Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Flavor Bible

I mentioned before that I was infatuated with the “Flavor Bible,” the new book by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. I wasn’t kidding- it’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever encountered. On Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting the authors for a private book signing event. I was impressed with the way they were able to explain the creation of the book and address the audience. Listening to them, I felt like they were reading my mind. In particular, a few of the points and themes of the book really hit home. The way they described the thought process of shopping for, cooking and eating food was a piece from my own mind. The use of diverse acids on a (hot) station, a change from the basics of salt and pepper, is another culinary trend that I’ve followed. I loved hearing him Andrew talk about using the book as a guide to “mystery basket” shopping. What to do with a variety of ingredients that don’t seem to be connected? Cleaning out the refrigerator in search of dinner? What do you do if you have only some Gouda, cauliflower, almonds and ricotta? Look it up! You can use the book to search by ingredient to find its flavor affinities. The book also includes a collection of quotes by accomplished chefs, cooking tips from experts around the world, and tried and true flavor combinations. There are even listings for what does not go together. The “avoids” sections may be more helpful than you’d think; it might save you from a dinner disaster! Because the book is not full of recipes, I find it to be more helpful. I can browse by what’s on hand, find combinations that seem appealing, and improvise from there.

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