The Art of Flavor

June 5, 2017
In their second collaboration (after Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Foods and Fragrance), Patterson, a Bay Area chef and restaurateur, and Aftel, a perfumer, reunite to explore the elusive concept of flavor. The authors reference experts from Apicius (first-century author of a Roman cookbook) to Harold McGee (who currently writes about the science of food) as they explain the process of heightening and balancing tastes and explore the chemistry behind culinary pairings and techniques. Though the writing is solid, the book as a whole is a lofty exercise. Thankfully, the intellectual analysis is broken up by more than 70 recipes illustrating the authors’ ideas. In contrast to the sophisticated concepts, the recipes are rather simple: salted cucumbers are made just as the name of the recipe implies. A recipe for red lentils simmered in cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cumin, and cayenne pepper doesn’t break new ground, even as it illustrates how “heat intensifies spices.” Other dishes push the boundaries more intently: carrots (which have a “grounding” flavor profile) are roasted on a bed of coffee beans (“uplifting and sharp”); mushrooms are fermented in the style of sauerkraut. This cookbook will be fascinating to anyone interested in the science of cooking, but not always helpful to those who need to get dinner on the table.