Mammals And Milk

• The Evolution of Milk
• The Rise of the Ruminants
• Dairy Animals of the World
• The Origins of Dairying
• Diverse Traditions

Milk And Health

• Milk Nutrients
• Milk In Infancy and Childhood: Nutrition and Allergies
• Milk After Infancy: Dealing With Lactose
• New Questions About Milk

Milk Biology And Chemistry

• How the Cow Makes Milk
• Milk Sugar: Lactose
• Milk Fat
• Milk Proteins: Coagulation by Acid and Enzymes
• Milk Flavor

Unfermented Dairy Products

• Milks
• Cream
• Butter And Margarine
• Ice Cream

Fresh Fermented Milks & Creams

• Lactic Acid Bacteria
• Families of Fresh Fermented Milks
• Yogurt
• Soured Creams and Buttermilk, Including Crème fraîche
• Cooking With Fermented Milks

Cheese

• The Evolution of Cheese
• The Ingredients Of Cheese
• Making Cheese
• The Sources of Cheese Diversity
• Choosing, Storing, and Serving Cheese
• Cooking With Cheese
• Process and Low-fat Cheeses
• Cheese and Health

The Chicken and the Egg

• The Evolution of the Egg
• The Chicken, From Jungle to Barnyard
• The Industrial Egg

Egg Biology and Chemistry

• How the Hen Makes an Egg
• The Yolk
• The White
• The Nutritional Value of Eggs

Egg Quality, Handling, and Safety

• Egg Grades
• Deterioration in Egg Quality
• Handling and Storing Eggs
• Egg Safety: The Salmonella Problem

The Chemistry of Egg Cooking:
 How Eggs Get Hard and Custards Thicken

• Protein Coagulation
• The Chemistry of Egg Flavor
• Basic Egg Dishes
• "Boiled" Eggs
• Eggs in Containers: Baked, Shirred, En Cocotte
• Poached Eggs
• Fried Eggs
• Scrambled Eggs
• Omelets

Egg-Liquid Mixtures: Custards and Creams

• Definitions
• Dilution Demands Delicacy
• Custard Theory and Practice
• Savory Custards: The Quiche
• Crème caramel and Crème brulée
• Cheesecake
• Cream Theory and Practice
• Crème anglaise and Other Pourable Creams
• Pastry Cream, Bouillie, and Cream-Pie Fillings
• Fruit Curds

Egg Foams: Cooking With the Wrist

• How the Egg Proteins Stabilize Foams
• How Proteins Destabilize Foams
• Blocking Sulfur Bonds
• The Enemies of Egg Foams
• The Effects of Other Ingredients
• Basic Egg-beating Techniques
• Meringues: Sweet Foams on Their Own
• Cold Mousses and Souffles: Reinforcement From Fat and Gelatin
• Soufflés: A Breath of Hot Air
• Yolk Foams: Zabaglione and Sabayons

Pickled and Preserved Eggs

• Pickled Eggs
• Chinese Preserved Eggs

Eating Animals

• The Essence of the Animal: Mobility From Muscle
• Humans as Meat Eaters
• Why Do People Love Meat?

Meat And Health

• Meat’s Ancient and Immediate Nutritional Advantages . . .
• And Modern, Long-Term Disadvantages
• Meat and Foodborne Infections
• “Mad Cow Disease”

Controversies In Modern Meat Production

• Hormones
• Antibiotics
• Humane Meat Production

The Structure And Qualities Of Meat

• Muscle Tissues and Meat Texture
• Muscle Fiber Types: Meat Color
• Muscle Fibers, Tissues, and Meat Flavor
• Production Methods and Meat Quality

