A Cookbook for US
I saw Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter at Maker Faire in The SF Bay Area. I debated picking it up and finally did, the debate occurring entirely because . . . well I don’t know. I had to pick it up, and am ashamed I didn’t immediately.
See I’m a cooking geek, food nerd, techie/foodie, what have you. I have seriously analyzed how I can break down Mexican cooking in order to get better at Indian cooking. I enjoy calculating my protein intake and have theories on how I can leverage Blackstrap Molasses as an ingredient (hey, high in Iron and Calcium)
Some of you out there are also food geeks. You know if you are, of course.
So there’s finally a book out there for us. Is it worth it?
I’m pleased to say, yes, yes it is.
This is a book that speaks about cooking from a geek point of view, somewhat skewed to the technical types. It’s for people who are into maker culture, who hack technology or materials, and in general like to make stuff happen and get into how it happens. Just saying that probably already tells you if it’s for you.
The book doesn’t cover just putting ingredients together. Instead it covers kitchen equipment, cooking technique, the origin of flavors, the science of temperature, and more. There’s not a lot of recipes here (most are here just to illustrate examples), but instead this is on ways to cook, ways to hack cooking, and the science of food.
What could get incredibly boring or pedantic isn’t. There’s always a page or two interview with a specific individual (including Adam Savage), historical tidbits, and more. The book is more a guy sharing all sorts of cool things with you, and at times feels more like a dialogue.
This means, however, the book isn’t always coherent or about things you’d be interested in. Though the individual chapters are focused, some chapters, interviews, and asides get a bit rambly. The breaking up of chapters with various forms of content can also be jarring or annoying.
But overall? If you’re a food geek this book is must buy – and a must buy for any foodie geeks you know. It’s fascinating, educational, and inspiring all at once.
Plus, I feel I have to acknowledge this as I have a new appreciation for soy sauce thanks to this book, as if I had almost run out of ways to love it.
Find out more at the book’s website, or just go buy it already.
Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach for professional and potentially professional geeks, fans, and otaku. He can be reached at http://www.stevensavage.com/
