Monday, September 15, 2008

Tuesday's special is...The Flavor Bible

A Book and a Bottle

First, the book:

The Flavor Bible, by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg.

Great cooking goes beyond following a recipe—it's knowing how to season ingredients to coax the greatest possible flavor from them. Drawing on dozens of leading chefs' combined experience in top restaurants across the country, Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg present the definitive guide to creating "deliciousness" in any dish.




Now, the bottle:

Answer three questions below about wine and the stuff we put into our stomachs to absorb it (food), and not only might you win a personalized, autographed copy of The Flavor Bible, but also a bottle of 90+ rated wine from Wine.com.


Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, wine columnists for The Washington Post, are the award-winning authors of Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry, Dining Out, Chef's Night Out, The New American Chef, and What to Drink With What You Eat. Visit their website here. Buy their books from Amazon here.



An excerpt from The Flavor Bible:

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.
—Proverb

We could simply give you a recipe for shrimp, and then you’d know one way to cook shrimp. But we wanted to be more generous than that—so instead our new book gives you an infinite number of ways to cook shrimp over your lifetime!

Here is a sample listing from The Flavor Bible, which lists modern flavor pairings for hundreds of ingredients, from Apples to Zucchini Blossoms. You can look up any ingredient, and discover the herbs, spices and other seasonings that best enhance their flavor—along with some of the best cooking techniques to use with that ingredient. Put them all together, and you’ve got a delicious new dish!


from foodpages.ca

SHRIMP
Season: year-round
Weight: light-medium (depending on size)
Volume: quiet
Techniques: bake, barbecue, boil, broil, deep-fry, grill, poach, roast, sauté, steam, stir-fry

Flavor pairings:

Arugula, avocado, bacon, basil, bay leaf, beans, bell peppers, butter, carrots, cayenne, celery, celery root, chile peppers, chives, cilantro, cinnamon, clams, crab, cream, curry powder, garlic, ginger, lemon, lime, mint, mushrooms, mustard, olive oil, onions, orange, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, salt, scallions, sesame, shallots, soy sauce, stocks, thyme, tomatoes, vinegar, and wine.

Flavor affinities:

Shrimp+bacon+chives
Shrimp+basil+garlic+jalapeno chile
Shrimp+black beans+coriander
Shrimp+cayenne+cinnamon+orange
Shrimp+cepes+curry powder+Dijon mustard
Shrimp+chiles+lime juice+brown sugar
Shrimp+coriander+tarragon
Shrimp+crab+old bay seasoning
Shrimp+crab+pistachio nuts+watercress
Shrimp+garlic+grits+mascarpone+tomato
Shrimp+garlic+lime
Shrimp+garlic+mustard+tarragon
Shrimp+ginger+green apple+saffron
Shrimp+horseradish+ketchup+lemon
Shrimp+white beans+bell peppers+orange+sausage


Some tips:

"Fruit works easily with shellfish. You need to be careful, though, and counteract some of the sweetness of the fruit with vinegar or a citrus juice like lemon. Watermelon works well with shellfish, and I particularly like it with lobster, shrimp and crab."
—Gabriel Kreuther, The Modern (New York City)

"I love vanilla with shellfish, because it brings out the sweetness. It works with scallops, lobster or shrimp. I make a lobster-vanilla bisque that is one of my favorite soups. I also serve a scallop dish with vanilla, almonds, and orange. The vanilla brings up the sweet, the almonds add crispness to the creamy, rich scallops, and the orange adds some acid. The dish also works really well with grapefruit instead of orange, and gives it a tart flavor as well."
—Bob Iacovone, Cuvee (New Orleans)

* * *
Now, the questions:

1. Dornenburg and Page order shrimp sautéed in a spicy sauce with jalapeño, mint, and garlic, topped with shredded fresh coconut (a recipe from their book). What kind of wine do they select to accompany it?

a. White, slightly sweet, delicately perfumed
b. White, dry, crisp, steely
c. Rosé, spritzy, tangy
d. Red, robust, woody, velvety

2. The sommelier, handing the cork to Dornenburg for inspection, accidentally drops it into the Roquefort dressing. What does Dornenburg do?

