Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It


Gary Taubes - 2010
    The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.” Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat—and how we can change—in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid? Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.

Chilled: How Refrigeration Changed the World and Might Do So Again


Tom Jackson - 2015
    Part historical narrative, part scientific decoder, Chilled looks at early efforts to harness the cold at the ice pits of Persia (Iranians still call their fridges the "ice pit") and ice harvests on the Regents Canal. As people learned more about what cold actually was, scientists invented machines for producing it on demand. The discovery of refrigeration and its applications features a cast of characters that includes the Ice King of Boston, Galileo, Francis Bacon, an expert on gnomes, a magician who chilled a cathedral, a Renaissance duke addicted to iced eggnog, and a Bavarian nobleman from New England.Refrigeration technology has been crucial in some of the most important scientific breakthroughs of the last one hundred years, from the discovery of superconductors to the search for the Higgs boson. Refrigeration is needed to make soap, store penicillin, and without it, in vitro fertilization would be impossible. And the fridge will still be pulling the strings behind the scenes as teleporters and intelligent-computer brains turn our science-fiction vision of the future into fact.

The Complete Photo Guide to Cake Decorating


Autumn Carpenter - 2012
    This clearly organized resource for all levels is like having a cake decorating workshop in a book. Discover useful tips for embellishing with buttercream, royal icing, fondant, gum paste, and more. The easy-to-follow instructions and 1,000-plus photos include techniques for piping, string work, creating and shaping a variety of flowers, molding chocolate, and adding patterns with stencils. Learn every facet of baking and embellishing with clear photos on almost every page. Let cake pro Autumn Carpenter show you how to create striking florals, borders, and accents with silicone molds, hand modeling, pastry tips, cookie cutters, and more. Take your skills up a notch and wrap a cake in chocolate, make decorations with isomalt, and use gum paste for quilling. Try new techniques with confidence, and get inspired by a gallery of colorful ideas for holiday cakes, birthday cakes, children’s cakes, wedding cakes, and special occasion cakes. This detailed book includes:Cake preparation and baking basicsRecipes for fillings and icingsIdeas and instruction for decorating cupcakesPiping techniques for making lifelike and fantasy flowers, eye-catching borders, distinctive lettering, and moreInstructions for creating appealing accents like beading, ropes, and lace using fondant and gum pasteKey decorating tools and how to use themTechniques for incorporating airbrushing, edible frosting, and chocolate molding for one-of-a-kind designsWith this comprehensive guide you can get started today making your own unique cakes! The Complete Photo Guide series includes all the instruction you need to pursue your creative passion. With hundreds of clear photos, detailed step-by-step directions, handy tips, and inspirational ideas, it’s easy and fun to try new projects and techniques and take your skills to the next level.

The Secret History of Food: Strange but True Stories About the Origins of Everything We Eat


Matt Siegel - 2021
    Is Italian olive oil really Italian, or are we dipping our bread in lamp oil? Why are we masochistically drawn to foods that can hurt us, like hot peppers? Far from being a classic American dish, is apple pie actually . . . English?“As a species, we’re hardwired to obsess over food,” Matt Siegel explains as he sets out “to uncover the hidden side of everything we put in our mouths.” Siegel also probes subjects ranging from the myths—and realities—of food as aphrodisiac, to how one of the rarest and most exotic spices in all the world (vanilla) became a synonym for uninspired sexual proclivities, to the role of food in fairy- and morality tales.

Trisha's Table: My Feel-Good Favorites for a Balanced Life


Trisha Yearwood - 2015
       Trisha Yearwood is as much a force in the kitchen as she is on stage. But after years of enjoying decadent Southern comfort food, her culinary philosophy is evolving. As Trisha says, “I have adopted an 80/20 rule: 80 percent of the time I make good choices; 20 percent of the time I let myself splurge a little.” Whether surprisingly virtuous or just a little bit sinful, the recipes in Trisha’s Table all bring that unmistakable authenticity you’ve come to love from Trisha. You’ll find brand-new dishes emblematic of the variety and balance Trisha champions. They skimp on anything but flavor, including dairy-free Angel Hair Pasta with Avocado Pesto, low-calorie Billie’s Houdini Chicken Salad, vegetarian Smashed Sweet Pea Burgers, and tasty, high-protein Edamame Parmesan, alongside too-good-to-give-up family favorites, such as Slow Cooker Georgia Pulled-Pork Barbecue, Chicken Tortilla Casserole, Snappy Pear-Cranberry Crumble, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls. Trisha wants to feed her loved ones—and yours, too—food that tastes good and food that’s good for you. So pull up a seat at Trisha’s Table and dig in!

