Interest in food science has grown in recent years because of the increasing awareness of the vital role of food in the health, well-being, and economic status of individuals and nations and people's curiosity and desire to try new and innovative food dishes. Food science is the study of the chemical composition of food and food ingredients; their physical, biological and biochemical properties and and the interaction of food constituents with each other and their environment.

This week the area of cooking know as Molecular Gastronomy got a major endorsement with the publication of a six volume culinary work from a group of chefs, scientists, engineers and food writers was led by former Microsoft Chief Technology Officer, Nathan Myhrvold. The work which weighs in at 40 pounds and contains 1,500 recipes covers areas such as: Culinary Movements Through History, Physics of Food and Water, Pressure Cooking, Microwaving and Frying, Sous Vide Cooking, Thickeners, Foams, Gels and Wine.

While several methods in Molecular Gastronomy may be out of the reach for the home cook, there is plenty of room for creativity in the home kitchen.

FOR THE HOME CHEF Sous Vide Cooker Sous Vide Supreme is excellent for cooking chicken, rack of lamb and steak... Sous Vide Supreme now comes in a demi-version at half the price. Pressure Cooker Pressure cookers are a great tool to prepare stocks. Foamer ..by . iSi Create Professional Foams using the iSi Foamer.

SCIENCE OF COOKING What is Sous Vide Cooking? Science of Culinary Foams Important Temperatures in Cooking Why Food Sticks to Pans Sous Vide Eggs Cooking Chicken Sous Vide Science of Slow Cooking Caramelization and the Browning of Food Food Thickening Agents The Molecular Basis of Taste Science of Pressure Cooking

Further Reading

Modernist Cuisine -- The Art and Science of Cooking -- Home Page

New York Times Articles -- Cook from It? Try Lifting It

TOP 50 RESTAURANTS IN THE WORLD

Science and cooking combine at gastronomic physics lab in Italy

Food: his passion, his science --Hervé This, a French researcher, helps chefs around the world really sizzle

Food Nutrition and Information Center -- The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) has been a leader in food and human nutrition information dissemination since 1971.

Molecular gastronomy and the science of cooking -- Large selection of books and articles from Martin Lersch Department of Chemistry P.O.Box 1033, Blindern 0315 Oslo, NORWAY

Bertand Simon, Sciences can help us with better cooking articles in french.

New degree programs produce chef-scientists -- Culinology™ is the blending of the culinary arts and the science of food -- The Associated Press

The Research Chefs Association is the leading professional community for food research and development. Its members are the pioneers of the discipline of Culinology®