This book exists because of the support and encouragement of people who’ve been with me on my journey. From my time spent working in numerous labs and cooking in kitchens, this book is influenced by the people who, in different ways over the years, pushed me to be inquisitive cook.
I owe thanks to many people who generously shared their knowledge and helped point me in the right direction to find the answers to my many questions while I researched this book. Alice Medrich, Amy Guittard, Andrew Janjigian, Arielle Johnson, Bee Wilson, Cenk Sönmezsoy, David Lebovitz, Edd Kimber, Elizabeth Vecchiarelli, Grant Achatz, Helen Goh, Helen Rosner, Jeff Yankellow, Kayoko Akabori, Kenji López-Alt, Kian Lam Kho, Lisa Vega, Melissa Clark, Nigella Lawson, Samin Nosrat, Stella Parks, and Tucker Shaw—thank you.