Modernist Cuisine at Home by Nathan Myhrvold

Modernist Cuisine at Home Reviews

• 
  Psychophant

  This is a book that has many layers. On the basic level it is a series of recipes, using modern techniques. On another, it is a work of art, how the images, the food and even the tools are presented. Finally, it is an excellently designed book, both in set up and with the excellent separate recipe book for use in the kitchen.
  
  I did get the book more as a research tool than from the idea of actually recreating the recipes within. I was more interested in how restaurants made some of the recipes I enjoy, and how the new equipment change cooking. But I was surprised in how easy some of the techniques are. And there are many inspirational ideas, or maybe it is the beautiful images. A pleasure for all senses.
• 
  Katy

  Cook all of your food in plastic bags submerged in hot water!!!! You can even do it in a cooler tailgate style or if you want to impress everyone at a picnic. Or freak them out, because is food cooked in hot water in a cooler even safe to eat?!? Apparently the answer is yes. This is waaaaay towards the end of the "textbook masquerading as a cookbook" end of the cookbook spectrum, but it's still entertaining if just for the pictures alone.
• 
  Niya

  It takes a very well equip, special sort of home to make modernist cuisine possible. For some, these recipes are absolutely possible, and for others, this is a beautiful series of thought exercises that develop and deepen the understanding of food science and how flavours can be deepened, enriched and generally made more engaging. It's well worth a read, even if it only results in more delicious dreams.
  NOTE: Some things are quite possible without a whole bunch of fancy tools - especially the breads.
• 
  Dayna

  This is a truly remarkable book. Check it out if you love food, or photography, or the science of how things work. Especially seek it out if you love all three of those. I will be sad to take this tome back to the library. Not sure I will own it anytime soon at over $100 - so luck y my library had a copy. It is truly a master work. BEAUTIFUL!! I have tried one or two of the ideas found on these pages and could certainly come back to this over and over for unique ideas and inspiration.
  
  
• 
  Vladimir Semenov

  Gorgeous photos, a lot of scientific info, and a breeze to read. Makes me want to read the full modernist cuisine so much more!
• 
  Minneapolani

  I will grant that this book has some novel, interesting ideas in it. However, this is not a home cookbooks. I'm a professional chef and I don't have half the shit they call for in this book. That being said, there are some recipes in here that home cooks can make- I would recommend the Modernist sandwich bread. A better, more accessible to molecular gastronomy at home can be found in Richard Blais' Try This at Home.
• 
  Katie Meyer-Robinson

  Such a cool book! Full of interesting information and beautiful pictures. My biggest issue with this book, though, is that since it's modern cuisine the cooking techniques are a bit too far out there for me. For instance, almost all of the recipes use sous vide but it's very unlikely that I would ever actually use that. Still interesting and cool!! Would recommend to people that enjoy modern cooking.
• 
  Darren

