What separates success from failure in the kitchen? it’s the ability to think on your feet, to make adjustments as you cook, and to understand the unspoken rules behind cooking. Despite what you might think, a lifetime of experience isn’t a prerequisite for becoming a good cook. What is essential? Knowledge.

From Cook’s Illustrated, the magazine that put food science on the map, The Science of Good Cooking takes you inside the test kitchen, where test cooks and editors have spent two decades exploring the principles of cooking-- principles that have helped them develop foolproof recipes over and over again. Understanding how and why these principles work will not only improve individual recipes but also make you a better cook.

The Science of Good Cooking covers the fundamental concepts every good cook should know. the editors reviewed and expanded upon 20 years of test kitchen work to create this comprehensive food science road map--one that weaves together practical science across 50 concepts, illuminating experiments that bring the science to life, and more than 400 recipes, all of which illustrate home cooking fundamentals.

Concepts range from why, to ensure tenderness, you should cook tough cuts of meat (think brisket) until they are long past done to why eggs (like scrambled eggs and omelets) need fat to make them tender. We explore why salty marinades work best and how sugar can change not only the sweetness of a baked good, but its texture, too. think of this book as an owner’s manual for your kitchen.

Fifty unique experiments performed in our test kitchen not only illustrate each concept but also give you an inside peek into the test kitchen at work. these experiments range from simple to playful to innovative--showing us why, exactly, we fold (versus stir) batter for chewy brownies, why we whip egg whites with sugar, and why the simple addition of salt can make meat juicy.

Each concept segues into landmark Cook’s Illustrated recipes that demonstrate these principles at work. recipes (more than 400 total) include old-Fashioned burgers, Classic mashed potatoes, and perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies. part food science road map and part cookbook, The Science of Good Cooking is a fascinating (and fun) approach to learning how and why recipes work.