (forget about brining!)—and use a foolproof method that works every time? As Serious Eats's culinary nerd-in-residence, J. Kenji López-Alt has pondered all these questions and more. In The Food Lab, Kenji focuses on the science behind beloved American dishes, delving into the interactions between heat, energy, and molecules that create great food. Kenji shows that often, conventional methods don’t work that well, and home cooks can achieve far better results using new—but simple—techniques. In hundreds of easy-to-make recipes with over 1,000 full-color images, you will find out how to make foolproof Hollandaise sauce in just two minutes, how to transform one simple tomato sauce into a half dozen dishes, how to make the crispiest, creamiest potato casserole ever conceived, and much more.

#1 New York Times Bestseller • #1 Washington Post Bestseller • One of Time's 10 Most Anticipated Cookbooks of 2022 From J. Kenji López-Alt, the author of the best-selling cookbook The Food Lab: the definitive guide to the science and technique of cooking in a wok. J. Kenji López-Alt’s debut cookbook, The Food Lab, revolutionized home cooking, selling more than half a million copies with its science-based approach to everyday foods. And for fast, fresh cooking for his family, there’s one pan López-Alt reaches for more than any other: the wok. Whether stir-frying, deep frying, steaming, simmering, or braising, the wok is the most versatile pan in the kitchen. Once you master the basics—the mechanics of a stir-fry, and how to get smoky wok hei at home—you’re ready to cook home-style and restaurant-style dishes from across Asia and the United States, including Kung Pao Chicken, Pad Thai, and San Francisco–Style Garlic Noodles. López-Alt also breaks down the science behind beloved Beef Chow Fun, fried rice, dumplings, tempura vegetables or seafood, and dashi-simmered dishes. Featuring more than 200 recipes—including simple no-cook sides—explanations of knife skills and how to stock a pantry, and more than 1,000 color photographs, The Wok provides endless ideas for brightening up dinner.

New York Times Bestseller Best-selling author J. Kenji López-Alt introduces Pipo, a girl on a quest to prove that pizza is the best food in the world. Pipo thinks that pizza is the best. No, Pipo knows that pizza is the best. It is scientific fact. But when she sets out on a neighborhood-spanning quest to prove it, she discovers that "best" might not mean what she thought it meant. Join Pipo as she cooks new foods with her friends Eugene, Farah, Dakota, and Ronnie and Donnie. Each eating experiment delights and stuns her taste buds. Is a family recipe for bibimbap better than pizza? What about a Moroccan tagine that reminds you of home? Or is the best food in the world the kind of food you share with the people you love? Warm and funny, with bright, whimsical illustrations by Gianna Ruggiero, Every Night Is Pizza Night is a story about open-mindedness, community, and family. With a bonus pizza recipe for young readers to cook with their parents, Every Night Is Pizza Night will make even the pickiest eaters hungry for something new.

Best-Selling vegetarian cookbook destined to become a classic. Everyone knows they should eat more vegetables and grains, but that prospect can be intimidating with recipes that are often too complicated for everyday meals or lacking in fresh appeal or flavor. For the first time ever, the test kitchen has devoted its considerable resources to creating a vegetarian cookbook for the way we want to eat today. The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook is a wide-ranging collection of boldly flavorful vegetarian recipes covering hearty vegetable mains, rice and grains, beans and soy as well as soups, appetizers, snacks, and salads. More than 300 recipes are fast (start to finish in 45 minutes or less), 500 are gluten-free, and 250 are vegan and are all highlighted with icons on the pages. The book contains stunning color photography throughout that shows the appeal of these veggie-packed dishes. In addition, almost 500 color photos illustrate vegetable prep and tricky techniques as well as key steps within recipes.