3. What is your favorite shrimp dish? What makes it work? Dornenburg and Page want to know.

Provide the best answers and win a personalized copy of The Flavor Bible straight from the authors' shelf. Book Roast will kick in a bottle of 90+ rated wine from Wine.com. What kind of wine? The readers shall decide:


The fine print: Wine can be shipped only to the following states: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wyoming. If you live elsewhere we'll send the bottle to a friend or relative in one of these states. Or if you prefer, we'll send you an empty bottle, complete with its original cork, and you can amuse yourself wondering how it would have tasted, had you, instead of the Book Roast team, been the one to drink it.

85 comments:

Stephen Parrish said...

Yes, yes, I know it's only Monday, but some people might want to get their drink on early. The authors aren't expected to show up until tomorrow. Let's not wait . . .

Whirlochre said...

1.
I'd go with wine (a) — it has to be something sweet and delicate to complement the spiciness of the shrimps.

2.
Dornenburg lifts a cast iron frying pan from the nearest hook and smacks the sommelier over the head with it, slapstick style.

3.
An empty bowl. Shrimp make me barf.

Chris Eldin said...

How fun!!
Hey Steve, I have to check to see if Maryland is on that list.....
Want to know your recs too!
:-)

Precie said...

Well, hell, I'm in one of the states you can't ship wine to. Whine.

1) I was going to say Riesling, but I'm a little biased. I will say B.

2) Sniff the bouquet from the glass and ask for another salad.

3) An impeccably executed shrimp scampi. Everything should be fresh, and the shrimp (and linguine) shouldn't be swimming in sauce. Done well, the combination of the garlic, wine and butter should really draw out the flavor of the shrimp.

Now I'm hungry.

Stephen Parrish said...

Precie: it's legal to ship grape juice, if that's any consolation. You could mix it with Everclear. We'll call it Côtes du Precié.

Right now I'm drinking my favorite wine, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. When made right it tastes distinctively of black pepper. This one was made right. Hmmmm.

Whatch y'all drinkin'? Hopefully not Côtes du Precié.

Precie said...

I'd like to be drinking a nice Beaujolais.

Charles Gramlich said...

1. I'd say "A":
a. White, slightly sweet, delicately perfumed. (That's because I'm pretending I know something about wine.)

2. This is an impossible scenario since Dornenburg would never deign to order anything with Roquefort dressing.


3. That would be steak and shrimp. Hold the shrimp. No, actually, I like Shrimp pretty well. Probably a good Shrimp Po-boy would be my favorite way to eat them.

Bill Cameron said...

Here comes trouble.

1. Beer. Yeah, I know. But . . . but . . . but . . .

2. Order a beer, but it's okay to slurp the dressing off the cork.

3. Beer-battered shrimp. It's the beer.

I know, I know.

The thing is, I want to like wine. I even like the IDEA of wine. I am much in favor of wine as an abstract concept.

But I'd rather drink beer.

Sandra Cormier said...

All those shrimp pairings remind me of Bubba in Forest Gump.

I guess you don't ship to Canada, huh? Well, I do have a brother in Buffalo, so all is not lost!

1. Rosé, because the light, sweet wine might not stand up to the jalepenos.

2. He'd snatch up the cork and taste it to see if it paired nicely with the Roquefort.

3. I like shrimp in any form, but my favourite is shrimp dip with cucumber, lemon juice and zest, and cream cheese.

Bill, have you had Raspberry Wheat beer?

Shona Snowden said...

Bill, I feel the same way about coffee and tea.

I know. It's not as exciting as your version.

Anyway...I know it's a 70s fave, but it's hard to beat shrimp with avocado and a beautiful creamy mayo. Or good old fashioned potted shrimp, which I've only had once in my life, but have never forgotten. Freshly shelled and sprinkled with lime juice is also good. Fried in garlic, mmm. Battered and served with chips. My mother's shrimp in mild curry sauce. I like shrimp...

Sandra Cormier said...

