• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Sides
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
    • Condiments
    • Reviews
  • About Midwexican
    • Privacy Policy
  • Work With Me!

Midwexican

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Midwexican
  • Work With Me!
×

Home » Reviews

Published: Nov 25, 2020 · Modified: Jan 3, 2022 by Tino Marie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Best Food Science Books for Food Nerds

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn

A Gift-Buying Guide: The Best Food Science Books for Food Nerds

Shopping for a loved one who happens to be a food nerd or a foodie who's curious about the science behind good food? If so, I have some fantastic recommendations on the BEST food science books for foodies and food nerds!

The following foodie nerd-friendly books are perfect for the inquisitive cook. And for those who have been diligently working on improving their kitchen game as a way to remain preoccupied (read: sane) during quarantine kitchen.

Below you’ll find a list of 5 of the best food science books for foodies and self-professed food nerds (IMHO). Why take my recommendation? Because I resemble a foodie and self-professed food nerd who happens to own and love each of these tomes! 

Jump to:
  • A Gift-Buying Guide: The Best Food Science Books for Food Nerds
  • Why are these the best books for foodies and food nerds?
  • The Science of Good Cooking - Cook’s Illustrated
  • Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Samin Nosrat
  • The Food Lab - Kenji Lopez-Alt
  • The Flavor Bible - Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg
  • On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee
  • What would you add to this list?

Why are these the best books for foodies and food nerds?

These food science books go beyond your average cookbook in that they: 

  • Explain the science behind good cooking
  • Provide tried and true genius cooking tips
  • Examine food history
  • Explore flavors and taste elements
  • And so much more! 

And yes, most of these books DO also provide recipes! 

While the holidays may look different this year, gifting one of these awesome food science books to the food nerd in your life is a thoughtful way to let him or her know you are thinking about them. And ordering online and shipping directly to your recipient is a safe way to ensure your gift is received safely. 

The Science of Good Cooking - Cook’s Illustrated

The Science of Good Cooking has long been a favorite of mine. Every recipe is introduced with a brief explanation of why the recipe works. The science is so gosh darn interesting! Whenever I close this book, the words “The more you know!” accompanied by a brilliant rainbow flash through my mind. The content is interesting, easy to understand, and educational. And the recipes are always on point because they have been rigorously tested by the Cook’s Illustrated crew. How do I get that job? Like for real-real?

This book got me geeked out about making my own vinaigrettes and damn are they good.

Perfect for: the avid home cook interested in learning basic food science, but who isn’t interested in becoming a chemistry major

Recipes included? yes! 

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat - Samin Nosrat

Balancing these four elements of good cooking - salt, fat, acid, heat - is key to great cuisine. Until coming across this book I never approached cooking with these elements in mind, but I have to say it makes a huge difference! Samin explains each taste element in detail, how to balance them effectively, and provides easy to follow recipes guaranteed to improve your cooking game. I also highly recommend watching the Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat series on Netflix. 

A long-time lover and proponent of salt, the section on salt left me feeling smug. I have been forever saying that salt is the most important ingredient - it amplifies flavor. Otherwise why add it to cookies? Salt on! 

Perfect for: those looking to achieve the perfectly balanced bite 

Recipes included? yes! 

The Food Lab - Kenji Lopez-Alt

I’ve long been a fan of culinary nerd Kenji Lopez’s Food Lab on Serious Eats. He thoroughly tests recipes and goes the extra mile to explain how to get the best results for everything from fried chicken to homemade mac ‘n cheese. He explains food science concepts with humor and personal anecdotes that makes his writing engaging and entertaining. This huge testament to years of food experimentation has been heralded as the modern Joy of Cooking. Seriously, this is a huge book, which is perfect for dedicating some of that spare time to. 

The section on eggs was a game-changer. I love eggs but they are notoriously easy to [email protected]^$ up. I still [email protected]^$ them up from time to time, but at least now I'm woke.

Perfect for: those looking to learn more about food science and cooking in a fun, approachable way 

Recipes included? yes!

The Flavor Bible - Karen Page and Andrew Dornenberg

I would describe The Flavor Bible as a Thesaurus for food. It’s a handy reference guide where you look up a food and it provides a comprehensive list of other foods (including herbs and spices) that complement that food. This is perfect for those who want to expand their repertoire and enjoy creating or tweaking recipes. I use this book all the time when I’m creating recipes. Thoughts on flavor affinities and restaurant dishes are shared throughout the book from the many talented chefs who contributed to the book. There's also a Flavor Bible for Vegetarians.

Perfect for: the creative home cook, recipe innovators, those who obsessively watch Chopped on FoodNetwork  

Recipes included? no, but if you’re the creative type like me, you’ll be inspired to create your own recipes and emboldened to try new flavor profiles

On Food and Cooking - Harold McGee

If The Flavor Bible is like a Thesaurus, On Food and Cooking is like an Encyclopedia. On Food and Cooking is a classic, a MUST for a true food nerd. It’s a comprehensive read that delves into where foods come from, what they are made of, and how cooking transforms them. I cracked this bad boy open last night. My husband, curious what I was reading had a look and exclaimed "Custard Theory and Practice!? Oh my God you [email protected]^$ing nerd!" (said lovingly of course 🙂 ). And that's how I knew it had to be on this list.

Admittedly the prose can be a bit dry, but in a world where articles are often crafted exclusively from Twitter posts it's kind of refreshing. 

Perfect for: those looking to brush up on their food and cooking knowledge, you food scholar you

Recipes included? no, it focuses on cooking techniques and guidelines

What would you add to this list?

What reads fall on your best food science books for foodies and food nerds that aren’t mentioned here? Please share them in the comments below :).

Best Books for Food Nerds
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

More Reviews

  • trader joe's sparkling water flavors
    Trader Joe’s Sparkling Water Review
  • polar seltzer sparkling water flavors
    Polar Seltzer Water Review
  • spindrift sparkling water flavors
    A Full Flavored Review of Spindrift Sparkling Water
  • bubly sparkling water review
    A Full Flavored Review of Bubly Sparkling Water

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow me!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me →

Lighter Fare

  • Buffalo chicken rice bowls
    Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl
  • instant pot pozole
    Instant Pot Pozole
  • imitation crab ceviche
    Imitation Crab Ceviche
  • tuna tostada
    Tuna Tostadas
  • turkey lentil soup
    Turkey Lentil Soup
  • white chicken chili with porchetta seasoning
    White Chicken Porchetta Chili
  • trader joes cruciferous crunch salad
    Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
  • pinto bean soup in the instant pot
    Instant Pot Pinto Bean Soup

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Work With Me!

    • Let's Collaborate!

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Midwexican

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    Do not sell my personal information.
    Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT