INTRODUCTION

The name Brian (my nephew), is the collective name for all of my friends who have contacted me over the past 45 years to help with some cooking problem: "My mashed potatoes are sticky; what will I do?", or, alternately "They are full of lumps", or "My turkey is still raw and bloody after I cooked it for a long time", or "How do I do this or do that?", etc.

The name "Brian" could easily be "Brenda" (my niece) since this book applies equally to women and men. But Brenda knows most of these answers whereas it seemed like Brian was calling me several times a month.

My career as a food technologist/scientist leads my friends (and relatives) to believe that I have the answer to everything. I don't, of course, but sometimes I know things that they don't know and can help find a solution to the immediate problem.

Most of my answers to those in need were given over the telephone. Sometimes I'd follow up with a written note. I still have some copies of those as well as a lot of memories about questions which were asked. I've collected this information describing how to cook, how to shop, and the "whys" and "wherefores" and called it "Letters to Brian". I've not covered every topic, only those to which I've given answers over the years. Included are some anecdotes from
my career.

As noted above, while this book is written basically to help unmarried Brian and similar men - those newly divorced and those never married, it applies as well to unmarried women - those who never learned some of the details of cooking from their mothers. These problems arise frequently in every single person's life and it is hoped that "Letters to Brian" will serve as a survival-kit.

AUTHOR

Walt Wood is a retired food technologist living in southern California. He graduated from Penn State University (1949), earned his M.S. at the University of Idaho (1951), and began his career as a processed-products inspector for the US Department of Agriculture, eventually moving into commercial food production.

Active as a food-industry technologist for 15 years, he became a college professor in 1967, developing and teaching courses and programs at Delaware Valley College in Doylestown, PA, St. Joseph's College (Philadelphia), the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, and the California educational system from which he retired in 1985.

Among notable achievements, he developed (invented) the original Weight Watchers frozen dinners, more than 30 items for Kraft Foods, the first commercially successful cooked turkey roll, and two college-level departments of food science.

He founded and directed BUILD A WIDER BRIDGE, a non-profit organization, designed to collect and send foods-related technical books and journals, free of charge, to needy countries. To date, 108,765 volumes have been sent to nineteen universities in six nations. He corresponds with colleagues in 52 educational institutions in twenty-nine nations.

Internationally, he has spoken to academic and industry groups in Bogota (Colombia), San Salvador (El Salvador), Zagreb (Croatia), and Hermosillo, Vera Cruz, Puebla, Chihuahua and Queretaro (Mexico). He has visited mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, India, Chile, and many countries in Europe, generally connected to foods-related seminars and meetings.

In May 1995 he was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award by the Southern California section of the Institute of Food Technologists.