Technically, this book isn’t in my library. It sits on a shelf in my pantry. It’s there for easy reference, and because I like to sit down and just read it. This is a book with recipes, but more importantly it’s a book about recipes and food. Kenji is a scientist first and a cook second, and he does a great job of telling why food behaves like it does in the presence of heat and other additives, like baking soda. It’s a book about why.

And I like books about why, because I’ve never liked black boxes that just did things. I like to know how they do them and why. I even gave a copy to my son who cooks way more than I do. He makes his own bacon for heaven sake. That’s pretty cool, actually. And his bacon is really good. He likes the book, too.

Finally, by way of another recommendation, the book came to my attention courtesy of a friend, Sandi Mueller, who bakes and cooks. She has a show, along with her son, Josh, called Cooking with Mom that shows up live on Facebook. Josh, was the creator of the show. By way of disclaimer, Gatewood Press is a sponsor of the show. So, if you don’t trust me, trust her. She’s a great cook in her own right.