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.

This book is an excellent starting point for students and should be read by all concerned with the industry, researchers, growers, traders and processors - Journal of Agricultural Science.

Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, French fries are a popular comfort food. But how does a lumpy potato become this fried favorite? Each page of this fascinating title includes leveled text that follows the potato’s path to becoming French fries. Vibrant photos illustrate the steps, while a flowchart summarizes the process, and a map highlights where potatoes are grown.

Frying is one of the oldest and most widely-used of food processes. Its popularity relates to the speed with which a food is cooked, the distinctive flavour and texture frying gives the food and its contribution to increased shelf-life. As a result the process is used for a wide range of vegetable, meat and fish products, particularly ready meals and snack foods. Edited by a leading authority in the field and with a distinguished international team of contributors, Frying provides an authoritative review of key issues in improving quality in the manufacture of fried products. Part one of the book sets the scene by looking at the differing types of fried products and their markets as well as at the regulatory context. It also includes an important discussion of the role of dietary lipids, the impact of frying on lipid intake and its influence on consumer health. Part two looks in detail at frying oils, their composition, the factors affecting frying oil quality and ways of measuring frying oil quality and authenticity. Part three looks at quality issues relating to fried products. There are chapters on two of the main types of fried product: pre-fried potato products such as French fries and the manufacture of potato crisps. Three final chapters look at effective process control of frying operations, flavour development in frying and fried foods and ways of analysing and improving the texture and colour of fried products. Frying oils are the most important common influence on fried product quality. They not only need to withstand the stresses of high temperature in frying but also maintain their quality during subsequent product storage. Frying: improving quality is a standard reference for the food industry and all those concerned with the quality of fried products. An authoritative review of the key issues in improving quality in the manufacture of fried products