You know that adding heat to a translucent egg white causes it to firm up and turn opaque. Do you know what to do when your homemade mayonnaise breaks—separates back into oil and water—before you're even done making it? Only when you know how food works can you take your cooking to the next level. Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat not only educates you in the basics of kitchen science and why food behaves the way it does when we cook, it also provides an extensive recipe list, including directions for dishes like roasted squash, sage, and hazelnut salad; Tuscan bean and kale soup; pasta alla pomarola; pork braised with chilies; and fresh ginger and molasses cake. Devour the chapters, whip up the delicious meals, and then, using the experience gained, modify them or experiment with your own creations!