On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 140

primal, the unstructured stuff of life This is why they are protean, why the cook can use them to generate such a variety of structures, from a light, insubstantial meringue to a dense, lingeringly rich custard Eggs reconcile oil and water in a host of smooth sauces; they refine the texture of candies and ice creams; they give flavor, substance, and nutritiousness to soups, drinks, breads, pastas, and cakes; they put a shine on pastries; they clarify meat stocks and wines On their own, they’re amenable to being boiled, fried, deep-fried, baked, roasted, pickled, and fermented Meanwhile modern science has only deepened the egg’s aptness as an emblem of creation The yolk is a stockpile of fuel obtained by the hen from seeds and leaves, which are in turn stockpiles of the sun’s radiant energy The yellow pigments that gave the yolk its name also come directly from plants, where they protect the chemical machinery of photosynthesis from being overwhelmed by the sun So the egg does embody the chain of creation, from the developing chick back through the hen to the plants that fed her, and then to the ultimate source of life’s fire, the yellow sphere of the sky An egg is the sun’s light refracted into life Many animals lay eggs, and humans exploit a number of them, from pigeons and turkeys to wild birds, penguins, turtles, and crocodiles The chicken egg is by far the most commonly eaten in most countries, so I’ll concentrate on it, with occasional asides on duck eggs The Chicken and the Egg Over the centuries there have been several clever answers to the conundrum, Which came first: the chicken or the egg? The Church Fathers sided with the chicken, pointing out that according to Genesis, God ...overwhelmed by the sun So the egg does embody the chain of creation, from the developing chick back through the hen to the plants that fed her, and then to the ultimate source of life’s fire, the yellow sphere of the. .. crocodiles The chicken egg is by far the most commonly eaten in most countries, so I’ll concentrate on it, with occasional asides on duck eggs The Chicken and the Egg Over the centuries there have been several... source of life’s fire, the yellow sphere of the sky An egg is the sun’s light refracted into life Many animals lay eggs, and humans exploit a number of them, from pigeons and turkeys to wild birds, penguins, turtles, and crocodiles