How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease


Michael Greger - 2015
    In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America -- heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson's, high blood pressure, and more -- and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives.The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn't have to be the case. By following Dr. Greger's advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, you will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle changes to make to live longer.History of prostate cancer in your family? Put down that glass of milk and add flaxseed to your diet whenever you can. Have high blood pressure? Hibiscus tea can work better than a leading hypertensive drug-and without the side effects. Fighting off liver disease? Drinking coffee can reduce liver inflammation. Battling breast cancer? Consuming soy is associated with prolonged survival. Worried about heart disease (the number 1 killer in the United States)? Switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet, which has been repeatedly shown not just to prevent the disease but often stop it in its tracks.In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen -- a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day. Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor's orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives.

Artisan Cheese Making at Home: Techniques & Recipes for Mastering World-Class Cheeses


Mary Karlin - 2011
    But modern technology along with the recent artisanal renaissance has opened up the diverse, time-honored, and dynamic world of cheese to enthusiasts willing to take its humble fundamentals—milk, starters, coagulants, and salt—and transform them into complex edibles. Artisan Cheese Making at Home is the most ambitious and comprehensive guide to home cheese making, filled with easy-to-follow instructions for making mouthwatering cheese and dairy items. Renowned cooking instructor Mary Karlin has spent years working alongside the country’s most passionate artisan cheese producers—cooking, creating, and learning the nuances of their trade. She presents her findings in this lavishly illustrated guide, which features more than eighty recipes for a diverse range of cheeses: from quick and satisfying Mascarpone and Queso Blanco to cultured products like Crème Fraîche and Yogurt to flavorful selections like Saffron-Infused Manchego, Irish-Style Cheddar, and Bloomy Blue Log Chèvre. Artisan Cheese Making at Home begins with a primer covering milks, starters, cultures, natural coagulants, and bacteria—everything the beginner needs to get started. The heart of the book is a master class in home cheese making: building basic skills with fresh cheeses like ricotta and working up to developing and aging complex mold-ripened cheeses. Also covered are techniques and equipment, including drying, pressing, and brining, as well as molds and ripening boxes. Last but not least, there is a full chapter on cooking with cheese that includes more than twenty globally-influenced recipes featuring the finished cheeses, such as Goat Cheese and Chive Fallen Soufflés with Herb-Citrus Vinaigrette and Blue Cheese, Bacon, and Pear Galette. Offering an approachable exploration of the alchemy of this extraordinary food, Artisan Cheese Making at Home proves that hand-crafting cheese is not only achievable, but also a fascinating and rewarding process.

52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust


William Alexander - 2010
    He tasted it long ago, in a restaurant, and has been trying to reproduce it ever since. Without success. Now, on the theory that practice makes perfect, he sets out to bake peasant bread every week until he gets it right. He bakes his loaf from scratch. And because Alexander is nothing if not thorough, he really means from scratch: growing, harvesting, winnowing, threshing, and milling his own wheat.   An original take on the six-thousand-year-old staple of life, 52 Loaves explores the nature of obsession, the meditative quality of ritual, the futility of trying to re-create something perfect, our deep connection to the earth, and the mysterious instinct that makes all of us respond to the aroma of baking bread.

What to Eat


Marion Nestle - 2006
    Praised as "radiant with maxims to live by" in The New York Times Book Review and "accessible, reliable and comprehensive" in The Washington Post, What to Eat is an indispensable resource, packed with important information and useful advice from the acclaimed nutritionist who "has become to the food industry what . . . Ralph Nader [was] to the automobile industry" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch).How we choose which foods to eat is growing more complicated by the day, and the straightforward, practical approach of What to Eat has been praised as welcome relief. As Nestle takes us through each supermarket section—produce, dairy, meat, fish—she explains the issues, cutting through foodie jargon and complicated nutrition labels, and debunking the misleading health claims made by big food companies. With Nestle as our guide, we are shown how to make wise food choices—and are inspired to eat sensibly and nutritiously.Now in paperback, What to Eat is already a classic—"the perfect guidebook to help navigate through the confusion of which foods are good for us" (USA Today).