Meat Animals And Their Characteristics

• Domestic Meat Animals
• Domestic Meat Birds
• Game Animals and Birds

The Transformation Of Muscle Into Meat

• Slaughter
• Rigor Mortis
• Aging
• Cutting and Packaging

Meat Spoilage and Storage

• Meat Spoilage
• Refrigeration
• Irradiation

Cooking Fresh Meat: The Principles

• Heat and Meat Flavor
• Heat and Meat Color
• Heat and Meat Texture
• The Challenge of Cooking Meat: The Right Texture
• Meat Doneness and Safety

Cooking Fresh Meat: The Methods

• Modifying Texture Before and After Cooking
• Flames, Glowing Coals and Coils
• Hot Air and Walls: Oven “Roasting”
• Hot Metal: Frying, or Sauteing
• Hot Oil: Shallow and Deep Frying
• Hot Water: Braising, Stewing, Poaching, Simmering
• Water Vapor: Steaming
• Microwave Cooking
• After The Cooking: Resting, Carving, and Serving
• Leftovers

Offal, Or Variety Meats

• Liver
• Foie Gras
• Skin, Cartilage, and Bones
• Fat

Meat Mixtures

• Sausages
• Pâtés and Terrines

Preserved Meats

• Dehydration: Jerky
• Salting: Hams, Bacon, Corned Beef, Sausages
• Smoking
• Fermenting: Sausages
• Sealing Under Fat: Confits
• Canning

Fisheries and Aquaculture

• Advantages and Drawbacks of Aquaculture

Seafood And Health

• Health Benefits .
• Health Hazards

Life in Water and The Special Nature of Fish

• The Paleness and Tenderness of Fish Flesh
• The Flavor of Fish and Shellfish
• The Healthfulness of Fish Oils
• The Perishability of Fish and Shellfish
• The Sensitivity and Fragility of Fish in the Pan
• The Unpredictability of Fish Quality

The Anatomy And Qualities Of Fish

• Fish Anatomy
• Fish Flavor
• Fish Color

The Fish We Eat

• The Herring Family: Anchovy, Sardine, Sprat, Shad
• Carp and Catfish
• Salmons, Trouts, and Relatives
• The Cod Family
• Nile Perch and Tilapia
• Basses
• Icefish
• Tunas and Mackerel
• Swordfish
• Flatfish: Soles, Turbot, Halibuts, Flounders

From the Waters to the Kitchen

• The Harvest
• The Effects of Rigor Mortis and Time
• Recognizing Fresh Fish
• Storing Fresh Fish: Refrigeration and Freezing
• Irradiation
• Unheated Preparations of Fish and Shellfish
• Sushi and Sashimi
• Tart Ceviche and Kinilaw
• Salty Poke and Lomi
• Saltier Gravlax

Cooking Fish and Shellfish

• How Heat Transforms Raw Fish and Shellfish
• Preparations for Cooking
• Techniques for Cooking Fish and Shellfish
• Fish Mixtures

Shellfish and Their Special Qualities

• Crustaceans: Shrimps, Lobsters, Crabs and Relatives
• Molluscs: Clams, Mussels, Oysters, Scallops, Squid and Relatives
• Other Invertebrates: Sea Urchins

Preserved Fish and Shellfish

• Dried Fish
• Salted Fish
• Fermented Fish
• Smoked Fish
• Four-way Preservation: Japanese Katsuobushi
• Acidifying: Marinated Fish
• Canned Fish

Fish Eggs

• Salt Transforms Egg Flavor and Texture
• Caviar

Plants As Food

• The Nature of Plants
• Definitions
• Plant Foods Through History

Plant Foods and Health

• Essential Nutrients in Fruits and Vegetables: Vitamins
• Phytochemicals
• Fiber
• Toxins In Some Fruits and Vegetables
• Fresh Produce and Food Poisoning

The Composition and Qualities of Fruits and Vegetables

• Plant Structure: Cells, Tissues, Organs
• Texture
• Color
• Flavor

Handling and Storing Fruits and Vegetables

• Post-Harvest Deterioration
• Handling Fresh Produce
• The Storage Atmosphere
• Temperature Control: Refrigeration
• Temperature Control: Freezing

