Maximum Flavor

Whether you’re interested in molecular gastronomy or just want a perfect chicken recipe for dinner tonight, the authors of Ideas in Food deliver reliable techniques and dishes—no hard-to-find ingredients or break-the-bank equipment required—for real home cooks. On the cutting edge of kitchen science, Kamozawa and Talbot regularly consult for restaurants to help them solve cooking conundrums. And yet they often find it’s the simplest tips that can be the most surprising—and the ones that can help home cooks take their cooking to a new level. With this book, you’ll learn: • Why steaming potatoes in the pressure cooker before frying them makes for the crispiest French fries • Why, contrary to popular belief, you should flip your burgers often as you cook them for the best results • How a simple coating of egg white, baking soda, and salt helps create chicken wings that are moist and juicy on the inside with a thin, crackling exterior • How to cook steak consistently and perfectly every time • How to make easy egg-free ice creams that are more flavorful than their traditional custard-base cousins • How to make no-knead Danish that are even better than the ones at your local bakery • How to smoke vegetables to make flavorful vegetarian dishes • Why pâte à choux—or cream puff dough—makes foolproof, light-as-air gnocchi • How pressure cooking sunflower seeds can transform them into a creamy risotto • How to elevate everyday favorites and give them a fresh new spin with small changes—such as adding nori to a classic tomato salad Sharing expert advice on everything from making gluten-free baking mixes and homemade cheeses and buttermilk to understanding the finer points of fermentation or sous-vide cooking, Kamozawa and Talbot chronicle their quest to bring out the best in every ingredient. With a focus on recipes and techniques that can help anyone make better meals every day and 75 color photographs that show both step-by-step processes and finished dishes, Maximum Flavor will encourage you to experiment, taste, play with your food, and discover again why cooking and eating are so fascinating and fun.