April 15, Thursday -- Author and New York Times columnist Harold McGee, an authority on the chemistry of foods and cooking, will speak during the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science’s Spring Lectureship at the University of California, Davis.

McGee, who writes “The Curious Cook“ column for the New York Times, will talk about the “Science and the Experience of Eating and Drinking” at 3 p.m. in the new UC Davis Conference Center Ballroom. Doors will open at 2 p.m.

McGee’s talk will be followed by a roundtable discussion with food anthropologist Melissa Caldwell, wine chemist Susan Ebeler and sensory scientist Jean Xavier Guinard, all UC Davis faculty members. A reception will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

McGee has written for a broad range of publications ranging from the scientific journal Nature to Fine Cooking magazine and has lectured at universities, scientific meetings and culinary schools. He is the author of “On Food & Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen,” (1984) and “The Curious Cook: More Kitchen Science and Lore” (1990, revised 2004). In 2005 he was named food writer of the year by Bon Appétit magazine.

The event is free and open to the public; however, pre-registration is requested by contacting Kim Bannister of the Robert Mondavi Institute at kbannister@ucdavis.edu or (530) 754-6349. Online registration is available at http://registration.caes.ucdavis.edu/rmi-mcgee.