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery


Kris Hoogerhyde - 2012
    Guests young and old flock to the destination ice cream shop, craving a toasty banana split, a jewel-toned ice pop, a scoop of cooling sorbet, a mouthwatering ice cream sandwich, or one of the best ice cream cakes around.   Lucky for ice cream lovers, Bi-Rite Creamery’s secret is in plain sight: their irresistible goods are all made using top quality, farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients—locally sourced, whenever possible—and now you can bring their legendary creations into your home. This essential guide to making your own delicious ice cream and treats covers all the classic flavors and delectable variations, plus creative combinations like Orange-Cardamom, Chai-Spiced Milk Chocolate, Balsamic Strawberry, Malted Vanilla with Peanut Brittle and Milk Chocolate, and Honey Lavender.   Driven by the Creamery’s most popular flavors, each chapter in Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones serves as a meditation on a particular ingredient. Featuring recipes for Bi-Rite’s famed cakes, frostings, pie crusts, and cookies, you can easily mix and match to create an infinite array of delicious custom frozen treats. Filled with step-by-step techniques and insider’s secrets, this lavishly illustrated cookbook will turn your kitchen into a personal Bi-Rite Creamery (without the long line).

Top Pot Hand-Forged Doughnuts: Secrets and Recipes for the Home Baker


Mark Klebeck - 2011
    Now, doughnut aficionados everywhere can enjoy these tasty treats at home. Committed bakers, casual home cooks, and sweet-toothed fans will eat up these 50 tried-and-true recipes from classic Old-Fashioneds to the signature Pink Feather Boa and become experts themselves after learning the secrets of doughnut-making tools, terms, and techniques (no, you don't need a deep fryer). And the selections of toppings and glazes, from chocolate to lavender? That s just icing on the doughnut.

Making Artisan Chocolates


Andrew Garrison Shotts - 2007
    Today's chocolate candies use chocolates with high cocoa content and less sugar then previously available and are molded into highly decorated pieces of art. Once only accessible to pastry chefs and candy makers, home cooks can now purchase high-end domestic and imported chocolates in their local specialty stores. The recent availability of bittersweet chocolates coupled with our access to a global food market and unique ingredients has created an increased interest in artisanal chocolates. Drew Shotts has been at the forefront of this renaissance because of his daring use of unique flavor combinations not typically associated with chocolates, such as chili peppers, maple syrup, and spiced chai tea. Making Artisan Chocolates shows readers how to recreate Drew's unexpected flavors at home through the use of herbs, flowers, chilies, spices, vegetables, fruits, dairies and liquors.

CookWise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed


Shirley O. Corriher - 1997
    Corriher, tells you how and why things happen in the course of food preparation. The more than 230 outstanding recipes featured not only please the palate, but demonstrate the various roles of ingredients and techniques—making Cookwise an invaluable reference for anyone who has ever wanted to improve on a recipe, make a cake moister, or a roast chicken juicier.

The Beginner's KetoDiet Cookbook: Over 100 Delicious Whole Food, Low-Carb Recipes for Getting in the Ketogenic Zone, Breaking Your Weight-Loss Plateau, and Living Keto for Life


Martina Šlajerová - 2018
    The transition to a keto diet can be difficult, but this “induction” phase doesn’t have to be! Bestselling author of The KetoDiet Cookbook, Martina Slajerova, explains the first tricky few weeks as your metabolism readjusts to burning fat rather than carbs. Every recipe in The Keto-Induction Cookbook is designed to meet the special nutrient requirements of the induction phase. Just some of the dishes you’ll be enjoying include: -Breakfast Chili -Anti-Inflammatory Egg Drop Soup -Ricotta & Pepper Mini-Tarts -Avacado Power Balls -Salmon Ramen -Dulce de Leche Fudge -Chocolate Electrolyte Smoothies From quick "keto-flu" remedies and curbing cravings, to avoiding pitfalls like incorrect macronutrient balances and “zero-carb” approaches, The Keto-Induction Cookbook puts you on the right path to lose weight, get healthy, and enjoy all the benefits of the ketogenic diet for the long-term.

Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Cooks, and Good Food


Jeff Potter - 2007
    Author and cooking geek Jeff Potter helps you apply curiosity, inspiration, and invention to the food you prepare. Why do we bake some things at 350°F / 175°C and others at 375°F / 190°C? Why is medium-rare steak so popular? And just how quickly does a pizza cook if you “overclock” an oven to 1,000°F / 540°C? This expanded new edition provides in-depth answers, and lets you experiment with several labs and more than 100 recipes— from the sweet (a patent-violating chocolate chip cookie) to the savory (pulled pork under pressure).When you step into the kitchen, you’re unwittingly turned into a physicist and a chemist. This excellent and intriguing resource is for inquisitive people who want to increase their knowledge and ability to cook.• Discover what type of cook you are and learn how to think about flavor• Understand how protein denaturation, Maillard reactions, caramelization, and otherreactions impact the foods we cook• Gain firsthand insights from interviews with researchers, food scientists, knife experts, chefs, and writers—including science enthusiast Adam Savage, chef Jaques Pépin, and chemist Hervé This