Alas, Stephen, I'm not drinking tonight. But I really love Oyster Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Bill Cameron said...

I've had a number of raspberry wheats. Generally, they don't impress me. The raspberry generally seems to come off as tasting like cough syrup. I don't find it to be a effective complement to malt and even light hops.

I do like some fruit beers though. In the summer, apricot wheat beers can really hit the spot, and I like citrus beers. Saxer used to make a good one, Lemon Lager. Don't know if that's available any more though.

Sandra Cormier said...

The one I like is made by a microbrewery here - Upper Canada. I like it on a cold day (and we have lots of them), but not too often. Doesn't taste like cough syrup to me, so maybe it's brewed differently.

Stephen Parrish said...

If you all keep talking about beer I'm going to start checking IDs at the door.

Sandra Cormier said...

Okay, wine!

A neighbour once gave me a bottle of Rioja from a case that had been sitting in a customer's storage since the 60's. I don't know if it was properly stored, though. Who knows, the temp may have fluctuated over the years. They might have gotten shook up, too.

We opened it and tried it. It wasn't bad. We left the bottle overnight and next day, it tasted better.

I suppose decanting would have been wise?

Stephen Parrish said...

You only need to decant if there's residue in the bottle.

Rioja spends a lot of time inside barrels, and the resulting tannens are part of the reason why your bottle was still drinkable. But I've had bad luck with Rioja. Every Gran Reserva I've ever owned has gone sour in my cellar, which is underground and stable. On the other hand, when I go to Spain and drink the stuff I get so happy I sign up for amateur night at the local flamenco club.

Anonymous said...

Good morning, Book Roasters! We're flattered to check in after our first cups of coffee / tea (Andrew favors the former, Karen the latter) to already find so many comments burning up the boards!

And here it is 9:38 am and we're craving shrimp! Hmmm...wonder why??

Thanks for stopping by to roast our new book THE FLAVOR BIBLE: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs (Little, Brown; 380 pages; $35).

We've been blessed to see the book launching to such positive reviews, including receiving a starred review yesterday from Publishers Weekly and being named by Newsweek its "Book Pick of the Week."

You all clearly have a knack for flavor pairing, which we can tell from your descriptions of your favorite shrimp dishes and those flavors that help to bring out the best in shrimp! (OK, we're definitely giving Whirlochre the benefit of the doubt here....)

Sandra Cormier said...

Welcome, Karen and Andrew!

Chris Eldin said...

Welcome Karen and Andrew!

(I notice you didn't mention anything about the beer discussion...)
:-)

I'm hungry now too....

Stephen Parrish said...

I caught some guy trying to sneak a beer in, and had security whisk him away. I think it was one of Janet Reid's boys.

Precie said...

Hi, Karen and Andrew!

What inspired you to write The Flavor Bible?

Anonymous said...

BTW...

Steve, many thanks for hosting us today!

Precie, thanks for illustrating the power of flavor affinities. Classic dishes like shrimp scampi are based on flavors that are proven to have a synergistic affinity for one another, e.g. shrimp + garlic + wine + butter, with the end result tasting a heck of a lot better than the same ingredients would taste either separately or in a lesser combination.

Steve, what do you like to eat with your Chateauneuf-du-Pape? And did you know that CDP is an ideal wine to drink to get started qualifying for membership in the Wine Century Club, which is a group of wine lovers who have sampled their way through more than 100 different wine grapes? CDP will take you as far as 13 percent of the way there with a single sip!

Bill Cameron, we salute you for standing up for your right to prefer beer. We're both beer enthusiasts, too, as the subtitle for our last book WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT proves. (It's "The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, BEER, Spirits, Coffee, Tea -- Even Water -- Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers.")

Chumplet, we even love raspberry wheat beer (Framboise). Have you tried it with cheesecake? The combination can be ethereal. We recommend Junior's Cheesecake if you're anywhere in the vicinity of New York City or in one of the states they deliver to via their Web site -- we think it's JuniorsCheesecake.com. Otherwise, the single best cheesecake recipe we know is in our book BECOMING A CHEF from the late chef Patrick Clark, who was such a cheesecake fanatic that he used to spend his allowance as a kid on cream cheese so he could perfect his recipe. It's unbelievable!!

