9. “The Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking” by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, and Maxime Bilet (Sold for $625)
Nowadays, the best restaurants in the world are no longer those which serve the most luxurious food in the most luxurious ambiance. Today, it is all about bringing molecular gastronomy into a plate.
This expensive cookbook consists of five volumes and total of 2,438 pages. This is more than just a regular recipe cookbook. The book is packed with science geeky stuff.
The first volume talks about the science behind food, such as how physics in heat and water affects cooking. You won’t get to read any recipes until you reach volume five.
Get this: Myhrvold has Ph.D in mathematical economics and theoretical physics! He is also a chief technology officer (formerly for Microsoft and now with his own Intellectual Ventures company). For two years, he worked at Rover’s, a top French restaurant in Seattle. That experience, plus training with Anne Willan at Ecole La Varenne, inspired his culinary passion.
