Lauren and I recently attended the Holiday meeting for the Northern California Section of our professional scientific society, the Institute of Food Technologists. It was a time for folks in the local food industry to come together for dinner, fellowship, and an entertaining lecture on the evolution of the tofu and soy milk industry in Europe and the US . . . it was truly a grand time!Another staple at these events is the student raffle put on by the UC Davis Food Tech Club. Members of the local industry donate prizes, students sell tickets, and those dinner patrons that buy tickets reap the rewards! Lauren and I were just so lucky and took home a copy of What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science. It was a great addition to our food science library because we already own the first volume, What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained. However, if you're starting your own food science library the classic "kitchen chemistry" text is Harold McGee's On Food And Cooking . . . it is a must have for those interested in food, complete with a helping of science, double scoop of history, and dash of lore. Back in my Teaching Assistant days in graduate school McGee's work inspired many a Food Chemistry lecture . . . and it would also make a great holiday stocking stuffer!