  Art meet food. Food meet art. From the first page through to the last of Modernist Cuisine at Home (MCAH) you can be forgiven for losing focus at the underlying, interesting text due to the wonderful, vivid and often totally unexpected photographs.
  How can an egg or a beaker of liquid be so interesting? With this book anything can and will surely be possible.
  This book has its roots in the highly-acclaimed, multi-volume Modernist Cuisine (MC) reference work (2438 pages, 3200+ images) that fell with a thump to the tables of serious gastronomes and chefs last year with a price tag that placed it out of reach of many enthusiastic amateurs. Yet don’t view this as a cut-down inferior version of the original. It is a new work in its own right and it can and will sit alongside its bigger brother without an inferiority complex. Both serve different needs and serve them well. MCAH is aimed at the home cook, with recipes covering all skill levels and a lot of good, basic explanatory text to go along with the magic sauce, but it is clear many professionals will also sneak a copy into their library. Sometimes a slightly simpler book is more accessible.
  With both books all bases are covered!
  The enthusiastic home cook will have enough on their metaphorical plate with MCAH for a long time. This book may be an investment but it is unlikely to be like some recipe books that sadly just sit on the shelf, unopened after an initial burst of interest. If you ‘get’ the idea behind MCAH and share in its enthusiasm for cooking it will be a well-consulted companion. The additional 228-page MCAH Kitchen Manual reproduces each recipe from MCAH in a spiral-bound, waterproof volume so you don’t need to risk dirtying up your reference book by taking it to the kitchen.
  This is not a “how-to, cooking 101″ or a typical recipe book, but a more inspirational, mind-opening work for those who love being in the kitchen. Yet you do get a lot of good, concise primers on the really-essential, fundamental elements that cooking is based upon. Don’t be confused, once you see the book and understand how it is put together any uncertainties are soon blown away.
  Martha Stewart, for example, believes that MCAH is destined to change the way we cook and the way we use recipes. That, we humbly agree with. It is true that the enthusiastic amateur cook can get caught up with all the whizz-bang tools and bits and pieces they may see professional chefs use, with a price often to match, yet MCAH works to show that you can work miracles with relatively-inexpensive everyday tools. You don’t need a USD5,000 or more oven for everyday cooking, one one-tenth of the price or less will still do the same job for your family meal. There are good differences to justify often the price tag (design notwithstanding) but do you really need them? At this stage? Many home gastronomes are acquiring things like vacuum sealers and sous vide cookers – and there is nothing wrong with that per se if they will be used a lot – but MCAH shows how to improvise with existing equipment. This way you may save a fair bit of money and determine if you really, really do need that extra bit of shiny kit or will it be something you later regret?
  In due course the reader can get up off the school bench and start putting some of their new-found knowledge to the test. MCAH has over 400 recipes and variations and again the authors have been careful to make them achievable for the home cook, whilst utilising many techniques found within MCAH to great effect. Staples like cheeseburgers and soup, pizza and paella and a plethora of meats get the MCAH treatment. Building blocks for various sauces, oils and condiments are also provided to let you sprinkle some MCAH magic over virtually every meal you produce in the future.
  This is a book that just keeps on giving. It is probably unlikely that you will read it from cover to cover in one sitting, but over time the same effect will surely have been reached. MCAH manages to make cooking look interesting, inviting, intriguing and, err, incredibly fun. It need not just be a chore to provide energy for you and your family. Many cook books seek to teach you some of the basics but they invariably fail somewhere, whether it is the assumption of knowledge, the hype and ‘character’ of the author (or star if ghost-written) or the photography. MCAH seems to manage to cast a spell that draws you in.
  This book can sound expensive compared to a regular cook book. Let’s be honest, it is expensive. MCAH is not comparable to a leather handbag, one available from the market for USD25 and a very similar looking, similar-to-the-touch (and possibly made in the same factory) version with the ‘right’ name or logo on it for 100x the price. You cannot compare MCAH to other books and be truly fair. Even comparing it to its larger sibling is not really the right thing to do. For many this will be a real investment but if you can spare the money – even at the expense of buying other books for a while – you should seriously give MCAH some consideration. If you still are in doubt go and check out a physical copy when launched and in bookstores. If you are then still in doubt leave your credit card at home so you have to make a second journey when you buy the book!
  Many books, if they deign to teach the reader some technique that might be unfamiliar, tend to assume much or gloss over the real education. MCAH manages to be like a top-flight teacher, even explaining simple things like ‘sweating’ vegetables. Yet in less than a couple dozen words you really understand what they mean and what you should do. Other books could learn from this clear, no-nonsense approach. The home cook who has had no ‘proper cooking’ education need not feel inferior longer – just consult MCAH! Whether it is knowledge of a certain culinary term or cooking step, buyer’s guide-type knowledge for a piece of kitchenware or just how something works (with great pictures) you are getting it in MCAH. The book is a marvel of design insofar as they have managed to CRAM (no excuse for capitals) a lot of information in relatively few pages, yet the content is not squashed up like old tomatoes in a bag. Brilliant content, excellent design. You just want to look at, hold and read this book.
  One nice feature is that reference is frequently made, as a further more-detailed reading suggestion, to Modernist Cuisine. The average reader will probably never need to do this, but the more enthusiastic amateur or professional has this ability if they so desire. If you are fortunate to own MC you need not feel that your once-loved tomes are out of favour when you consider MCAH. Both serve different roles, perfectly. There are a couple of pages of further reading suggestions too (although for some reason one thought this would be larger!). At the end of the book there is a great glossary of cooking terms that succinctly explain many common things, a series of reference tables for conversion purposes, a (U.S.-dominated) buyer’s guide for various equipment, lots of pictures of contributors and a Gold Standard index.
  This reviewer had pre-ordered his copy of MCAH sight-unseen even before being given access to a pre-publication version. Needless to say the order remains firmly in place, but publication in October seems oh, so far away! Even after a relative cursory glance (ask this reviewer again after five years of MCAH use) one can already regret a few purchase decisions and a little reorganisation to the home kitchen is in the “dream” phase.
  It is hoped that consideration is also given for an electronic version of MCAH so that it can also be viewed on portable devices such as iPads. With an iPad stand in the kitchen, you can also then refer to it as you go along. This is, however, a book where the electronic version cannot replace the printed form, if not due to the sheer visual look and feel… yet it can be a good complement. There is the extra printed manual, but then you can’t consult MCAH when commuting, or in the smallest room!
  One can assume (or hope?) that the MCAH team is not sitting on its laurels after this great work and its larger counterpart. Yet in all that is holy, what can they do next? As a final afterthought, many people purchase art and photography books just for the images and some of these have a fairly hefty price tag in their own right. Even if you never plan to cook a thing or read a single word (and that would be a shame) then the photography alone in MCAH could be a book in its own right…
  
