Making a case for putting the magic back in cooking

In the past few years, scores of books have promoted the science behind cooking. From Modernist Cuisine to The Food Lab, authors have extolled the virtues of applying precision methods to making meals. Authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee want to change that narrative, however: they make the case for “remystifying” the art of cooking.

Of course, scientific approaches to cooking aren’t exactly new; Harold McGee wrote about it in the 1980s and comprehensive tomes like Larousse Gastronomique also attempted to explain cookery in a logical, formulaic fashion. But the trend has exploded in recent years, with immersion circulators, instant read thermometers and other gadgets becoming commonplace. The Lee brothers wonder “Where’s the food world’s punk, surrealist, or romantic counternarrative?”

They feel that “the quest for scientific clarity” is “out of sync with the complexity of everyday food experience.” Instead of moving toward culinary perfection, we should instead celebrate people we know whose dishes are always great. In the spirit of this movement, Matt and Ted provide a pickled okra recipe from the grandmother of one of their friends. Let’s put the magic back in cooking, one recipe at a time.

Photo of Pickled okra from Everyday Annie by Annie and Matt Lee and Ted Lee