Ever wondered why one flavour works with another? Or lacked inspiration for what to do with a bundle of beetroot? “The Flavour Thesaurus” is the first book to examine what goes with what, pair by pair. The book follows the form of “Roget’s Thesaurus”.
The back section lists, alphabetically, 99 popular ingredients, and suggests classic and less well known flavour matches for each. The front section contains an entry for every flavour match listed in the back section and is organised into 16 flavour themes such a Bramble & Hedge, Green & Grassy, and Earthy.
There are 980 entries in all and 200 recipes or suggestions are embedded in the text. It covers classic pairings such as pork & apple, lamb & apricot, and cucumber & dill; contemporary favourites like chocolate & chilli, lobster & vanilla, and goat’s cheese & beetroot; and interesting but unlikely-sounding couples including black pudding & chocolate, lemon & beef, blueberry & mushroom, and watermelon & oyster.
Beautifully packaged, “The Flavour Thesaurus” is not only a highly useful, and covetable, reference book that will immeasurably improve your cooking – it’s the sort of book that might keep you up at night reading.
About Niki Segnit:
Niki Segnit had not so much as peeled a potato until her early twenties, when, almost by accident, she discovered that she loved cooking. Much as she enjoys haute cuisine, she’s not likely to reproduce it at home, preferring to experiment with recipes from domestic kitchens abroad. Her background is in marketing, specialising in food and drink, and she has worked with many famous brands of confectionary, snacks, baby foods, condiments, dairy products, hard liquors and soft drinks. Since summer 2010 she has written a weekly column on food combinations for The Times. She lives in central London with her husband.
Reviews:
Nigel Slater, Observer New Review Best Books of the Year, 14 November 2010:
The books I value most are those I return to again and again. Such has been the case with The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit (Bloomsbury). It has intrigued, inspired, amused and occasionally infuriated me all year, and will for years to come.
Kate Winslet, Harper’s Bazaar, December 2010:
I’m a huge fan of cookery recipes, and I heartily recommend The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. It lists more than 4,000 possible combinations of 99 flavours, with lots of recipes to inspire you.
Ian Tucker, Observer Food Monthly, The 25 Best Cookbooks of 2010, 14 November 2010:
Something different for your pal with a fridge-full of cookbooks. A forensic yet fun exploration of flavour combinations and why they work, from the usual (lamb and mint) to the unlikely (watermelon and oyster).
Easy Living, December 2010:
This is a genius new approach to cooking; it lists 99 ingredients and the best possible things each goes with. Have some beetroot in your fridge? Look up its entry and find not just the obvious goat’s cheese, but also orange, dill, anchovy, coconut, chocolate… Forget formal recipes, it’s about experimenting once you know what works together. This will change the lives of both the gleefully imaginative and the trepidatious cook.
The Independent, 6 June 2010:
If your food obsession is ready to move to the next level, you need The Flavour Thesaurus … it investigates why certain flavours work so well together (lamb and mint for instance), offers more quirky combos and is the perfect manual for experimental cooks. Anyone for black pudding and chocolate?
GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow’s weekly newsletter:
For new cooks and old hands in the kitchen, this book is a must-have and a must-read. Not only are the flavor combinations and recipes offered useful, but Niki Segnit’s descriptions of each and every one are delightful to read. It’s a combination between a bedtime read and a kitchen companion. The American version will be available from Bloomsbury USA in November.
A Little Bird, 18 July 2010:
Niki Segnit’s The Flavour Thesaurus is a culinary guide to what goes with what. If that sounds a bit drab, don’t be fooled. The book is a revelation, whether you are interested in food or not. It is packed with history, literary references, lore, wonderful recipes and personal anecdotes – and is informed by both scholarly knowledge and scrupulous research, all of which it wears lightly. Some of it is very funny. Look up Apple and Blackberry for a laugh; Beef and Liver for a Saul Bellow hit, Pea and Rosemary for a delicious soup recipe or Parsnip and Banana for a little history. Those are just random pickings. Heston Blumenthal has decreed that all his staff must read it. And Segnit is about to start a food column for The Times on the back of it. A fantastic book. A great present too.
Booklist:
Any aspiring culinary student will find this an invaluable reference work, and many home cooks may find equal inspiration in Segnit’s creative ruminations.