I received "The New Kitchen Science" after demonstrating my lack of cooking prowess to a house guest. The book is not a cookbook but rather a collection of questions and answers about cooking materials and processes. The responses are backed up by physics and chemistry but nothing too technical. Some example questions are: Why do many serious home bakers prefer hard and soft flours over all-purpose flour? How does pectin set a jelly? How does marinating tenderize meat?

In the chapter on eggs, the author describes how eggs have a small air chamber at the big end. Eggs that crack when boiled rupture due to the expansion of this air. He suggests pricking the bottom of the shell with a pushpin. I have had mixed success with this method (you can stick it in too far and have an egg leaking during the boil). Are you still wondering if there is air at the "bottom" of an egg? Visualize a hard-boiled egg and recall that the surface isn't perfectly smooth, there's often something funny on one end. That indentation or edge is the mirror image of the air pocket.

I almost wish this book was electronic and hence searchable. No one will remember all the useful tips. While the book is arranged by topic and there is an index, the material practically calls for a concordance. The New Kitchen Science is worth reading if you want to understand what is really happening on your stove top.