The six volume set called “Modernist Cuisine” by Nathan Myhrvold was recently released. The books with over 2,000 pages claims to be destined to reinvent cooking. That is a pretty heady claim. But some of the comments by those who have seen it seem to back this claim up.
“This book will change the way we understand the kitchen.” “The cookbook to end all cookbooks.” With praise like that you would think everyone will run out and get one. Unfortunately the price tag for this 40 pound tome is $461! Hmmm, is Christmas coming soon?
The six volumes are: History and Fundamentals; Techniques and Equipment; Animals and Plants; Ingredients and Preparations; Plated-Dish Recipes; and Kitchen Manual. And as you would expect the photos in the volumes are pretty amazing. The book is printed on art paper to give it a beautiful look. There is even a video about the printing of the cookbooks.
The recipes can pretty much be made in a conventional home kitchen and many of the recipes are traditional, but it does include recipes for foods that push the current culinary boundaries. Including sections on foams, gels and emulsions. This seems like an obvious choice for someone going to culinary school.
Some of the more interesting photos and diagrams include a wok and a grill cross section. It shows the heat and the food being cooked and talks about how the food cooks and what is happening to the food. This stuff will improve your cooking and your understanding of what is happening in the cooking process and it is very scientific as well.