Introduction. Culinary Construction -- The Complexity of the World -- 1. Hard-Boiled Egg with Mayonnaise -- Heresy! -- Renewing a Heritage -- The Birth of Molecular Gastronomy -- Return to the Kitchen -- How to Make a "Good" Hard-Boiled Egg -- Culinary Dictums by the Thousands -- At What Temperature Is an Egg Cooked? -- Understanding Phenomena -- To Be a Cook or a Chemist? -- And Now for the Mayonnaise -- A Science for Cooking: Molecular Gastronomy -- 2. Simple Consomme -- A Site for Sharing New Ideas -- How to Make a Bouillon -- A Technical Question -- Cooking Has Really Changed! -- Constructing and Learning -- 3. Leg of Lamb with Green -- Beans -- Flavor and Culture -- Culinary Innovation -- To Grill or to Braise -- The Color of Green Beans -- Transmitting Knowledge -- Moderation in All Things -- 4. Steak and French Fries -- Constructing a Dish -- The Question of Steak -- Should Meat Be Salted Before, During, or After Cooking? -- Science and Diet -- Good for Your Health? -- Preparing French Fries -- 5. Lemon Meringue Pie -- On Love in Cooking -- What Do Humans Eat? -- Pies, Fats, and Sugars -- The Lemon Custard Filling -- The Meringue -- The Art of the Lecture.