Note-by-Note Cooking

A Note on the Translation
Tables, Figures, and Color Plates
Introduction: Why the Need for Note-by-Note Cooking Should Be Obvious
1. Shape
Polyhedrons
Nonpolyhedral Solids
The Fable of the Man with the Golden Brain
2. Consistency
A Woeful Misunderstanding
The Relation Between Consistency and Flavor
Not Everything Has to Be Soft
Thinking in Physical Terms
Additives
Contrasting Consistencies
3. Taste
Misdirection and Misperception
The Impossible Description of Unknown Tastes
Sapid Compounds
Mineral Salts
Organic and Mineral Acids
Amino Acids and Their Derivatives
Sugars
Alcohols and Polyols
Intense Sweeteners
Flavoring Agents
Bitterants
Matrix Effects
A New Basic Taste
4. Odor
Manipulating Odorant Compounds
Methods of Extraction and Processing
Natural, Same as Natural, Artificial
Volatility, Threshold Perception, Toxic Risk
A Lexicon of Basic Culinary Odors
Odorant Compounds
On the Properties of Odorigenic Extracts and Compositions
Trigeminal Sensations
5. Color
The Eye Precedes the Palate
Legally Approved Coloring Agents
Natural Versus Artificial Redux
6. Artistic Choice and Culinary Nomenclature
Substance and Form
The Construction of Flavors
Naming Dishes
The First Generation of Note-by-Note Menus
7. Nutrition, Toxicology, Market Dynamics, Public Interest
The Mixed Blessings of Abundance
A World of Plenty, Filled with Danger
Selection and Supply of Compounds
Political Considerations
Appendix: A Few Recipes
Index