Cooking for Geeks
is an expansive book, nearly 400 pages, written for digesting much like a 14
course meal, to be broken down into manageable bites with time to reflect in
between chapters. It begins with the basic tools a good cook needs, paring them
down to only the essentials and then steadily progresses to more complex topics
such as sous vide and cooking with liquid nitrogen and dry ice. He frequently cites
research done on different techniques so if you want to do more research on
your own, there is a starting point.
Most interesting are the many interviews Potter has sprinkled
within the chapters from a wide range of “geeks” who are experts in a
particular area sharing their unique take that can be related back to the
kitchen. From Adam Savage, of Mythbuster’s fame, on scientific testing, Adam
Ried from America’s Test Kitchen on equipment and recipes to Hervé This, a
French physical chemist at the Institut National de la Recherché Agronomique,
on molecular gastronomy, Potter allows each of these experts a forum to
succinctly regale the reader with their particular expertise as an accent to
the topic.
Cooking for Geeks
also includes some science experiments to illustrate the techniques and help readers
to actively participate and get excited about the concepts within. Potter also
shares his experiences with preparing some of the dishes he breaks down in the
book and there are many recipes throughout to try.
His fascination with the way things work is interesting and
infectious enough to make even non-geeks spend some time reading this book. As
a foodie and science buff, I can highly recommend his book for those of us who aren’t
satisfied only knowing the “whats” but want to delve into the “whys” of
cooking.
Note: O' Reilly Publishing provided me a free, review copy of this title as part
of their blogger review program.
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