A guide to the handy kitchen appliance, plus a range of recipes, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning movie critic. In The Pot and How to Use It, Roger Ebert—Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic, admitted “competent cook,” and long-time electric rice cooker enthusiast—gives readers a charming, practical guide to this handy and often-overlooked kitchen appliance. While The Pot and How to Use It contains numerous and surprisingly varied recipes for electric rice cookers, it is much more than a cookbook. Originating from a blog entry on Roger’s popular Web site, the book also includes readers’ comments and recipes alongside Roger’s own discerning insights and observations on why and how we cook. With an introduction by vegetarian cookbook author Anna Thomas and expert assistance from recipe consultant and nutritionist Yvonne Nienstadt, The Pot and How to Use It is perfect for fans of Roger’s superb writing, as well as anyone looking to incorporate the convenience and versatility of electric rice cookers into his or her kitchen repertoire.

Every question you’ve ever had about everyday cooking and the science behind it — answered. How do I cook the perfect steak? How does citrus juice cook raw fish? Why does garlic make your breath smell? This fascinating science-based cookbook sheds light on questions that have puzzled generations of cooks! Discover a recipe book like no other from TV personality, food scientist and bestselling author Dr. Stuart Farrimond. Inside, you’ll discover: • Dynamic, full-color visuals make complex scientific concepts compelling and easy to understand. • Engaging question-and-answer format makes the science relevant to everyday cooking. • User-friendly book structure, with scientific concepts organized by food group and ingredient. • Step-by-step techniques — which demonstrate and underpin key concepts — add core, practical cooking instruction. Discover the techniques behind cooking A good recipe goes a long way, but if you can master the science behind it, you’ll be one step ahead. The Science of Cooking shows you how by bringing food science out of the lab and into your kitchen. It gives you all the scientific information you need to take your home cooking to a whole new, more nutritious level! From making great risotto and soft ice cream to the process of steaming, this gastronomic cookbook includes step-by-step techniques to help you perfect your cooking. 3D graphics and engaging text make scientific concepts easy to grasp, and infographics bring culinary facts and stats to life. It is the ultimate gift for any self-respecting foodie or cook! Hungry for more? Don’t stop with The Science of Cooking - there are more books to discover! This series from DK is designed to help you perfect your cooking with practical instruction and understand what’s going on behind the scenes as you cook! Explore the science behind the art of making incredible spice blends to help you release the flavor in your dishes with The Science of Spice.

From the James Beard Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling author. “Through the recipes for 10 classic meals, he covers how to cook almost anything.” —Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa From Scratch looks at ten favorite meals, including roast chicken, the perfect omelet, and paella—and then, through 175 recipes, explores myriad alternate pathways that the kitchen invites. A delicious lasagna can be ready in about an hour, or you could turn it into a project: try making and adding some homemade sausage. Explore the limits of from-scratch cooking: make your own pasta, grow your own tomatoes, and make your own homemade mozzarella and ricotta. Ruhlman tells you how. There are easy and more complex versions for most dishes, vegetarian options, side dishes, sub-dishes, and strategies for leftovers. Ruhlman reflects on the ways that cooking from scratch brings people together, how it can calm the nerves and focus the mind, and how it nourishes us, body and soul. “Like a master chef clarifying a murky stock into a crystal-clear consommé, Ruhlman detangles the complex web of technique, myth, and folklore that is cooking . . . The lessons are set up in such a way that you can decide exactly how deep a dive you want to take, though with a guide like Ruhlman at your side, that’s most likely a mouth-first leap straight into the deep end.” —J. Kenji López-Alt, New York Times-bestselling-author of The Wok “He’s like a good friend joining you in the kitchen, and this book will certainly become the home cook’s trusted companion.” —Thomas Keller, chef/proprietor, The French Laundry

In this global collaboration of essays, chefs and scientists test various hypotheses and theories concerning? the physical and chemical properties of food. Using traditional and cutting-edge tools, ingredients, and techniques, these pioneers create--and sometimes revamp--dishes that respond to specific desires, serving up an original encounter with gastronomic practice. From grilled cheese sandwiches, pizzas, and soft-boiled eggs to Turkish ice cream, sugar glasses, and jellified beads, the essays in The Kitchen as Laboratory cover a range of culinary creations and their history and culture. They consider the significance of an eater's background and dining atmosphere and the importance of a chef's methods, as well as strategies used to create a great diversity of foods and dishes. Contributors end each essay with their personal thoughts on food, cooking, and science, thus offering rare insight into a professional's passion for experimenting with food.