Book
López-Alt JK. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science. New York: W. W. Norton & Company; 2015. 958 p.
Why we cite it
Science-driven cookbook that applies experimental methodology to understand why cooking techniques work and how to optimise them. At 958 pages, it covers everything from the Maillard reaction to emulsification to proper seasoning, with detailed explanations of the science behind each technique. Relevant to companion 368 as a Further Reading resource on the science of making food taste good, supporting the companion’s message that healthy eating requires making healthy food appealing. Not a nutrition or health book — a cooking technique reference.
About the author
J. Kenji López-Alt (born 1979) is an American chef, food writer, and culinary consultant. MIT graduate. Worked at Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen before becoming Managing Culinary Director (now Chief Culinary Consultant) at Serious Eats, where his “Food Lab” column applied scientific methodology to cooking techniques. The Food Lab won the 2016 James Beard Award for Best General Cooking cookbook and was a New York Times bestseller. Also a New York Times columnist. Other books include The Wok: Recipes and Techniques (2022) and the children’s book Every Night Is Pizza Night (2020). Known for rigorous, experiment-driven approach to recipe development — systematically testing variables to find optimal techniques.
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