The Missing Ingredient

September 15, 2018

According to Linford (The Chef's Library), "time is the universal ingredient in the food we cook and eat." Here the author analyzes (in sections, from seconds and hours to months and years) various aspects of the dining experience. Examples of time contrasts include rapidity (so as not to overcook), patience (to achieve full flavor), and the difference in eating fruit off the tree as opposed to waiting for it to be picked and shipped. Aging is an important factor in items such as cheese, sherry, and whiskey, among others. Also, deterioration and decay play a role. She explains how supermarkets offer convenience while farmers markets provide a more vital connection to the source. Refrigeration and microwaves have also changed the way we prepare food. Marinating, barbecuing, and smoking all alter the taste. Coffee roasting and the "crafting of chocolate" are discussed along with the evolution of bread. Other intriguing subjects include "the beauty of the bain marie" and socca (a chickpea pancake that is a French Riviera snack). A select bibliography highlights more ideas for reading on this topic. VERDICT A culinary adventure for those seeking insight into their favorite foods and drinks.--Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2018
Time has an impact on what we eat, whether we're choosing fast food or a microwaveable meal over a laboriously prepared one or seeking out a Parmesan cheese aged for over a decade. In this collection of brief, engaging essays encompassing personal reminiscences, historical gastronomical overviews, professional observations, and profiles of current culinary artisans, noted food writer Linford invites readers to dip into areas that pique interest while providing an overall structure that encourages cover-to-cover reading. Chapters progress sequentially, covering the ways what we eat and drink can be altered in seconds (caramelizing sugar, roasting coffee beans); minutes (steeping tea, baking brownies); hours (roasting chicken, marinating game); days (pickling cucumbers, fermenting sauerkraut); weeks (brewing craft beer, breeding free-range poultry); months (cultivating honey bees, curing charcuterie); years (distilling whiskey, ageing balsamic vinegar); and even centuries (passing down traditional recipes, establishing culinary customs). There are occasional detours into generic topics, such as feasting, fasting, pots and pans, expiration dates, and food-eating competitions. This is the sort of offering that will ensnare browsers and prove irresistible to chefs and foodies. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)