Product Description
Winner οf thе 2009 James Beard Book Award fοr Best Book: Reference аnd Erudition
Fаntаѕtіс cooking goes beyond subsequent a recipe–іt’s knowing hοw tο season ingredients tο coax thе utmost possible flavor frοm thеm. Drawing οn dozens οf leading chefs’ collective experience іn top restaurants асrοѕѕ thе country, Karen Page аnd Andrew Dornenburg present thе definitive guide tο mаkіng “deliciousness” іn аnу dish. Thousands οf ing… More >>
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I recently added this book to my cookbook collection, which numbers more than 1,000 volumes (probably more like 1200 but I’m still cataloging). It has immediately become one of my favorites (and definitely my #1 favorite in English). If you are a serious cook, love to read cookbooks like novels, and view recipes as suggestions rather than as requiring strict adherence to precise measurements, then this is the book for you! (Did I say I LOVE this book?)
I make all of the desserts for my husband’s restaurant. If I snag some particularly luscious fruit and want to make it into a dessert, this is the book I reach for first. I don’t WANT to be told how to make a fruit sorbet. I already know how. But I love having a list of suggested flavors and products that go with what I already have. It’s like having an uber-creative friend at your side saying “hey, why not try THIS?”
And if you are not an experienced cook, this book provides invaluable guidance that a recipe book never could. It is wholly different from every food book I have ever read.
The book is clever, useful, and obviously the product of prodigious research. To the authors, I send my humble gratitude. You have made my life immeasurably easier, and my dishes far more interesting than ever before.
This book is a must-read if you love to eat or love to cook. I have already bought six copies and have given two as gifts. It’s THAT good.
Rating: 5 / 5
Bought this book w/o a whole lot of information about it. Can’t believe it — I now have the resource I’ve been looking for –
I’m a cook with some years of experience, a huge cookbook collection, a list of classes taught by renowned experts and cookbook writers, and still I yearned for a reference that gave me the info on what goes with what (w/o me researching my whole library or classnotes. I guess I need “permissions” and this book gave it to me.
Tonight I made redfish (snapper in the book) with a crust of almonds, chives, parsley and dill (methodology learned in all those classes). Served w a favorite zuchinni recipe that included the “go-to” ingredients for snapper, and roasted potatoes with light sprinkling of rosemary and salt (again, a “go-to” herb for the main dish).
It wasn’t overkill (my worry) — it just plain worked and I did it w/o a single recipe. Cut my cooking time in half and raised my personal culinary “thermometer” by a ton of degrees.
If you cook, know methodology and are looking for a silent but knowledgeable help in the kitchen, buy this book. It’s a gem!!!
Rating: 5 / 5
Flavor is the basis for all food, without it, the world would seem less colorful, lifeless, and bland. Food isn’t just about what you can taste in your mouth but also what you can see with your eyes, what you smell with your nose and what you feel in your heart. That’s what is presented in this book. (The authors wrote two other acclaimed books, Culinary Artistry and What to Drink with What You Eat.)
Culinary Artistry showcased was that food can be art. That colors structure on a plate can evoke emotions the same as any other art work. And like any art work, is in the eye of the beholder.
What to Drink with What You Eat gave us the understanding that beverages (not just wine) can be paired and should be thought of as a condiment rather than an afterthought
The Flavor Bible talks about, well, flavor; but more then that, it talks about what flavor is and how we perceive it, receive it, balance it and emphasize it. All coming to the climax which is a very in depth list (3/4ths of the book) of ingredient detailing its profile (weak, strong), seasonality, and every herb, spice, fruit, vegetable, meat, fish, poultry and alcoholic related item and what would go exceptionally well with it.
So, if it is so good, why did I give it only 4 stars? The list for the most part is just an update from Culinary Artistry; most flavor companions haven’t change since the days of Escoffier. The “new” list does give mention of the seasonality of produce and also the break down of different cuts of meat such as beef, lamb, pork, and poultry into their respected parts and given their own listings.
Culinary Artistry was my best friend going through culinary school and now I have a great addition that I am sure I’ll end up burning through as I did my other 2 copies of Culinary Artistry. I look to this book every time I cook to add that extra something to a dish. So if you are even the slightest bit interested in cooking or making good food taste even better then you can’t go wrong buying this book.
Rating: 4 / 5
I absolutely love this book! I first discovered it when it was cited as a reference for a cookbook and am glad I did. While I am not a trained chef, I am an avid home cook that enjoys writing my own recipes, experimenting with foods, and as of late, entering recipe contests. This book helps me be more daring in my flavor combinations and has inspired new recipes.
The first section of the book is a great introduction to flavor. It talks about what is perceived by the mouth, what is perceived by the nose, and my personal favorite, what is perceived by the heart, mind, and spirit. It has great passages from chefs from all over the country talking about things like balancing flavor.
The second section expands on this further by talking about things like seasonality, taste, weight, volume, function, region, and flavor affinities. This helps set up the flavor matching chart since many of these dimensions are used to describe key aspects of each ingredient.
The final section, and bulk of the book, is comprised of matchmaking charts. Simply look up a listing alphabetically and you will be presented with a list of ingredients that pair well with it as well as ‘flavor affinities’ that include the featured ingredient with more than two additional ingredients. This book gives you the ability to look up cheeses, chile peppers, cuisines, fishes, flavorings, fruits, herbs, ingredients, meats, oils, peppers, salts, spices, tastes, vegetables, vinegars and more! Overall these charts are very extensive and include a variety of ingredients from around the world. If you are interested in an ingredient there is a good chance you will find it in here. Also in this section you will find different tips and comments from Chefs that relate to the ingredients as well as examples of dishes (without recipes) that incorporate the ingredient. These can be great in bringing the combinations to life and jump starting ideas.
It is also worth noting that this is really a reference book. There are no recipes in this book. However, this does not bother me at all as I have tons of cookbooks and come to this book when I want to create something on my own.
This is quite a fantastic reference book that I cannot say enough about! I believe it is something that an avid cook who likes to experiment and create their own recipes would find not only helpful, but enjoyable to have in the kitchen.
Rating: 5 / 5
This book has a short introduction with comments from many great chef’s giving snippets of sundry approaches to balancing taste. It contains an overview of what goes into “flavor”: taste, mouth feel, aroma, plus “the x-factor”(our emotional reaction including presentation, associations, etc.). But the “meat” (pardon the pun) of the book is a listing of most of the common flavorings with lists of flavors that compliment each other. The listings are also interspersed with advice from famous chefs. The authors are not fans of traditional recipes so do not expect “cook by numbers”. However, the authors are students of flavoring, so do expect many suggestions for ways to be more creative (or, more systematic and sophisticated in your creativity).
Positives: the introduction is a fun and quickly read, the advice from the chefs is excellent, the flavor combinations are very helpful (I have several new developments underway) and the listings are quite comprehensive (there are a few ingredients missing — like one quoted chef recommends palm sugar which is not listed, but as it is not available locally either that may make little difference).
Negatives: lack of an index. The flavors are alphabetical, but good luck finding a specific tidbit from a favorite chef. It glances on, but only glances on technique. It would be helpful to flesh out how to get different flavors out of the same ingredients by changing technique.
Overall: a fun book that spurs creativity. I recommend it — but will not give five stars to any reference without an index.
Rating: 4 / 5