Books I "heart"...

So I'm always being asked, what cook books do I love to read so ever so often I will post up the books both cooking and regular that have shaped me and led me to following my passion.. That said, my first book is..

Culinary Artistry

During my very first semester at school, I participated in “chopped” type of workshop were we where given a mystery basket. It was also the first time I met Chef Fernandez, who I would find during my time at school to be one of the BEST chef instructors at the school. 

After a dismal (and I do mean dismal) first effort he must of realized something in me (passion perhaps) because he pulled me aside and recommended that I get the book “Culinary Artistry”, he said it's the book that he keeps with him at all times, he didn't really explain what was in it, he just said it helps with flavor pairings. So off I went to the school library and checked it out.. 

Let me break it down for you.. Culinary Artistry is written by Andrew Dorneburg and Karen Page, I believe they may be husband and wife, they are James Beard award winning authors for their plethora of culinary related books.. (a few of them I will share here). It's part reference, part real world stories, part recipes.. I was struck and stuck when I read this passage under the title Sensory Perception:

“Food is something we ingest, we judge it carefully, critically and instinctively. All of our senses are used to evaluate whether to put the food in our mouths, and then whether to swallow it. First, you look at it, and the you might smell it, Is it safe. Is it appealing. If a food appears hot for example you may first try to touch it to gauge the temperature, will it burn your mouth? If it passes muster and you bit into it, your first experience is texture. Is it soft, crispy? If crispy, you hear the crunch in your inner ear a split second before its flavor begins to register on your taste buds.... then goes on to say.. Taste is existential, sensual experience..”

I was hooked.. Then I turned the pages to find that this book, ties all food, and I mean all food together with every other food it taste well with.. ie its flavor pairing.. It clues you in on seasonality, and menu themes, holiday and international food ideas.. it is FABULOUS!.. So much so for the next two years I checked it out of the school library for entire quarters.  I finally got around buying it so now I own it  (its all highlighted and tagged)..Watch  yours will be too.. enjoy!

You can buy the book at   Amazon.com

and you can read more about the authors here: Andrew Dorneburg and Karen Page