the flavor bible

[LT72884]

SO i just got the flavor bible for my birthday. It is a very interesting book. I noticed as a thumbed through it that there seems to be no recipes. There happens to be a few excerpts on names of dishes and where they are served at on a few of the pages. IE pg 131.

Since i am new to this whole idea of mixing foods and being creative idea, any help and understanding of how to use this book would be awesome..

thanks

[martyleach]

The book starts with a great discussion about what comprises taste. I enjoyed the beginning chapters immensely. Then what it gets into is pairings of flavors. What works and what doesn't as measured by some well known chefs.

I use it when I am trying something new. Like, would a balsamic vinegar plum reduction sauce go well with lamb?

I think it is a great book for reference and learning. Definitely not a recipe book.

[swibirun]

I got this book on the recommendation of fellow Brethren Patio Daddio and I'm so glad I did.

It isn't a cook book or recipe book, you're right. It is more about matching flavors. Here are three ways I use it:

First - menu development: If I'm making a main dish with honey in it, I would look at the matching flavors for honey and use a side dish or sauce with some of those flavors.

Second - how to use an ingredient: If I am trying to figure out what to do with an ingredient I've never used, I look it up in the flavor bible and get some ideas just based on the flavor matches.

Third - recipe development: I have a main dish ingredient and have no idea what I want to make - I'll scan the list of flavor pairings for that ingredient, compare it against what I have in the pantry/fridge and just throw some things together.

So I guess for me it's more a source of inspiration and a guide to help keep me from getting too far off the beaten path when creating from scratch.

[LT72884]

Swib. ok let me ask you this. You say in your example that if your dish had honey in it you would match off of that? Is that a main dish or just any dish? the reason i ask is because what if i choose eggplant as my main dish? how would you base sides off of that?

Sorry if my question is vague but im trying to follow you the best i can.

Marty, thanx for the reply. Does the balsamic plum reduction sauce go with lamb? or was that just an idea you wanted to try out?

[martyleach]

Originally Posted by LT72884

Swib. ok let me ask you this. You say in your example that if your dish had honey in it you would match off of that? Is that a main dish or just any dish? the reason i ask is because what if i choose eggplant as my main dish? how would you base sides off of that?

Sorry if my question is vague but im trying to follow you the best i can.

Marty, thanx for the reply. Does the balsamic plum reduction sauce go with lamb? or was that just an idea you wanted to try out?

The bible recommended against it. I didn't have the Bible yet! I tried it and it was.....OK. Not something I would repeat. I really think the book can help you from making mistakes. Lots of people have done this stuff before. Why reinvent the wheel??

[landarc]

When setting up a menu with multiple elements, it is often desirable to have elements of various dishes echo throughout the meal. A simple, but, poorly conceived idea would be to use ham in everything. The Flavor Bible is a great shortcut to learning how differennt flavors could be combined in various way to create a sense of continuity throughout a series of dishes. For instance, supposed you were serving a dish which featured chicken, mushrooms, tarragon and grapes. You would want to serve a side that matches these flavors without necessarily repeating them. The Flavor Bible would allow you to quickly pair those foods with complememntary flavors.

[LT72884]

Originally Posted by landarc

When setting up a menu with multiple elements, it is often desirable to have elements of various dishes echo throughout the meal. A simple, but, poorly conceived idea would be to use ham in everything. The Flavor Bible is a great shortcut to learning how differennt flavors could be combined in various way to create a sense of continuity throughout a series of dishes. For instance, supposed you were serving a dish which featured chicken, mushrooms, tarragon and grapes. You would want to serve a side that matches these flavors without necessarily repeating them. The Flavor Bible would allow you to quickly pair those foods with complememntary flavors.

ok, lets see if i did this right. I took your example of said grapes, taragon, chicken and mushrooms and looked through the book to make a side dish. I first looked up grapes and noticed that cheese fits well with grapes, especially blu and goats cheese. I then looked up taragon to see if i could find a side or deseret with it. Taragon goes great with grapefruit and lemon juice. I also noticed it goes great with lobster so i thought about a taragon creamy sauce to go over some pieces of lobster as a side dish.

So for desert it could be grapes with cheese and blueberry honey, a side dish of lobster covered with a targon bearnise sauce and a main dish of chicken with mushrooms.

Is that how this book should be used?

thanks
Matt

[Bob Wiley]

Originally Posted by LT72884

ok, lets see if i did this right. I took your example of said grapes, taragon, chicken and mushrooms and looked through the book to make a side dish. I first looked up grapes and noticed that cheese fits well with grapes, especially blu and goats cheese. I then looked up taragon to see if i could find a side or deseret with it. Taragon goes great with grapefruit and lemon juice. I also noticed it goes great with lobster so i thought about a taragon creamy sauce to go over some pieces of lobster as a side dish.

So for desert it could be grapes with cheese and blueberry honey, a side dish of lobster covered with a targon bearnise sauce and a main dish of chicken with mushrooms.

Is that how this book should be used?

thanks
Matt

Yes. But I think I'll skip the dinner invite this time.

[bover]

Matt -

If you haven't done so already, I strongly recommend reading the first chapter of the book. It explains not only how to use the book, but also why the authors chose the approach to the book that they did. It's all about teaching and inspring you to create (paint a materpiece) instead of giving you a recipe (paint-by-numbers).

[btcg]

Darn it... now I've got to buy me that book.

[PCFisher66]

It kinda sounds like the Iron Chef show and how they use a common item in different recipes and how to make them compliment each other.

[El Lobo]

You guys talking about this?

Amazon.com: The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs (978031611840: Karen Page, Andrew Dornenburg: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51duEkaBE6L.@@AMEPARAM@@51duEkaBE6L

[Plitz]

Yes,that's the book..I just received it in the mail yesterday,still looking threw it though,so I have no opinion as of yet.

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Well, I just ordered a copy. Sounds intriguing.

[PatioDaddio]

Here's my $0.03 on the book.

Book Review: The Flavor Bible (pics)

John