Anonymous said...

Oh, and Shona, thanks for prompting our memories -- one of our favorite informal restaurans in Manhattan is JIMMY'S NO. 43 (43 East 7th Street) where they've served a mean potted shrimp with Ritz crackers that we adore. (It's not always on the menu, so fellow potted shrimp fans might call first and see if/when it will be on next.)

Tena Russ said...

Slurp!

I love this conversation. I have to admit a passion for shrimp and have concocted several of my own recipes.

1. All of the above: a., b., c., and d. Enjoy. 8-)

2. He would naturally request some fresh cracked pepper for the cork.

3. My invention called *Jesus shrimp*. It’s so spicy that after one bite, you will see Jesus. The secret ingredient is Asian hot chili paste with garlic. Hey, you just gave me an idea for tonight’s dinner. Thanks.

Tena

Bill Cameron said...

My wife is the wine drinker. For my part, I will occasionally try something recommended on The Splendid Table, but she always finishes it.

Stephen Parrish said...

Steve, what do you like to eat with your Chateauneuf-du-Pape?

Some people think wine and food evolve together in wine growing regions, and the reason I know some people think so is because I think so.

I already talked about my bad luck with Rioja; once I leave Spain it doesn't taste the same. Gewürztraminer I bring home from the Alsace is insipid compared to the Gewürztraminer I drink in the Alsace.

Or maybe I'm just a snob.

Precie said...

Did someone say cheesecake?

laughingwolf said...

1. [d], cuz it's MY choice ;) lol

2. beans the twit with it, right off his bald pate! :O

3. simple guy, simple taste: giant shrimp [oxymoron?], grilled, served on heated plate, with clarified butter and lemon wedges on the side, with a few sprigs of dillweed... a nicely chilled brut champange in a flute....

laughingwolf said...

welcome, k&a....

Anonymous said...

Inherwritemind1, thanks for the flavor affinity tips, ie.

shrimp + chili paste + garlic
Roquefort dressing + fresh cracked pepper + cork

(We have to admit that the latter didn't make it into THE FLAVOR BIBLE.)

And Steve, thanks for yours:

Steve + wine = Wine Snob

Precie, this one's for you:

One of our favorite dessert recipes of all time is the one for Cheesecake from the late African-American chef Patrick Clark (ex-Tavern on the Green) that appeared in our first book BECOMING A CHEF. Patrick had told us that as a child, he spent all of his allowance on cream cheese so that he could work to create the ultimate cheesecake recipe. After spending decades perfecting it before his untimely death at the age of 42, we think Patrick succeeded.


Patrick Clark's First Cheesecake

3 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cup sugar; (12 ounces)
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the seeds of 1 fresh vanilla bean
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream or heavy (whipping) cream
graham cracker crumbs and butter for crust

In the bowl of a mixer, place the cream cheese, sugar, salt, and vanilla bean seeds, if using (if using vanilla extract, add after creaming). Cream the mixture at medium speed, until light, then add the vanilla extract (if using), and the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 2 minutes after each addition. Stir in sour cream or heavy cream until well combined. Butter a springform pan (10-inch diameter with 2 1/2-inch sides) and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Pour batter into the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 70 minutes, or until the cake tests done in the center. Remove to cake rack, and cool completely. Then remove cake from springform pan and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

(From BECOMING A CHEF by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page.)

P.S. We've long enjoyed cheesecake with a sweet wine such as Orange Muscat; Quady Essencia is one of our very favorites. Cheesecake is also wonderful with other sweet wines, such as Late Harvest or other sweet Rieslings and Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. And don't forget the aforementioned Framboise (raspberry) wheat beer -- it might be even better with a Belgian Kriek (cherry) beer!

Sandra Cormier said...

Stephen, what you eat and drink always tastes better when you're in a place you like.

Charred chicken legs always taste better when they're burned at the cottage.