  
  
  Modernist Cuisine At Home, written by Nathan Myhrvold & Maxime Bilet and published by The Cooking Lab. ISBN 9780982761014, 456 & 228 (companion book) pages. Typical price: GBP100. YYYYY.
  
  
  
  // This review appeared in YUM.fi and is reproduced here in full with permission of YUM.fi. YUM.fi celebrates the worldwide diversity of food and drink, as presented through the humble book. Whether you call it a cookery book, cook book, recipe book or something else (in the language of your choice) YUM will provide you with news and reviews of the latest books on the marketplace. //
• 
  Andréa

  Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
• 
  Anna Abgarowicz

  This and a kitchen is all you need.
• 
  Teresa

  To be honest, I'm not sure how to review this cookbook. On the one hand, it is definitely dealing with food, how to cook it, and offers recipes. On the other hand, it is dense, word heavy and makes me feel like I'm reading a textbook with particularly good pictures and is, at first glance, kind of terrifying. In my tiny kitchen where I struggle with where to store my immersion blender, I am not able to really try most of these recipes out though I did improve my pan gravy using their techniques (for instance). I found interesting how they begin by explaining exactly how things like whipping siphons work-things I've never really considered but now really know. Some of the tips are very surprising (like getting your grill quickly hot enough to sear by using a hair dryer...genius!) and the authors' love and zeal for understanding the nitty gritty of why these techniques forming gels works shine through. The recipes are written for super ease in use-everything is laid out in a set way so at the top you get all the details like storage, difficulty, equipment/stranger ingredients (like "chicken feet"), then the typical recipe header with some talking about the recipe, then the recipes themselves split into blocks (so the ingredients are linked with the exact steps they're used in), with specific steps clearly marked and linked to photos below. Oh, and of course there are loads of variations offered in condensed form. This is a great cookbook but it's a little overwhelming even when they are just explaining how to brown butter (though less overwhelming than the first Modernist Cuisine!). Not for a casual cook but great for beginners!
  And as a note, this is NOT simply a condensed version of the encyclopedia of modernist cuisine but rather a stand-alone focused cookbook aimed for the home.
• 
  Peter

  I'm marking this book as read even though I just finished the essentials. This isn't a book to read from cover to cover but instead to experience over years of experimentation and creativity.
  
  At its most basic Modernist Cuisine at Home is a guide to how to achieve reproducible results in the kitchen. It introduces measuring techniques and procedures that aid in precision. Being the "at Home" version, it concentrates on methods that can be achieved without spending oodles of cash but be warned - the "absolute essentials" will likely still be beyond the normal setup you already have.
  
  The book doesn't stop with just introducing new methods to achieve or improve existing recipes though. It encourages experimentation and suggests many ways to create entirely new experiences, made possible by new tools and materials. Myhrvold manages superbly to convey the spirit of curiosity and exploration that lead to the creation of this book, and his application of the scientific method to cooking. Through investigation and improved understanding of cooking processes the cook is liberated to focus on the creation of new dishes. The gorgeous graphics and signature cutaway pictures of equipment underline this approach by highlighting that investigation can itself be made into an art.
  
  I feel inspired to try out new things, already looking at long-loved, tricky recipes with new eyes and excited for the things to come.
• 
  Rob Durante

  Great overview of techniques using modern equipment. The recipes are well testing and easily reproduced. It is a bit challenging to integrate these methods into you regular recipes and will take some time to learn how to blend your knowledge and skills of used in standard cooking techniques with these. In my opinion it is worth the challenge. It will change the way you make your daily/weekly meals.
  
  The sous vide gives you some flexibility in the Kitchen to make your protein ahead without loss of flavor or overcooking it. Pressure cooking is a great add and has given me time to make my own stocks again, and fresh beans cook very quickly. Healthier cooking and more flavorful meals are more possible.
  
