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Off Menu
- The Secret Science of Food and Dining
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 5 hrs and 58 mins
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Off Menu
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Summary
Off Menu is a charming, fun-fact-filled deep dive into the little-known science of food and dining: why we eat what we eat, the nuances of our experience of taste and flavor, and the tiny, easy hacks and tweaks that, when mastered, can make a huge difference in our diets, meals, and relationships with food and drink.
Have you ever noticed that a café’s coffee tastes better in a mug than it does in a to-go cup? Or that hearing the sound of a cocktail being prepared - the sloshing of the liquid in the shaker, the clink of the ice as it’s stirred - makes you enjoy it even more? In Off Menu, journalist Nell McShane Wulfhart explores the facets of food science that you’ve probably never thought about - lighting, background music, the brain’s reaction to the ping of a microwave - but have nonetheless played a role in how you’ve experienced a meal, a drink, or an entire night out.
This lively, accessible audio project distills cutting-edge research into lessons on everything from what quick fixes can cover up your mistakes in the kitchen to what meal to serve when you’re planning to break up with someone. It’s the perfect listen to devour as you’re strolling through the farmer’s market, washing the dishes, or planning your next dinner party.
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What listeners say about Off Menu
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Josephine
- 03-06-21
A real corker
Fascinating insight into what affects our experiences with food and drink. I have recommended it to foodie friends who are also loving it.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 02-04-24
The science behind the dining is fascinating! Would recommend to anyone who is into food.
The book contained a lot of exciting data and findings. Especially the first part. The second part was interesting too but slightly repetitive.
However, I’ll make sure to get to the first one again and again to remind myself of really cool ideas for creating a better dining and food experience.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alan L. Brunton
- 18-11-20
excellent
What a wonderful exploration into the popular science surrounding what we eat and why. Covering things like how sound, light and smell, and how they all effect the concept and enjoyment of food. Why oh why can I not now but this as a book, to keep as a reference?! I went straight on Amazon to buy a couple of copies as I know a couple of people who would love this. Please make it available as a paper book!
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrzej Lengiewicz
- 18-11-22
Absolutly amazing!
Before this book, I would never expect that it could be difficult to stop listening to a book about food and drink.
Brilliant content, delivered in a very engaging and at the same time light way. So many helpful and often surprising tips.
Fantastic job!
Any chance to have this gem in a printed form?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Catherine Ferraz
- 27-03-22
Fantasy
Very amusing and informative topics from cigars to simple gestures with lots of humor. Great listen, highly recommended.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Toadjuggler
- 29-12-22
I'm glad it was free.
If you've never read anything about food science you might get something out of this but it is actually a trivial gloss on the subject, there is very little of actual use for the cook. And the last third of the book is just party-planning and cocktails, in fact the book is disproportionately obsessed with cocktails and drinking, and the first quarter seems to just keep on telling you what you will learn from the book but without actually telling you any of the facts.
It's a shame, it is a very interesting subject, but the whole thing reads like a couple of long magazine articles stretched to fill a rather slim book. And some of the "science" she quotes is just garbage so the book tells the reader rather more about what the author doesn't know than it does inform. I can't recommend it to anyone.
The reader has a nice voice and does a fair job of keeping it all bouncing along but a good narrator can't save a poor book.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Gigi
- 27-02-22
Pointless
Did you know that taste is mostly smell? Revolutionary! Rehashed “research” not very original or insightful. Also repetitive.
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1 person found this helpful