Cooking Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

• How Heat Affects the Qualities of Fruits and Vegetables
• Hot Water: Boiling, Steaming, Pressure-Cooking
• Hot Air, Oil, and Radiation: Baking, Frying, and Grilling
• Microwave Cooking
• Pulverizing and Extracting

Preserving Fruits and Vegetables

• Drying and Freeze-drying
• Fermentation: Cabbage and Cucumber Pickles, Olives
• Sugar Preserves
• Canning

Roots and Tubers

• Potatoes
• Sweet potato
• Tropical Roots and Tubers
• The Carrot Family: Carrots, Parsnips, and Others
• The Lettuce Family: Sunchoke, Salsify, Scorzonera, Burdock
• Other Common Roots and Tubers

Lower Stems and Bulbs: Beet, Turnip, Radish, Onion and Others

• Beets
• Celery Root
• The Cabbage Family: Turnip, Radish
• The Onion Family: Onions, Garlic, Leeks

Stems and Stalks: Asparagus, Celery, and Others

• Asparagus
• The Carrot Family: Celery and Fennel
• The Cabbage Family: Kohlrabi and Rutabaga
• Tropical Stems: Bamboo Shoots and Hearts of Palm
• Other Stem and Stalk Vegetables

Leaves: Lettuces, Cabbages and Others

• The Lettuce Family: Lettuces, Chicories, Dandelion Greens
• The Cabbage Family: Cabbage, Kale, Brussels Sprouts and Others
• Spinach and Chard
• Miscellaneous Leafy Greens

Flowers: Artichokes, Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Others

• Flowers as Foods
• Artichokes
• The Cabbage Family: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Romanesco

Fruits Used as Vegetables

• The Nightshade Family: Tomato, Capsicums, Eggplant and Others
• The Squash and Cucumber Family
• The Bean Family: Fresh Beans and Peas
• Other Fruits Used as Vegetables

Seaweeds

• Green, Red, and Brown Algae
• Seaweed Flavors

Mushrooms, Truffles, and Relatives

• Creatures of Symbiosis and Decay
• The Structure and Qualities of Mushrooms
• The Distinctive Flavors of Mushrooms
• Storing and Handling Mushrooms
• Cooking Mushrooms
• Truffles
• Huitlacoche, or Corn Smut
• Mycoprotein, or Quorn

The Making of Fruit: Ripening

• Before Ripening: Growth and Expansion
• The Work of Ethylene and Enzymes
• Two Styles of Ripening, Two Ways of Handling

Common Fruits of Temperate Climates: Apples and Pears, Stone Fruits, Berries

• Pome Fruits: Apples, Pears and Relatives
• Stone Fruits: Apricots, Cherries, Peaches, Plums
• Berries, Including Grapes and Kiwi Fruits
• Other Temperate Fruits

Fruits from Warm Climates: Melons, Citrus Fruits, Tropical Fruits and Others

• Melons
• Fruits from Arid Climates: Figs, Dates, and Others
• The Citrus Family: Oranges, Lemons, Grapefruits and Relatives
• Some Common Tropical Fruits

The Nature of Flavor and Flavorings

• Flavor Is Part Taste, Mostly Smell
• The Evolving World of Taste and Smell
• Flavorings Are Chemical Defenses
• Turning Weapons into Pleasures: Just Add Food

The Chemistry and Qualities of Herbs and Spices

• Most Flavorings Resemble Oils
• The Flavor of A Herb or Spice Is Several Flavors Combined
• Flavor Families: The Terpenes
• Flavor Families: The Phenolics
• Flavor Families: Pungent Chemicals
• Why Pain Can Be Pleasurable
• Herbs, Spices and Health

Handling and Storing Herbs and Spices

• Preserving Aroma Compounds
• Storing Fresh Herbs
• Drying Fresh Herbs

Cooking With Herbs and Spices

• Flavor Extraction
• Marinades and Rubs
• Herbs and Spices as Coatings
• Extracts: Flavored Oils, Vinegars, Alcohols
• Flavor Evolution
• Herbs and Spices as Thickeners

