Introduction
The origins of spices (and other foodstuffs)
Consistency and change : proteins in food
Build 'em up and break 'em down
Fat, oils, and the uneasy truces of emulsions and foams
From sweetness to structure : carbohydrates in food
The many roles of micro-organisms : the good, the bad and the ugly
The rising power of yeast
A word on the wonderful weirdness of water
From Napoleon to NASA : the development of food processing
Heating and cooling of food : simple, crude but effective
For my next trick : making water disappear
Squashing, filtering, and other ways we process food
Not just a bag : the science of food packaging
Innovation and the development of recipes and formulations
The experience of eating
The kitchen and the lab
Final thoughts
Appendix. On the analysis of food.