this book, On Food and Cooking, is my new lover. darling, tell me more about aubergines and maillard reactions! your breathy, husky voice whispers sweet science-y nothings tenderly into my ear; pyrroles, pyridines, pyrazines, thiophenes, thiazoles, oxazoles. the clingstones and freestones of prunus persica dangle before my mouth agape. what's that, dear one? both copper and silver block sulfur reactions between proteins when you're whipping egg whites into foam? you are so clever. do tell me more!