烹饪实践之RCT(Randomized Controlled Trial)
如果让我一生只读一本和食物相关的书,我会选这本The Food Lab。买了书看完Introduction就迫不及待地发朋友圈推荐了,也算是有史以来头一回。每周末早上坐在靠窗的沙发上,一边喝咖啡,一边看几页,特别惬意。
科学性
Kenji 本人理工科背景,把科学精神推到了极致,不想坐科学家的厨子不是好厨子。每一个原理都有理有据,都是他做过RCT的,而且实验设计非常严谨,破除了大量烹饪的迷思。
比如开篇讲鸡蛋的一部分,其中一个小问题是Do certified organic or local eggs taste better than supermarket eggs? 他先做了一个blind tasting,发现大家的确更喜欢organic eggs,但是又发现organic eggs的蛋黄颜色更深,看起来更有食欲,于是他把所有鸡蛋都染成了绿色,又重新做了一遍blind tasting,结果这次大家尝哪个蛋都一样了。
另一个印象深刻的例子是他想研究做prime rib roast时应该bone-in还是bone-out,于是设计了一个实验,一共四组,第一组bone-in,第二组remove the bone but the tie it back again,第三组remove the bone and tie it back but with an intervening piece of impermeable heady-duty alumninum foil,第四组without the bone,太严谨了!最后发现前三组的味道一样,最后一组比肉比较tough,由此破除了flavor exchange theory的迷思。
系统性
我翻过的大部分cookbook都是单个食谱串起来的,并没有系统性,读完了食谱还要自己总结规律。这本书则大不相同,更像一本通俗易懂的教科书,先讲规律,再把食谱嵌进去。
比如在pasta一章,开宗明义地说五大类pasta mother sauce:olive old and garlic, tomato (classic red sauce), pesto, cream, meat-based,市面上所有的pasta sauce都是这五大类的变种。然后一类一类地讲,从basic recipe讲到advance recipe。
比如在salad一章,先总结salad green的几个大类以及他们该和什么dressing相配: crisp lettuce(配mayonnaise or dairy based dressing),peppery greens(配sharp or mild vinaigrette),mild greens(配mild vinaigrette),bitter greens(配any flavorful dressing)。然后一个一个细讲几类dressing:vinaigrettes,mayonnaise based dressings,dairy based dressings。
比如在frying一章,总结了四大类coating style:flour dredging(e.g. southern-style fried chicken),bread crumb coating(e.g. chicken parmesan),beer batter(e.g. fried fish),thin batter(e.g. Japanese-style tempura)。
实用性
我至今已试过书中的十多个菜谱,都非常成功!绝对是foolproof!除了烹饪技巧,书中还介绍了很多知识,包括食品安全,食品存储,工业处理,以及美国超市通用标签,特别实用,特别涨见识!比如好多种canned tomatoes(whole peeled, diced, crushed, puree, paste)有啥区别如何选用,USDA关于鸡肉烹调温度的安全规定应该怎样解读,kosher salt和table salt有何区别等等。读了之后去超市不再有选择困难了,也不再对各种标签迷茫了!
全书印制精美,在Amazon上买的只花了34刀,超值!现在读完了我也摆在客厅里当装饰,想下厨玩出点花样就翻翻找个菜谱。
章节包括:
Introduction: The keys to good kitchen science. Essential kitchen gear. The basic pantry.
Eggs, Dairy, and the Science of Breakfast. (超喜欢讲鸡蛋的部分,大开眼界,觉得鸡蛋真是这世界上最神奇的东西!)
Soups, Stews, and the Science of Stock.
Steak, Chops, Chicken, Fish, and the Science of Fast-Cooking Foods.
Blanching, Searing, Braising, Glazing, Roasting, and the Science of Vegetables.
Balls, loaves, Links, Burgers, and the Science of Ground Meat. (被Kenji说动,竟然买了家用绞肉机自制ground meat!)
Chickens, Turkeys, Prime Rib, and the Science of Roasts.
Tomato Sauce, Macroni, and the Science of Pasta. (在阳台上养了basil,从此自制pesto!)
Greens, Emulsions, and the Science of Salad.
Batter, Breadings, and the Science of Frying.
对我来说这本书的遗憾的有两点。一是全书聚焦American Food,不过Kenji在自己的网站上( http://www.kenjilopezalt.com/ )说第二本书会“incorporate techniques and ingredients from around the world",期待得心痒痒!二就是没有baking相关的东西。Kenji在前言中就说了他比较喜欢savory food,不是个baker,我也只好作罢,去找Baking Bible之类的书来看吧~
“The Food Lab Volume II is coming SOME TIME I WILL LET YOU KNOW, OK? though it will not be called that. The book will aim to teach how incorporating simple techniques and ingredients from around the world can make your home cooking both more delicious and more efficient. These days in the kitchen we have access to this vast toolset of techniques and tools, so why don’t we use them? This books aims to answer that question in the most delicious way possible. If the first book was about American food and how to cook these big project dishes, the second book is more about how I cook at home EVERY DAY. Not just when I’m entertaining.”