Food is like a complex building. The materials are chemical molecules, with all their interrelationships and reactions, giving their chemical properties. The architecture is the micro- and macroscopic structure that gives us their physical properties.

The complexity of each food gives rise to different possible points of view in analyzing it.

This book chooses the cooking point of view. Cooking is the art of transforming raw materials into accomplished dishes. Therefore, the book aims to systematically analyse culinary processes, i.e. the transformations of food produced by kitchen procedures (cooking, stirring, kneading, etc.) from a physical and a chemical point of view, presenting applications in cooking, from basic and common dishes up to the creations of the world's greatest chefs.