The BEST Tool in the Kitchen

It’s a fact of life, whether it be for pleasure or out of pure necessity, we spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Some people dread coming up with answers to the never ending question, “What’s for dinner?” Others look forward to trying a new recipe or discovering interesting flavor combinations. I sit somewhere in the middle; between spending my (fictitious) lottery winnings on a private chef and secretly wishing I could spend an entire week as a fly on the wall in Alton Brown’s kitchen. Alton Brown probably doesn’t have flies in his kitchen…that would be gross, anyway. No matter which side of the spatula you land on, I’m pretty sure we could ALL use a little help when it comes to creating meals. And guess what? I have just the thing.

Several years ago, while attending culinary school, our son introduced me to the book: The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg. This IS NOT a cookbook. It’s not a technique book either. It is a book which makes creating and combining flavors amazingly easy and….well, exciting! This is the ONLY book I keep out in my kitchen and here’s the reason why.

It prevents your taste buds from getting bored

It’s really that simple and that is why I use this book almost every day. I know, I know what you’re thinking…”Who has time for that?” That’s the beauty of how this book is laid out. Finding what you need is as quick as looking up a word in the dictionary. You remember the dictionary… Yep, that big book with all the words – before spellcheck and phone apps. Let me give you an example.

Say I’m trying to avoid going to the grocery store (because I would rather craft) but I’m down to the bare bones in the fridge and I need to come up with a dinner plan. I’ve got broccoli and…that’s pretty much it. How do I make a meal out of broccoli? I know! I’ll look it up in the FLAVOR BIBLE.

This is what the broccoli listing looks like.

Now let’s see if I have any of the recommended items on the list… hmmm; I’ve got almonds, butter, eggs, garlic, a lemon and a stub of fresh ginger. I also have half a shallot, a little parsley and some rice in the pantry.

In the ‘Techniques’ section I see that saute and stir-fry are two recommended ways to cook broccoli so now I’ve got an idea forming. I make the rice and set it aside. Then I saute some garlic, ginger and shallot in butter. I add the broccoli and a squeeze of lemon and stir-fry that. The fewer pans the better so once the broccoli is al dente, I plop in the cooked rice, get it all hot and then mix in two beat eggs. Once my broccoli fried rice is done, I top it with some almonds and chopped parsley. Voila’! Dinner is served. I have all the food groups (except for dairy) and the flavor is really quite nice. Best of all – I didn’t have to go to the grocery store…today.

It’s not always as complex as all that. Sometimes I just need help changing up a frequently used recipe. I use the Flavor Bible to help chose ingredients for salad dressings and to select which herbs or spices would taste best in a soup or stew. Even marinades and rubs can benefit from a quick look through The Flavor Bible

So, If YOU cook…if you know someone who cooks… If you know someone who is into cocktails and mixology…

The Flavor Bible is the PERFECT gift (hard cover or kindle versions) and is easily the best tool in the kitchen!

 In addition to culinary creations, The Flavor Bible is a fantastic source for mixology.

MIXOLOGY: The art of inventing and preparing mixed drinks.

Stay tuned… next I will show you how I used the Flavor Bible to help create vibrantly delicious ‘shrubs’, also known as drinking vinegars. Shrubs make a wonderfully refreshing non-alcoholic beverage when added to ginger ale or mineral water. They also can be used with a variety of liquors like gin or vodka to create an infinite number of fabulous cocktails. More on that next time…

Thanks…and as always,

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