A Survey of Common Herbs

• The Mint Family
• The Carrot family
• The Laurel family
• Other Common Herbs

A Survey of Temperate-Climate Spices

• The Carrot Family
• The Cabbage Family: Mustards, Horseradish, Wasabi
• The Bean Family: Fenugreek and Licorice
• Chillis
• Other Temperate-Climate Spices

A Survey of Tropical Spices

Tea and Coffee

• Caffeine
• Tea, Coffee, and Health
• Water for Making Tea and Coffee
• Tea
• Coffee

Wood Smoke

• The Chemistry of Burning Wood
• Liquid Smoke

Seeds as Food

• Some Definitions

Seeds and Health

• Essential Nutrients and Their Deficiencies
• Valuable Phytochemicals From Seeds
• Problems Caused By Seeds
• Seeds Are Common Food Allergens
• Seeds and Food Poisoning

The Composition and Qualities of Seeds

• Parts of the Seed
• Seed Proteins: Soluble and Insoluble
• Seed Starches: Orderly and Disorderly
• Seed Oils
• Seed Flavors

Handling and Preparing Seeds

• Handling and Storing Seeds
• Sprouts
• Cooking Seeds

The Grains, or Cereals

• Grain Structure and Composition
• Milling and Refining
• Wheat
• Barley
• Rye
• Oats
• Rice
• Maize, or Corn
• Minor Cereals
• Pseudocereals

Legumes: Beans and Peas

• Legume Structure and Composition
• Legumes and Health: The Remarkable Soybean
• The Problem of Legumes and Flatulence
• Bean Flavor
• Bean Sprouts
• Cooking Legumes
• Characteristics of Some Common Legumes
• Soybeans and Their Transformations

Nuts and Other Oil-Rich Seeds

• Nut Structures and Qualities
• The Nutritional Value of Nuts
• Nut Flavor
• Handling and Storing Nuts
• Cooking Nuts
• Characteristics of Some Common Nuts
• Characteristics of Other Oil-Rich Seeds

The Evolution of Bread

• Prehistoric Times
• Greece and Rome
• The Middle Ages
• Early Modern Times
• The Decline and Revival of Traditional Breads

The Basic Structure of Doughs, Batters, and Their Products

• Gluten
• Starch
• Gas Bubbles
• Fats: Shortening

Dough and Batter Ingredients: Wheat Flours

• Kinds of Wheat
• Turning Wheat Into Flour
• Kinds of Flour
• Minor Flour Components

Dough and Batter Ingredients: Yeasts and Chemical Leavenings

• Yeasts
• Baking Powders and Other Chemical Leaveners

Breads

• The Choice of Ingredients
• Preparing the Dough: Mixing and Kneading
• Fermentation, or Rising
• Baking
• Cooling
• The Staling Process; Storing and Refreshing Bread
• Bread Flavor
• Mass-Produced Breads
• Special Kinds of Loaf Breads
• Other Breads: Flat Breads, Bagels, Steamed Breads, Quick Breads, Doughnuts

Thin Batter Foods: Crêpes, Popovers, Griddle Cakes, Cream-Puff Pastry

• Batter Foods
• Crêpes
• Popovers
• Griddle Cakes: Pancakes and Crumpets
• Griddle Cakes: Waffles and Wafers
• Cream Puff Pastry, Pâte à choux
• Frying Batters

Thick Batter Foods: Batter Breads and Cakes

• Batter Breads and Muffins
• Cakes

Pastries

• Pastry Styles
• Pastry Ingredients
• Cooking Pastries
• Crumbly Pastries: Short Pastry, Pâte brisée, Pâte sucrée, Pâte sablée
• Flaky Pastries: American Pie Pastry
• Laminated Pastries: Puff Pastry, Pâte feuilletée
• Leaf Pastries: Strudel, Phyllo
• Bread-Pastry Hybrids: Croissants, Danish Pastries
• Tender Savory Pastry: Hot-water pastry, Pâte à pâté

