The Year in Books: February with the Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

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The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, 2008.

I first heard about this book at a pediatric nutrition conference. It’s not really a cookbook, but rather a comprehensive list of complementary ingredients. Don’t like the taste of radishes? Well you probably just weren’t adding salt to them – boom, flavour change. I find my favourite way of enjoying radishes is sliced thinly onto a super fresh buttered baguette and then sprinkled with coarse salt, and it looks like I’m definitely not the only one. The lists give suggestions of flavor pairings, so you can basically invent your own dishes.

This flavour dictionary is organized alphabetically by ingredient, and the complementary flavours are listed underneath. The bolded ones mean the flavour pairing is superb, and if it is printed in ALL CAPS, it’s a match made in heaven. There are even multiple ingredient combinations from world-renowned chefs. It’s a great resource for experienced cooks to create their own recipes: you take a look at the flavour pairings, and then prepare a recipe using techniques from your own repertoire. Here are some interesting flavour combos:

• cauliflower + pine nuts + lime
• chicken + mustard + thyme
• lamb + garlic + rosemary
• mascarpone + arugula + truffle oil
• scallops + edamame + mint

Take a look and see for yourself!

Also, see what other bloggers are reading in February at Circle of Pine Trees.

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