Edited by Cesar Vega, Job Ubbink, and Erik van der Linden

AcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Case for Science Inspired by the Kitchen, by César Vega, Job Ubbink, and Erik van der Linden 1. The Science of a Grilled Cheese Sandwich, by Jennifer Kimmel2. Sound Appeal, by Malcolm Povey3. Mediterranean Sponge Cake, by Cristina de Lorenzo and Sergio Laguarda 4. Spherification: Faux Caviar and Skinless Ravioli, by César Vega and Pere Castells5. Konjac Dondurma: Designing a Sustainable and Stretchable "Fox Testicle" Ice Cream, by Arielle Johnson, Kent Kirshenbaum, and Anne E. McBride 6. Stretchy Textures in the Kitchen: Insights from Salep Dondurma, by Tim J. Foster7. Moussaka as an Introduction to Food Chemistry, by Christos Ritzoulis8. The Sticky Science of Malaysian Dodol, by Alias A. Karim and Rajeev Bhat9. The Perfect Cookie Dough, by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot10. To Bloom or Not to Bloom, by Amelia Frazier and Richard Hartel11. Bacon: The Slice of Life, by Timothy Knight12. Scandinavian "Sushi": The Raw Story, by Pia Snitkjær and Louise M. Mortensen 13. Maximizing Food Flavor by Speeding Up the Maillard Reaction, by Martin Lersch14. Lighten Up! The Role of Gases in the Culinary Experience, by Matt Golding15. The Meringue Concept and Its Variations, by Peter Wierenga, Helen Hofstede, Erik van der Linden, Sidney Schutte, and Jonnie Boer16. Why Does Cold Milk Foam Better? Into the Nature of Milk Foam, by Julia Maldonado-Valderrama, Peter J. Wilde, and María J. Gálvez-Ruiz17. Ice Cream Unlimited: The Possibilities of Ingredient Pairing, by Elke Scholten and Miriam Peters18. Egg Yolk: A Library of Textures, by César Vega19. Ketchup as Tasty Soft Matter: The Case of Xanthan Gum, by Thomas Vilgis20. Taste and Mouthfeel of Soups and Sauces, by John R. Mitchell21. Playing with Sound: Crispy Crusts, by Paula Varela and Susana Fiszman22. Baked Alaska and Frozen Florida: On the Physics of Heat Transfer, by Adam Burbidge23. On Superb Crackling Duck Skin: An Homage to Nicholas Kurti, by Christopher Young and Nathan Myhrvold24. Sweet Physics: Sugar, Sugar Blends, and Sugar Glasses, by Natalie Russ and Thomas Vilgis25. Coffee, Please, but No Bitters, by Jan Groenewold and Eke Mariën26. Turning Waste into Wealth: On Bones, Stocks, and Sauce Reductions, by Job Ubbink27. Restructuring Pig Trotters: Fine Chemistry Supporting the Creative Culinary Process, by Jorge Ruiz and Julia Calvarro28. Innovate: Old World Pizza Crust with New World Ingredients, by Thomas M. Tongue Jr.29. Eating Is Believing, by Line Holler Mielby and Michael Bom Frøst30. Molecular Gastronomy Is a Scientific Activity, by Hervé This31. The Pleasure of Eating: The Integration of Multiple Senses, by Juan-Carlos Arboleya, Daniel Lasa, Oswaldo Oliva, Javier Vergara, and Andoni Luis-Aduriz32. On the Fallacy of Cooking from Scratch, by César Vega and David J. McClements33. Science and Cooking: Looking Beyond the Trends a Personal, Practical Approach, by Michael LaiskonisContributorsIndex

Eating is a multisensory experience, yet chefs and scientists have only recently begun to anatomize food's components, introducing a new science called molecular gastronomy and a new frontier in the possibilities of the kitchen. In this global collaboration of essays, chefs, scientists, and cooks put the innovations of molecular gastronomy into practice, advancing a culinary hypothesis based on food's chemical properties and the skilled use of existing and cutting edge tools, ingredients, and techniques. As their experiments unfold, these pioneers create, and in some cases revamp, dishes that answer specific desires, serving up an original encounter with gastronomic practice. From the seemingly mundane to the food fantastic, these essays cover a range of creations and their history and culture.