Unlike a typical cookbook, Hervé This not only explains how to prepare a dish. As a culinary chemist, he also helps the home cook understand the reasons behind the recipes. Through 55 recipes from French cuisine - soup, appetizer, main course, and dessert - the author guides readers through the physics and chemistry of food preparation. Readers will be able to successfully apply their newfound understanding of the cooking and frying processes to their own creations. Hervé This-Benckhard is also the author of the entertaining book "Riddles of Culinary Art.".