What I Owe to the Flavor Bible
Not long ago, VinePair published a piece by Adam Reiner (“The Cookbook That Became Every Bartender’s Trusted Companion”) about The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. But before I get to that…
Savory and Sweet Shrubs Available for Preorder!
My new book is now available for preorder in all the usual places: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop
Please consider preordering; it helps the publisher, it helps me, it helps my kids’ toy box.
Here’s a picture of the cover; I’m very happy with it. We deliberately went with an art direction that is different from my previous books, and the interior design is just as beautiful.
Back to the Flavor Bible
If you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s not actually a cookbook as such, but a reference of hundreds of entries, listed alphabetically, featuring individual ingredients and then offering suggestions for other ingredients that pair well flavor-wise.
Reiner explains…
“The Flavor Bible” is the rare cookbook that contains no recipes. Instead, it reads more like a treatise on music theory that regards flavor affinities like harmonious chords, encouraging readers to use suggested pairings, like rhubarb with ginger and spearmint or tamarind with Thai chile and mustard, as launching points for their own culinary creations.
Reiner goes on to explain that the book has become an inspiration not just for chefs (I’ve seen it displayed in restaurants) and home cooks, but for bartenders as well, who use its precepts as inspiration for flavor combinations in cocktails.
And for me, as well. The book my editor commissioned in the fall of 2023 was an exploration of pairing herbs and spices with fruits and vegetables to make shrubs. I knew exactly where to turn, and I grabbed pen, notebook, and my copy of The Flavor Bible and found ample inspiriation.
Shrubs in the News!
Finally, one thing I want to do in this newsletter is link out to the work others are doing in this space, whether it’s making shrubs or mixing with them or selling them. Today’s link comes from AgUpdate and concerns a family farm that is shifting its economic model to incorporate value-added products such as fruit vinegars and shrubs.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!