Cookies

• Cookie Ingredients and Textures
• Making and Keeping Cookies

Pasta, Noodles, and Dumplings

• The History of Pasta and Noodles
• Making Pasta and Noodle Doughs
• Cooking Pasta and Noodles
• Couscous, Dumplings, Spätzle, Gnocchi
• Asian Wheat Noodles and Dumplings
• Asian Starch and Rice Noodles

The History of Sauces In Europe

• Ancient Times
• The Middle Ages: Increasing Refinement and the Principle of Concentration
• Early Modern Sauces: Refined and Concentrated Meat Flavors, Emulsions
• The Classic French System: Carême and Escoffier
• Sauces in Italy: Purees and Meat Juices
• Sauces in England: Gravies and Condiments
• The Twentieth Century: Nouvelle Cuisine
• Post-Nouvelle: Diverse and Innovative Sauces

The Science of Sauces: Flavor and Consistency

• Flavor in Sauces: Taste and Smell
• Sauce Consistency
• The Influence of Consistency on Flavor

Sauces Thickened with Gelatin and Other Proteins

• The Uniqueness of Gelatin
• Extracting Gelatin and Flavor From Meats
• Meat Stocks and Sauces
• Consommé and Clarification with Egg Whites
• Commercial Meat Extracts and Sauce Bases
• Fish and Shellfish Stocks and Sauces
• Other Protein Thickeners

Solid Sauces: Gelatin Jellies and Carbohydrate Jellies

• Jelly Consistency
• Jellies From Meat and Fish: Aspics, Chaude-froides, Boeuf à la mode
• Other Jellies and Gelées
• Manufactured Gelatins
• Carbohydrate Gelling Agents: Agar, Carrageenan, Gellan

Sauces Thickened with Flour and Starch

• The Nature of Starch
• Gelation, Thickening, and Thinning
• Cooling, Further Thickening, and Congealing
• Different Starches and Their Qualities
• The Influence of Other Ingredients on Starch Sauces
• Incorporating Starch Into Sauces: Slurries, Kneaded Butter, Roux
• Starch in Classic French Sauces
• Milk-Based Sauces: Béchamel and Boiled
• Gravy

Sauces Thickened With Plant Particles: Purees

• Plant Particles Are Coarse and Inefficient Thickeners
• Refining The Texture of Purees
• Fruit and Vegetable Purees
• Seeds and Dried Plant Foods: Nuts and Spices as Thickeners
• Complex Mixtures: Indian Curries, Mexican Moles

Sauces Thickened with Droplets of Oil or Water: Emulsions

• The Nature of Emulsions
• Emulsifiers and Stabilizers
• Guidelines for Successful Emulsified Sauces
• Cream and Butter Sauces
• Eggs as Emulsifiers
• Cold Egg Sauces: Mayonnaise
• Hot Egg Sauces: Hollandaise and Béarnaise
• Vinaigrettes

Sauces Thickened with Bubbles: Foams

• Making Foams
• Stabilizing Foams
• Heat-Stabilized Foams: Sabayons

Salt

• The Virtues of Salt
• Salt Production
• Kinds of Salt
• Salt to Taste: Salt Preference
• Salt and Health

The History of Sugars and Confectionery

• Before Sugar: Honey
• Sugar: Beginnings In Asia
• Early Confectionery in Southwest Asia
• In Europe: A Spice and Medicine
• Confectionery for Pleasure
• A Pleasure for All
• Sugar In Modern Times
• The Nature of Sugars
• Kinds of Sugar
• The Complexities of Sweetness
• Crystallization
• Caramelization
• Sugars and Health
• Sugar Substitutes
• Sugars and Syrups
• Honey
• Tree Syrups and Sugars: Maple, Birch, Palm
• Table Sugar: Cane and Beet Sugars and Syrups
• Corn Syrups, Glucose and Fructose Syrups, Malt Syrup

