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Given the careful and detailed scientific reporting in this book, a project that took five years, it is surprising to learn that the author received his doctorate from Yale not in science but in English literature. His Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology is perhaps more telling; although it is also in literature, McGee, 33, chose Caltech because he wanted to dabble in science, a minor but persistent interest throughout his life. After teaching at Yale, he took time off to write this book. He is now busy with another work on the history of biology, and prepares promotional material for the science departments at Stanford.
As comprehensive as this book is, there are some regrettable omissions. For example, there are only a few value judgments. In the section on oranges, it would have been helpful if the author had explained that those from Florida are juicier and sweeter than their California counterparts but have a less distinct true orange flavor. Although McGee describes how eggs are washed during the process of being prepared for market, he does not add that the practice is prohibited in European Community countries because it removes the protective bloom, a film the hen deposits on the shell. McGee also gives scant coverage to vegetables, fruits, herbs and nuts, a shortcoming he acknowledges, calling them token entries, included to impart a sense of completeness to the work.
Even with those limitations, this is by all odds a minor masterpiece and a welcome addition to any cookbook library. --By Mimi Sheraton