Harold McGee

Harold McGee is an American author recognized for his expertise in food science and culinary chemistry. With an academic background that bridges the sciences and the humanities, McGee was educated at the California Institute of Technology, initially studying astronomy before graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in literature. He completed a PhD on the romantic poetry of John Keats at Yale University and taught literature and writing at Yale before transitioning to food science writing. This shift from literary scholarship to kitchen science has influenced the understanding of cooking processes worldwide.

McGee is best known for the book "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen." This publication played a significant role in translating technical food science into accessible kitchen science and contributed to the development of molecular gastronomy. "On Food and Cooking" is widely referenced by food enthusiasts and professional chefs for its insights into food origins, composition, and the science behind cooking transformations. McGee also authored "The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore," further exploring culinary science. These books, along with numerous articles and reviews, have established McGee as a leading authority in the field of food science.

McGee's scientific approach to cooking has influenced chefs and authors such as Heston Blumenthal, David Chang, Alton Brown, Shirley Corriher, Lynne Rossetto Kasper, and Russ Parsons. He has collaborated with innovative chefs, including Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal, and his research has paved the way for culinary experimentation by chefs like Ferran Adrià and Blumenthal.

In addition to his books, McGee has contributed to publications such as Nature, Health, The New York Times, World Book Encyclopedia, The Art of Eating, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, and Physics Today. He has lectured on kitchen chemistry at cooking schools, universities, the Oxford Symposia on Food and Cookery, the Denver Natural History Museum, and the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. McGee also wrote a regular column for The New York Times titled "The Curious Cook," which examined and often debunked conventional kitchen wisdom. He has been recognized as food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine and included in the Time 100 list of influential people. McGee has served as a visiting lecturer for Harvard University's course "Science & Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science."

McGee authored "Nose Dive," an exploration of the world of smell, expanding from the flavors of food and drink to the broader material world. The book distills the science behind smells, incorporating insights from biology and chemistry, and presents them in an accessible format. "Nose Dive" received critical acclaim, with The New York Times describing it as a deeply researched guide to the world's smells. McGee's work continues to make complex food science accessible to a broad audience.