Sugar Candies and Confectionery

• Setting the Sugar Concentration: Cooking the Syrup
• Setting the Sugar Structure: Cooling and Crystallization
• Kinds of Candies
• Chewing Gum
• Candy Storage and Spoilage

Chocolate

• The History of Chocolate
• Making Chocolate
• The Special Qualities of Chocolate
• The Kinds and Qualities of Chocolate
• Chocolate and Cocoa as Ingredients
• Tempered Chocolate For Coating and Molding
• Chocolate and Health

The Nature of Alcohol

• Yeasts and Alcoholic Fermentation
• The Qualities of Alcohol
• Alcohol as a Drug: Intoxication
• How The Body Metabolizes Alcohol
• Cooking With Alcohol
• Alcoholic Liquids and Wood Barrels

Wine

• The History of Wine
• Wine Grapes
• Making Wine
• Special Wines
• Storing and Serving Wine
• Enjoying Wine

Beer

• The Evolution of Beer
• Brewing Ingredients: Malt
• Brewing Ingredients: Hops
• Brewing Beer
• Storing and Serving Beer
• Kinds and Qualities of Beer

Asian Rice Alcohols: Chinese Chü and Japanese Sake

• Sweet Moldy Grains
• Starch-Digesting Molds
• Brewing Rice Alcohols

Distilled Spirits

• The History of Distilled Spirits
• Making Distilled Alcohols
• Serving and Enjoying Spirits
• Kinds of Spirits

Vinegar

• An Ancient Ingredient
• The Virtues of Acetic Acid
• The Acetic Fermentation
• Vinegar Production
• Common Kinds of Vinegar
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Sherry Vinegar

Browning Reactions and Flavor

• Caramelization
• The Maillard Reactions
• High Temperatures and Dry Cooking Methods
• Drawbacks of the Browning Reactions

Forms of Heat Transfer

• Conduction: Direct Contact
• Convection: Movement in Fluids
• Radiation: The Pure Energy Of Radiant Heat and Microwaves

Basic Methods of Heating Foods

• Grilling and Broiling: Infrared Radiation
• Baking: Air Convection and Radiation
• Boiling and Simmering: Water Convection
• Steaming: Vapor Condensation and Convection
• Pan-Frying and Sauteing: Conduction
• Deep Frying: Oil Convection
• Microwaving: Microwave Radiation

Utensil Materials

• The Different Behaviors of Metals and Ceramics
• Ceramics
• Aluminum
• Copper
• Iron and Steel
• Stainless Steel
• Tin

The Four Basic Food Molecules

• Water
• Water Clings Strongly to Itself
• Water is Good At Dissolving Other Substances
• Water and Heat: From Ice to Steam
• Water and Acidity: The pH Scale

Fats, Oils, and Relatives: Lipids

• Lipids Don’t Mix With Water
• The Structure of Fats
• Saturated and Unsaturated Fats, Hydrogenation, and Trans Fatty Acids
• Fats and Heat
• Emulsifiers: Phospholipids, Lecithin, Monoglycerides

Carbohydrates

• Sugars
• Oligosaccharides
• Polysaccharides: Starch, Pectins, Gums

Proteins

• Amino acids and Peptides
• Protein Structure
• Proteins in Water
• Protein Denaturation
• Enzymes

Atoms, Molecules, and Bonds

• Atoms and Molecules
• Electrical Imbalance, Reactions, and Oxidation
• Electrical Imbalance and Chemical Bonds

Energy

• Energy Causes Change
• The Nature of Heat and Temperature: Molecular Movement
• Bond Energy

The Phases of Matter

• Solids
• Liquids
• Gases
• Many Food Molecules Can’t Change Phase
• Mixtures of Phases: Solutions, Suspensions, Emulsions, Gels, Foams