Reviews
On Oct 29 Matt Brier wrote: Good for geeky cooks, great for uber-science geeks
I was excited when I saw this book. I really wanted to love this book. Don’t get me wrong it is a good book, but for me it isn’t a great book. Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Aug 26 Konrad Garus wrote: “Cooking for Geeks” by Jeff Potter; O’Reilly Media
And now for something completely different… cooking! I’ve always been intrigued by “Cooking for Geeks”. I came across it several times, and finally when I saw it in O’Reilly Blogger Reviews program I couldn’t resist. This book is true to … Continue reading → Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Jul 27 David Greenbaum wrote: The technical and scientific aspects of cooking explained.
Although I am a geek, I’m not a scientist and this book was really geared more towards chemistry majors as much of it went above my head. That being said, what I did understand was fascinating. If you like Alton Brown you’ll love this book because it takes that scientific approach to cooking to the next level.
Presented like a computer manual, each chapter examines a function of cooking such as the hardware, software, variables and methods involved. In these chapters celebrities and food luminaries are interviewed for their unique perspective on the subject and recipes demonstrating the concepts are also included.
The book is densely packed with information and if you understand college chemistry and physics you’ll get much more out of this book then I did because I struggled remembering the details of chemical bonds and Kelvin. Even with those limits, I still struggled with the onslaught of information explaining different tasting patterns and flavor combinations and had to read some chapters more than once. This isn’t light fluffy reading but it’s really worth it in the end.
After this book I was much more empowered to experiment with my cooking and cooking methods and understand why I like certain foods, combinations and cooking methods and why I dislike others. This is the science behind the art of cooking.
Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Jul 10 Karen Sieczka wrote:
Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
Reviews
On Apr 9 Bryan Grenn wrote: Cooking for Geeks (shameless plug)
I am part of the O-Really Blogger review program, and long, long ago I picked up the book"Cooking for Geeks" by Jeff Potter for review. This was a fantastic book.. I am both a geek, and cook. This book does a great job of tying the 2 together. It not… Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Feb 3 Mariia Mykhailova wrote: Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter, O'Reilly Media
Cooking for Geeks is all I could desire from a book about food and cooking. It has interesting facts and stories, like that of "miracle berries", and interviews which introduce the reader to the life of people who work with food (a bit different from my day). Some scientific facts as well, but I'm not much into science, so I can't really appreciate this part. And the most important - plenty of images and descriptions which make my mouth water at the mere thought of them - I stopped reading and went to the kitchen to forage for some food more than once while reading the most inspiring chapters. Full Review >
Rating:
0.0
On Apr 23 Greg Williams wrote: Wonderful!
You know those outstanding programming books? The ones where writer's style is clear, informative, and engaging? Where the scope of coverage is neither too narrow nor too broad? Where you can just sense that the author is a talented and enthusiastic expert in his/her field? Where you just get caught up in the learning process, and hate to put the book down? Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Mar 29 Mark Stieffenhofer wrote: Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter
Recently, Nathan Myhrvold of Microsoft fame came out with a 6 volume, 2,400 page series on the science cooking with a list price of $625. I have no intention of purchasing or reading THAT, but after reading Cooking for Geeks, I can't imagine how much more Myhrvold's book could possibly cover. Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Jan 11 Matthew Cuba wrote: A Review of Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter
I jumped at the chance to participate in the O'Reilly Blogger Review Program when it was offered this past fall. I fully intended to pick a technology book - maybe about a new language or framework but Cooking for Geeks caught my eye. Most of the cooking books I've… Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Jan 9 Matthew Guay wrote: Review: Cooking for Geeks
When's the last time you did a chemistry experiment? Truth is, most of us do chemistry experiments more often than we imagine. Every time you try tweaking a recipe or try to cook something new, you're doing a chemistry experiment. Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Jan 5 Norman DeValliere wrote: Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food By Jeff Potter
Cooking for Geeks is equal parts well-rounded recipe collection, safety manual, food chemistry textbook, and manifesto for the Maker/DIY/Geek philosophy. The main content of the book is centered around the first three, but Potter’s preface, introductory chapter and the many interviews with experts convey the underlying theme: getting under the… Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Jan 2 Tom Determan wrote: Book Review: Cooking for Geeks by Jeff Potter
Cooking for Geeks is the cooking book for the rest of us. It is the book that was written for those of us who do not naturally feel comfortable in the kitchen. It is the book that was written for those of us who want to know; Why does that happen? and Why do I need to do that in a certain order? Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Nov 30 Kim Murphey wrote: “Cooking For Geeks” by Jeff Potter: Book Review
Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food by Jeff Potter is not your average cook book. There are many great recipes covering everything from a Chocolate Port Cake to Duck Confit Sugo. What is unique about this … Continue reading → Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Nov 29 Peter Schott wrote: If you like Good Eats, you'll love this book!
This is not a cookbook. If you’re looking for a new collection of recipes, this is not the book for you. If you like shows like Good Eats or enjoy seeing how food is prepared and served, you’ll almost certainly love Cooking for Geeks. If you like experimenting in the kitchen and knowing why food turns out the way it does, pick up this book! Full Review >
Rating:
4.0
On Nov 16 James Langbridge wrote: Don't just make food, create food
When you think about geeks, you rarely think about them cooking; most people instantly imagine them with pizzas or crisps, not in front of ovens. Jeff Potter, the author, explains why most geeks are shy of kitchens. Being a geek himself, he explains cooking in software development terms; compiling food, defining vegetable variables, overclocking the oven, and looking at recipes as source code. He explains everything with a sense of humour that is a joy to read. This book had me hooked right from the beginning, so when he started to talk about cooking with stuff that can kill you; liquid nitrogen ice cream or electrocuted hot dogs, I couldn't put this book down. Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
On Oct 22 Matthew Helmke wrote: Cooking for Geeks
Cooking for Geeks is one of the most fun books I have read in a long time. I don't get lost in the kitchen, but I'm certainly no great chef either. What this book does that is different from typical cookbooks is that instead of presenting a list of recipes, it talks about the science behind combining foods to create tasty dishes. Full Review >
Rating:
5.0
