The Science of Cooking : Every Question Answered to Perfect your Cooking (Hardcover)

1: Foreword 2: Taste and flavour 1: Why do we cook? 2: How do we taste? 3: Why does cooked food taste so good? 4: Why do some flavours go together so well? 3: Kitchen essentials 1: An essential guide to knives 2: An essential guide to pots and pans 3: An essential guide to utensils 4: Meat and poultry 1: In focus: meat 2: How can I tell if meat is good quality? 3: Should I avoid buying meat that has gone brown? 4: Why do different meats look and taste so different? 5: Is it better to choose organic meat? 6: Are purebred and heritage cattle breeds tastier? 7: Do larger chickens lack flavour? 8: How can an animal's feed affect the taste and texture of its meat? 9: Is fillet steak from the tenderloin really the best cut of beef? 10: Why is it so expensive to buy Wagyu beef? 11: What is the difference between organic, free-range, and indoor chickens? 12: How can I tell if meat has been injected with water? 13: If I freeze meat, will it destroy the taste and texture? 14: Do I really need to pound meat? 15: The process of barbecuing 16: What are the benefits of marinating meat? 17: Should I season meat with salt well in advance or just before cooking? 18: How do I smoke meat at home? 19: Is it possible to age meat at home? 20: Should I trim all the fat off meat? 21: Does it matter if you cut meat across the grain or along it? 22: What is the secret to perfectly crispy pork crackling? 23: Should I cook meat from room temperature? 24: Does searing a steak really "seal in" juices? 25: How do I cook the perfect steak? 26: The process of slow cooking 27: How can I stop chicken or turkey from drying out? 28: What does basting do? 29: How can I tell when meat is done? 30: Why do I need to rest meat after cooking? 31: What can I do with overcooked meat? 32: What's the secret of a tasty sauce? 33: Is it worth all the effort to make my own stock? 34: Why is it safe to eat rare beef, but not chicken or pork? 35: Why do so many foods taste like chicken? 5: Fish and seafood 1: In focus: fish 2: How do I know if fish is fresh? 3: Why is fish called "brain" food? 4: Why does salmon come in varying shades of orange? 5: Is farmed fish as good as wild? 6: Is it better to buy prawns with their heads on? 7: Is it better to buy prawns raw or pre-cooked, fresh or frozen? 8: Why do we eat oysters raw? 9: When is the best season for oysters? 10: The process of pan-frying 11: How can I preserve fish at home? 12: What happens when you salt bake fish? 13: Is it better to buy fresh or frozen fish? 14: Can I cook fish from frozen? 15: Should I bake fish in a parcel or uncovered? 16: How can I keep fish moist with different cooking methods? 17: Can fish go soggy if poached slowly? 18: The process of sous-vide 19: How do I cook fish to have crispy golden skin? 20: Why don't you need to rest fish? 21: Can I eat sashimi safely? 22: How does citrus juice "cook" raw fish? 23: Why do shellfish change colour when cooked? 24: What are the rules when cooking mussels? 6: Eggs and dairy 1: In focus: eggs 2: Should I limit how many eggs I eat? 3: Are there more nutrients in free-range eggs? 4: Is it safe to eat raw eggs? 5: Where is the best place to store my eggs? 6: Why do rotten eggs smell bad? 7: How can I tell if an egg is fresh? 8: Is it true that only fresh eggs poach well? 9: How can I cook soft-boiled eggs with runny yolks? 10: What's the best method to peel hard-boiled eggs? 11: How do I make the perfect scrambled eggs? 12: What is the secret of creamy, smooth custard? 13: Does it matter if yolk gets in my whipped egg whites? 14: How can I prevent split mayonnaise? 15: In focus: milk 16: Why do we pasteurize milk? 17: Can I cook successfully with low-fat dairy products? 18: Which type of cream should I use? 19: How can I heat milk without a skin forming? 20: Can I make ice cream at home without an ice-cream maker? 21: Do ice-cream makers make creamier ice cream than whis