"With passion and enthusiasm, Russ Parsons explains the science behind kitchen common sense, then illustrates it with recipes. His book makes me feel smarter and more in control. As if that's not enough, the recipes are some of the most appealing ever." - Deborah Madison
"Russ Parson's new book is fascinating to read and totally useful in the kitchen. Food lovers like me are always hungry for an understanding of what is happening inside our saucepans, our pot roasts, and our peach pies. Parsons's scientific explanations are very satisfying and his recipes look mouthwatering. He writes with the clarity of a good journalist, the skepticism of an accomplished editor (which, as editor in chief of the L.A. Times Food Section, he surely is), and the energy of a passionate home cook, who knows just what the rest of us need to know." - Jeffrey Steingarten
" If you want to know why onions make you cry, are terrified by hollandaise or curious to find out why good cooks add old oil to new, this is the book for you.
The recipes not only tell you the what, but also the why. I learned a lot." - Ruth Reichl, editor in chief Gourmet magazine Gourmet -
