Flavor Bible
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Like no other cook book
I am so glad I bought this book. It is certainly unique. The first few chapters talk about flavor and the elements that go into it and how we percieve it. The rest of the book is charts--charts of foods and what goes with them. It will tell you how strong a particular food flavor is, it's character and suggest MANY different ways to enhance that flavor. The best combinations are highlighted and comments about preferred cooking methods, etc are there from chefs and food experts. This really is a fabulous book. I keep it handy all the time. It is great to be able to check it for ideas to tweak a recipe or to pull something together without a recipe. Every serious cook should have it and it will give you the information you need to be a much better cook.
September 30, 2010
The Secrets of Using Ingredients to Enhance Flavor
If food preparation is 60% ingredients and 40% technique, then this book will allow you to totally conquer the ingredients and assist you significantly in learning the aromas, textures, visuals and other elements of a dish. Pick a spice or an ingredient and you can discover in food tables, everything that goes with it to achieve what you are trying to achieve. This is a critical reference volume for anyone serious about improving what they cook and serve.. Example: want to know about peaches? it lists everything that goes well with peaches, what goes best, what the flavor affinities and subtleties are, hints from great chefs on special preparation techniques and some dishes. Taking the pages on peaches you could create some spectacular new twists, substitute new ingredients in a tired recipe, balance what you have, enhance any peach dish -- and that is just one ingredient -- this has 380 pages stuffed with truly eye-popping information and revelations. No, you may NOT borrow my copy. But now you know why my food tastes so good.
July 24, 2010
A true kitchen essential.
Less like a cookbook, and more like a compendium of jazz riffs, this book has been instrumental in taking my cooking to the next level. The Flavor Bible is an exhaustive listing of classic and exotic flavor combinations gleaned from interviews with some of the countries most influential and innovative chef's. It is the perfect springboard for anyone looking to move away from cooking recipes, and toward improvising and developing meals.
January 15, 2010