eats.com reviews Herve This's Building a Meal

Building a Meal, Herve ThisThe Web site eats.com recently reviewed and praised Building a Meal: From Molecular Gastronomy to Culinary Constructivism, by Herve This.

In addition to commenting on This’s wonderful writing and his ability to make science accessible, the review also highlights his attitude toward classic culinary techniques:

“This does not seek to raze the school of culinary classicism; rather, he believes in its betterment. ‘We must listen skeptically to the claims of…how good life was in the old days,’ he writes, ‘even if…we harbor a nostalgia for a past that never really existed.’ To hold fast to the tenets of classicism because they are classic does not hold water with This. He encourages respect for past technique but also promotes healthy criticism of what was once deemed the apex of culinary achievement. Indeed, extensive work is already being done throughout the world in answer to This’ call. His own excitement is palpable as his authorial style transcends the world of molecular science, touching upon each branch of the arts with wonderful simplicity and coherence.”

For more on the book, you can watch a video of This in his lab, read an excerpt on the scientific principles behind a simple consommé, or read Herve This’s blog.

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