The Flavor Bible

britt — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:16:11 +0000

You must think I’m crazy. Figs and cilantro? It’s true. We made a very unscientific study of the pairing last night at dinner, and it is absolutely true. I don’t have a picture to show because, well, it wasn’t much to look at. My fig-stuffed chicken breasts fell apart in the cutting process due to my overzealous stuffing, but it was delicious. I cooked it in a pan with a creamy tomato sauce and threw on some cilantro at the end. The very best part was getting a bite of tender fig with a sprig of cilantro.
This is one of the “flavor affinities” found in my new favorite cookbook. Although it’s not so much a cookbook as an index. You just look up an ingredient and it lists all the foods that harmonize with that ingredient, including flavor trios like the one pictured above. The ideas found in the book have been based on the work of some of the most innovative chefs around, so while you see the classic combinations listed, there are also more challenging and interesting ideas.
For example, lets look at the flavor affinities for scallops. Scallops + almonds + cauliflower. Scallops + apples + tarragon. Scallops + basil + grapefruit. Scallops + bay leaf + vanilla. Scallops + fennel + orange + rosemary. Drooling yet? There are lots more. Beside that, there are tips from chefs and some of the dishes they serve. Like Maine Diver Scallops Grilled with Ruby Grapefruit, Spring Potatoes, and Basil (from Daniel Humm of the restaurant Eleven Madison Park in NYC).

It’s incredibly inspiring. Ryan and I love to cook together, but neither one of us is very interested in recipes. We just want the idea behind the dish. It’s good to know that when you deglaze a steak pan with bourbon and drizzle it over the meat, it’s exquisite. Or that if you mix basil and lemon with gin, it’s heavenly. I highly, highly recommend this book.
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. Buy it on Amazon:

Sparkling Americano

britt — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:45:08 +0000

Ryan is an espresso fiend (he even has a site devoted to two of his favorite things: logo design and coffee). In the last few years, he has gone from chugging brewed coffee with cream and sugar, to drinking dry cappuccinos, to sipping plain ristretto shots of premium espresso. Are we coffee snobs? Yes, unappologetically so.
I, however, can rarely handle straight espresso. A couple years ago we heard about someone making a sparkling americano at a barista competition (yes, there is such a thing). So we have played with the idea and come up with something that I think is really delightful, and so refreshing in the heat of summer.
Pull one shot of good quality espresso for each glass you’ll be making. We used the Epic Espresso blend by 49th Parallel which works beautifully here. While the espresso is hot, stir in half a teaspoon of agave nectar (or more if you are a sugar fiend).You could really use any sweetener, but we found that honey overpowered the espresso. Agave nectar also has a much better glycemic profile than refined sugars, which means you are less likely to have a sugar crash after drinking this. Pour the sweetened espresso into a martini shaker with plenty of ice. Shake well. This quickly chills the espresso and creates a nice foam “crema”. Pour espresso into a tall glass with ice and top with sparkling water.
Alternately, if you don’t have an espresso machine at home, you could order this at a cafe. Just buy a small bottle of sparkling water and ask for a shot of espresso with a little sweetener in a glass with lots of ice. I hope you enjoy it. (We also recently made coffee smoothies with almond milk and berries. It was… strange. That one definitely needs some work.)

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The Flavor Bible

Sparkling Americano