Food IQ 100 questions, answers, and recipes to raise your cooking smarts

The Socratic method provides the satisfying answer to mealtime quandaries in this entertaining kitchen guide from Holzman, of New York's Meatball Shop, and food writer Rodbard (Koreatown). More a random assortment of entertaining facts than a consideration of "important and timely topics," the book poses its authors' queries, then offers answers and related recipes, guided by the collective know-how of more than 25 culinary experts. The first chapter focuses on ingredients, asking, for example, "How do I get the most out of a can of tuna?" and offering a recipe for tuna conserva along with a quick history of canned fish. A section on tools provides tips for using the microwave (do: cook nachos in it; don't: reheat pizza) and sous vide machines--a "ziplock plastic freezer bag," the authors argue, works just as great as "proprietary fancy-pants bags." An analysis of how to build the perfect sandwich is included, while frozen vegetables get their due in a permissive collection of myth busting revelations ("fresh fries are a fallacy"). Woven in are single-page interviews with the likes of Helen Rosner and Ina Garten and, in lieu of desserts, a dozen of the authors' favorite dishes. There's no shortage of knowledge to savor here. (Feb.)