  I would not say I finished reading the book yet. Great cookbooks are always within reach. This is one I will refer to over and over again.
  
  I would recommend reading Keller's Under Pressure for more depth on sous vide.
• 
  Critterbee❇

  This appears to be the scaled down home version of Modernist Cuisine, a 2000+ page exhaustively encyclopedic set of books exploring modernist cuisine in depth. Whether it was meant to be or not, I am unsure. I do know that it seems to be written with people of varying kitchen skill levels in mind. The everyday home cook could pick this book up and start cooking straight away, and those with more experience in the kitchen can find more challenging recipes and processes.
  
  This would be the version that those who were not culinary students should buy and keep at home to reference. The photographs are very striking, the book is laid out very methodically, and boy, is there a lot of information packed in there!
  
  Techniques, equipment, ingredients, and theory are all wrapped up in an effective and enduring way. Recipes are clear and precise. Very well done.
  
  **eARC netgalley**
• 
  Yutai Liao

  A really fun book to have. It is Harold McGee meets gorgeous photography, meets geeky instructional cooking. I have been studiously applying it's prescriptions, some to acclaim, and often to disaster. But I don't really think the point of the book is to provide directions to dishes, but to open up new ways of looking at and approaching your kitchen and your ingredients; Something this the book accomplishes marvelously. The previously daunting full volumes of the Modernest Cuisine collection becomes not only approachable, but necessary, to feed the curiosity that this simple introduction inspires and demands.
• 
  Kristine

  Modernist Cuisine at Home is a free NetGalley ebook that I read before bedtime in mid-November with a semi-full stomach of a microwaved frozen dinner. Silly, silly me.
  
  This book is perfection and mesmerizing in its possibilities. I scrambled mentally to adapt what recipes I could for the limitations of my super slim galley kitchen and am a little cheerful to admit that I could produce some, but not all of them (i.e. not having a sous-vide machine, a juicer, etc.). Also, the gram weight measurements and its procedural instructions takes some time to get used to; usually over the course (no pun intended) of a chapter.
• 
  Jon Awerman

  Incredible resource, but insanely overpriced. There's a lecture he gave at Harvard where he describes all the bells and whistles in terms of special paper and printing process that at the end of the day really do nothing for me or enhance the effectiveness of the book as a tool towards cooking better food. It would be nice if you could purchase the picture-less recipe book it comes with separately. Despite my gripes with its price tag, the contents of the book are truly incredible.
• 
  Leyla Johnson

  This is such a fabulous book, the photography is excellent and information in it is enormous. It is like a attending a cooking school at home. It starts with explaining the modern equipment and follows with details on just so much - cuts of meat how to cook, recipes and just goes on from there. I really loved the spice section. It truly take traditional cuisine and brings it into the 21st century. I think this book can teach the novice and experienced a great deal.
• 
  Mel

  I had a really hard time enjoying this cookbook. I found that it was really far too advanced for me. I love cooking and I love trying new things but I found that this book was just over my head. I think it would be great for someone who has a lot of kitchen equipment or works in the food industry. But otherwise this book is just too advanced for an everyday home cook. Although I think this book is great for a more advanced cook, it just wasn't for me.
• 
  Tony Tran

  One of the greatest home cooking reference books ever produced. Teaches how to achieve consistent results through sound techniques. Stunning pictures. Delicious recipes. Comes with a handy waterproof quick reference guide which includes all the recipes and is intended to stay in your kitchen. A must for any serious home cook.
• 
  Avis Black

  This is what happens when a left-brained guy decides to write a cookbook. He's obviously put a lot of work into it, but it's still kind of unimpressive, mainly because most of his recipes are are ordinary dishes like hamburgers and macaroni and cheese. He just does them in a different way. If he had more gourmet tastes this would have been a better cookbook.
• 
  mikko

  Modernist Cuisine recycled and republished for no particularly good reason. Even if you get past the expensive pointlessness of this book - what little new content there is (and that is very little) is plain worse than what was in the bigger and better Modernist Cuisine.
• 
  Elliot

  This is an absolutely amazing and transformative cookbook, as long as you are willing to invest time and significant effort into your cooking, as well as possibly buying some new equipment or unusual ingredients.
• 
  Danielle

  The pictures were really interesting and the author put a lot of work into it (this huge book is a tiny summary compared to the full Modernist Cuisine set) and I like that it's so scientific in focus but I'm not enough of a foodie to have thoroughly enjoyed its depth of information.