Liz Lee Heinecke - Kitchen Science Lab for Kids: EDIBLE EDITION: 52 Mouth-Watering Recipes and the Everyday Science That Makes Them Taste Amazing

Liz Lee Heinecke author of Kitchen Science Lab for Kids EVERY TIME YOU STEP INTO YOUR KITCHEN TO COOK OR BAKE, YOU PUT SCIENCE TO WORK In fact, physics and chemistry come into play whenever you simmer, steam, bake, freeze, boil, pure, or ferment food. Knowing the basics of food science will give you the tools to be the boss of your kitchen, and whether youre baking for friends or auditioning for a cooking show, youll be ready to take on any challenge with confidence. Edible Kitchen Science Lab lays out fifty-two delicious ideas for exploring food science in your own kitchen by making everything from healthy homemade snacks to marvelous main dishes and mind-boggling desserts. The recipes are designed to mix and match so that you can pair pasta with your favorite sauce or whip up the perfect frosting for any cake. There are plenty of fun, edible decorations included to make every recipe photo-worthy. Whether you gravitate towards trendy or classic, youll find something to appeal to both your taste buds and your eyes.

Although most of the recipes in this book are based on food Im familiar with, its fun to find ways to incorporate your own tastes and traditions into everything you create. Green sauces like pesto can be turned into chimichurri by substituting different herbs, while homemade panir can be substituded for ricotta, sashaying from curry to lasagna with ease. Design your dream dessert by choosing your favorite frosting, fillings, and decorations to create something as beautiful as it is delicious. Ask your friends and family for their favorite versions of a recipe, and use your knowledge of food science to combine them into a dish that suits your taste and cooking style. The Science Behind the Food section included with each recipe will help you understand the science concepts and nutrition behind the dishes. Youll learn how acids like vinegar and lemon juice enhance flavors, how flour and eggs trap steam to make popovers pop and how crystals form in ice cream.

Before long, youll have the confidence to throw together a feast, bake and decorate show-worthy cakes, or use what youve learned to create your own recipes. Lets get cooking!

THE FIFTY-TWO LABS IN THIS BOOK WILL HAVE YOU EXPERIMENTING WITH FOOD, IN NO TIME WITH DELICIOUS RESULTS. Each lab contains instructions along with an easy-to-understand explanation of the science behind the food that introduces vocabulary and ideas you can apply to other recipes. The labs are set up to make exploring food science as simple as following a recipe, with the following sections: INGREDIENTS: lists all the ingredients youll need CHALLENGE LEVEL: labs with one chefs hat dont require much time or concentration; labs with more hats will challenge your culinary skills ALLERGEN ALERTS: all of the recipes in this book are nut free, but this section will indicate if a recipe contains dairy, eggs, or wheat EQUIPMENT: lists all equipment that will help you create each dish (you can improvise as neededfor example, a food processor is similar to a blender) SAFETY TIPS AND HINTS: provides common-sense safety guidelines and hints for making things go smoothly RECIPE: takes you step by step through making the dish CREATE AND COMBINE: gives you food pairings, variations, or ideas for taking the recipe a step or two further to inspire your creativity and sense of culinary adventure THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE FOOD: offers simple explanations about different ingredients and how they interact, and information on related topics. Keep in mind that failure and troubleshooting are as important as results when youre tackling a new recipe and will ultimately make you a better cook. Dive in.

Measuring, scooping, stirring, and making mistakes are part of every chefs experience. Once youve got a recipe mastered, see what else you can do with it. Use what youve learned to create something entirely new or to improve a dish youve always wanted to tweak. Heres a list of some basic equipment thats good to have on hand as you cook your way through this book:

Medium-sized saucepan with heavy bottomSaut pan (skillet) with gently sloped sidesSharp knivesRolling pinCutting boardsBlenderBaking sheetsDigital thermometerLarge PotMicroplane graterMeasuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scaleSieveCheeseclothParchment paper