Complete Idiot's Guide to Cooking Techniques and Science (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

-- Beats the competition -- covers the basics of food science and techniques a cook should know, plus tips, rules of thumb and other factors for success.-- Line art, photos and recipes.Have you ever started out making a wonderful recipe only to be sidetracked by terms and techniques you didn't understand? Have you wondered why some sugars caramelize and some sugars burn, how to slice those tiny matchstick carrots or make a basic sauce from scratch? Authors Labensky and Fitzgerald are two of the top culinary experts in the business and they share with you the tips and techniques that make professional chefs look so good. They also cover food safety, basic baking chemistry, knifing and basic cooking techniques and recipe construction! Lots of rules of thumb and basic knowledge to make you a better cook. Coverage includes food and cooking terms (English, French and Italian); techniques for knives, styles of slicing and dicing; smoking, brining, slow-cooking and other meat treatments; food safety including freshness, food use, sanitation, etc; basic food chemistry - starches, eggs, leveners, and even biotechnology; baking science and techniques including yeast and quick breads; sauces, emulsions, stocks, gravies and other basics that sound hard but really are easy!