Stephen Parrish said...

Now see what you've done, Chumplet? Our wine writers are talking about beer.

I didn't think anyone would have the courage to choose answer (d) to question #1. I'm proud of you, laughingwolf.

laughingwolf said...

thx steve... i follow a crooked trail ;) lol

Sandra Cormier said...

I tried to redirect the conversation with my Rioja story! Honest!

Anonymous said...

Laughingwolf, thanks for the warm welcome, and for contributing:

shrimp + butter + lemon + dill + Champagne

We *love* how this group is into drink pairings with food, which is such an important dimension of the flavor experience. We can guarantee that your experience of eating a raw oyster is going to be a lot different if it's accompanied by Laughingwolf's glass of Champagne versus a glass of Rioja! We touch on this subject in THE FLAVOR BIBLE (which also addresses flavor affinities for spirits such as bourbon, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, etc., which can be used to create new cocktails -- is this group into cocktails at all?), but delve in deeper in our last book WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT.

Chumplet made another really important point about the flavor experience:

<<...what you eat and drink always tastes better when you're in a place you like. Charred chicken legs always taste better when they're burned at the cottage.>>

In the opening chapters of THE FLAVOR BIBLE, we discuss flavor as an equation:

Flavor = Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + "The X Factor"

"The X Factor" refers to our experience of flavor aside from what is perceived by our physical bodies -- and specifically what is perceived by our hearts, minds and spirits as human beings. Eating a favorite food in a favorite place (and especially with favorite people) definitely enhances the experience!

Precie said...

Oooh, thanks!!!

{precie swiftly scribbles grocery list}

laughingwolf said...

thx, i'm getting your book, whether i win it or not

my fave oyster/clam experiences were at a bud's uncle's place in long island, ny, all fresh ingredients....

Sandra Cormier said...

Here in Ontario, our alcohol is purchased at the LCBO, a government-owned liquor store. They put out quarterly magazines (free for the taking) packed with recipes, cocktails and pairings. I can't bring myself to recycle them - each one holds gems.

One particular cocktail I haven't tried yet contains Canadian Rye whisky with a dash of maple syrup, on the rocks.

Maple syrup is mega expensive here. If I'm fortunate to get a bottle for Christmas, I'd love to try it in a cocktail.

peggy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bill Cameron said...

That's a great point, Chumplet. I enjoyed a LOT of wine when my wife and i went to Paris and Florence!

Sandra Cormier said...

I'd like to know what you all think about Okanagan wine. I hear it's been winning some international awards lately, after a slow start in the 90's.

We visited a few wineries while out there two years ago. I loved most of the samples, but my palate isn't trained enough to pick out the best.

laughingwolf said...

chumplet, it's been more than 10 years since i lived in bc, but did enjoy the wines when there

i like beer, too... locally, i prefer those from the microbreweries, but i like alexander keith's as well...

Precie said...

Eh, beer's not my thing. But give me a pint of Guinness on a winter day, and I'm a happy woman.

Mmmmm...Guinness and cheesecake...

Anonymous said...

Chumplet wrote, "One particular cocktail I haven't tried yet contains Canadian Rye whisky with a dash of maple syrup, on the rocks."

Now the combination of whiskey + maple syrup is NOT in THE FLAVOR BIBLE, but it sounds good to us!

What THE FLAVOR BIBLE does have listed under Whiskey is:

allspice, chocolate, cinnamon, cream and ice cream, dried fruits, figs, ginger or ginger ale, honey, lemon juice, orange curacao, pears, star anise, sugar, sweet potatoes and vanilla.

Flavor Affinities:

whiskey + cinnamon + dried fruits + ginger + lemon + star anise

whisky + lemon + orange curacao

So...if we were going to come up with a cocktail on the spot that incorporates both whiskey and maple syrup, we might go with:

whiskey + maple syrup + ginger ale + pears + walnuts

just because this particular combination of ingredients sounds delicious to us.

