Wolke (What Einstein Told His Cook
) again brings hard science and corny humor to bear on the most basic of human needs: food. Whether defining the chemical makeup of the artificial flavor in chocolate or exploring the vagaries of scallop farming, Wolke plunges into the science of gastronomy with élan. Using questions gathered from readers of his Washington Post
column, he covers the gamut from why tea turns cloudy in the refrigerator (cooling precipitates tiny particles of tannins) to what "mechanically separated beef" is (meat that's been "forced at high pressure through a kind of sieve"). Each question serves as a springboard to a rigorous analysis of food and its preparation and to humorous and bitter ruminations on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulation; explorations of the folk history of food cultivation; and expansive descriptions of various world cuisines. Interspersed throughout are mouth-watering recipes written by Wolke's wife, restaurant critic and culinary journalist Marlene Parrish. While at times Wolke's desire to entertain gets the best of him—his overreliance on goofy puns, for example, is tiring—the overall effect of this work is like any great family meal: the savory delights of consuming fine food outweigh whatever irritations come with uninvited guests. 20 illus. Agent, Ethan Ellenberg. (Apr.)
