Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (6 Volume Set) Hardcover – Illustrated, 14 Mar. 2011

Spending £400 on cookbooks might seem like utter madness (and I was lucky enough to pick up a near mint set for £300 from Amazon warehouse), but I assure you these are worth every penny.First thing; these are not ‘normal’ cookbooks. There are no step-by-step recipes, these books are largely about the science and technique of cooking. They are aimed squarely at the professional chef or seriously keen amateur. That said, much of the hard science is explained in an extremely accessible manner (I wish science classes at school had been so informative), but you will still be slightly bemused by at least some of the legion of graphs that populate the first two volumes and in places the books are not an easy read. And herein justifies the exorbitant price tag for these books: these are a true labour of love.The amount of scientific research and rigour that has gone into producing these tombs is astonishing, matched only by the lavish photography and presentation. They are beautiful, almost breathtaking in places. One can only imagine how much they cost to produce given the amount of high end culinary equipment was literally sawn in half for some of the stunning cut-away illustrations. The books cover almost every facet of cooking you can imagine from Wok technique, to the best setting agents for given fluids, to BBQ, smoking, equipment, ingredients, flavour matching...the list is endless. And never once do you feel like the authors are trying to be so generalist in content that they become master of none of it. Some will not be relevant to the home chef - unless you intend to turn your kitchen into a chemistry lab and start buying centrifuges, but what remains is still more than worth the ‘professional only’ elements. I’ve run out of bookmarks highlighting information I’ll want to return to. The smaller kitchen manual alone has more useful information contained in its numerous tables than all my other cook books combined.I’ve now spent hours reading and re-reading the books and it’s all been a pleasure which has fundamentally changed the way I look at cooking and prepare dishes. Its allowed me to be truly creative rather than trying to replicate dishes as I now understand WHY things do and don’t work. They are also simply beautiful books in their own right which will draw in even neophyte cooks - although they will need arms like a heavyweight boxer to lift them as each volume is a rigorous weights session in its own right!If you are the kind of person utterly addicted to Great British Menu and Professional Masterchef and aspire to replicate that level of cooking and understanding then these books will be your bible. Just don’t be surprised to find yourself trawling second hand catering equipment eBay as a result of reading it!

When I first recieved this huge box from Amazon I was suprised by the sheer size and weight of this "Cookery Bible".It has to be the most interesting cookery related book I have ever read, (and I own over 800 cookery books) Michel Bras essential cuisine was my all time favourite but hey this has just blown that away. The depth and interesting facts are amazing.As scientific as it is gastronomic, it is virtually an encyclopedia of cooking, a visual roller coaster through the world of food and cooking tools, as well as a compendium of 1,500 recipes.Ultimately, it is a manifesto declaring that the new form of laboratory-inspired cooking -- led by Grant Achatz in the United States; Heston Blumenthal in England; and Ferran Adrian & agrave;, the father of this cuisine, in Spain -- is a cultural and artistic movement every bit as definitive as Impressionism in 19th-century France or Bauhaus in early 20th-century Germany. It proclaims a revolution "in techniques, aesthetics and intellectual underpinnings of gastronomy."This edition is printed in ENGLISH and using METRIC measurements.....Please be aware that the "Black edition" is printed in GERMAN....As I read further into this publication there are a few mistakes with measurements but this is not the be all end all as after a couple of trials you will see they are very minor. And the Physics can be a little "out of sink" but hey this is a cook book not a book for physics graduate studying for their bachelors degree.This is not recommended for the home cook (But would look amazing on your coffee table). If it is super reinforced..This is serious reading cookbook but you will become a very knowledgeable chef after digesting all this mammoth collection of books has to offer!!Enjoy

I'm not going to write a detailed review, simply because other users have done it very well so no need to try doing it better..Here is my bit:This in not a cookbook, it is the best encyclopedia ever written about food & cuisine. It just happens to have 1500 recipes in it which are there so you put into practice the different techniques described.Don't get me wrong, you will surely impress people with them but if you're looking for a book that gives you ideas for meals this is not the one. But if you're looking for a book that has the answer to all your questions, if you want to improve your cooking skills, want to master them or are just keen to learn new ones, then unless you're Heston Blumenthal's twin this book is what you're looking for.It costs a lot, but the knowledge it contains is priceless.

There isn't much needs saying about this book other than WOW. This tome of the best part of 25k is just amazing in both presentation and content. More aimed towards a professional chef or VERY avid amateur this book is all you'll need for years to come for the many new techniques flooding the industry. Not only is everything meticulously explained but it is also beautifully photographed.So many of the pictures I wish I could frame as they would look great on a wall as well as in the book.Don't buy this book if you don't want to spend hours reading followed by hours in the kitchen.Do buy it if you want to change your understanding of how things cook and if you REALLY want to challenge yourself in the kitchen.

This is the ultimate in recipe books. It’s not something I’d pick the evening meal from, but it is absolutely perfect for understanding the science and rationale for why dishes are assembled the way they are. Beautiful photography, fascinating insights and some phenomenal recipes (most of which take at least a few hours to make).Perfect collection as a gift of to keep at home (although you’ll need a very sturdy bookcase)!