We'd add an ounce or so of whiskey to some chilled ginger ale sweetened with a splash of pear juice and a hint of maple syrup. And we'd serve it in a martini glass that had been rimmed with maple syrup and then run through some chopped walnuts, so you'd have a ring of sweet nuttiness in every sip of the cocktail. You could even garnish it with a slice of fresh pear. Mmmmm...

Sandra Cormier said...

Oh, my goodness... I want to run out and buy the ingredients right now!

You guys are very persuasive!

laughingwolf said...

oh wow, i just put on 10 lb reading that last concoction :O lol

Chris Eldin said...

OOOO! Maple syrup and whiskey! I'm in!

Hmmm...I have a question--Have either of you ever made your own wine?
:-)

Anonymous said...

Precie had asked, "What inspired you to write THE FLAVOR BIBLE?"

An excellent question! We hope that some of our postings here on Book Roast already help to illustrate our answer.

We set out to write "the ultimate cookbook" (a modest goal, we know) -- one that would help readers make any ingredient they might encounter taste more delicious.

So, Chapters 1 and 2 provides a tutorial on the basics of flavor, so you can better understand more about the variety of tools at your disposal when creating deliciousness.

Then, in Chapter 3, THE FLAVOR BIBLE lists any ingredient you could conceivably imagine -- from fruits and vegetables to meats, poultry and seafood, to grains and cheeses, to herbs, spices and other flavorings (including oils, vinegars, etc.) -- and the other ingredients that pair best with it. Suggestions are provided of the best cooking techniques to use to prepare it.

Most cookbooks will provide instruction on how to prepare a few dozen or even a few hundred recipes. THE FLAVOR BIBLE provides inspiration to prepare an *infinite* number of delicious creations -- appetizers, entrees, desserts, even (as you've now seen) cocktails!

McKoala said...

I'm not a dessert wine fan. I can't get over the thought that I'm drinking something meant for the kids. (Although clearly, it isn't!)

I tend to scoff my dessert unadulterated by any fluids, follow it with a cup of weak tea, then settle right back down into the dry white wine again...

Anonymous said...

Chriseldin writes, "Hmmm...I have a question--Have either of you ever made your own wine? :-)"

We've visited many wineries, but we've not yet had the pleasure of making our own wine, no.

Because you can design a cocktail to go with the flavors of a particular dish, some mixologists (or "bar chefs") argue that it's possible to achieve a better food and drink pairing with a cocktail than with a glass of wine.

Let's say you're having Thai food. You could look up Thai Cuisine in THE FLAVOR BIBLE, and find a list of representative flavors, e.g.

Thai basil, bell peppers, chile peppers, cilantro, coconut, coriander, cumin, curries, fish, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, herbs, lemongrass, lime, mint, noodles, peanuts, rice, shrimp paste, sugar, turmeric, vegetables

To accompany a Thai dish, you could make a cocktail consisting of:

coconut + lemongrass + lime + rum + sugar

You can probably already taste how these ingredients would harmonize with the flavors on you plate!

Then again, we love few things more than a great glass of Riesling...and that tends to be what's in our glass with Thai food, more often than not!

Bill Cameron said...

I'm really thinking WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT is right up my alley!

Sandra Cormier said...

My dad made ice wine and it tasted exactly like Harveys Bristol Cream.

Anonymous said...

Chumplet asked, "I'd like to know what you all think about Okanagan wine. I hear it's been winning some international awards lately, after a slow start in the 90's."

We're afraid we're not yet well-versed in Okanagan wine, although we're heading to Canada on our book tour next week and will plan to keep our eyes open!

In fact, we'd love to connect with Book Roasters live if we pass through your city on our book tour:

Wed, 9/17 (yes, tomorrow!) at 11:30 am -- We're signing copies of THE FLAVOR BIBLE at Chicago's Green City Market.

Wed, 9/24 -- We're being hosted for an event at Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks in Vancouver.

Thurs, 9/25 -- You'll find us signing copies of THE FLAVOR BIBLE at In Good Taste in Portland, Oregon.

Sun, 9/28 -- We're being hosted for dinner by Kim Ricketts Book Events at The Corson Building in Seattle.

Mon, 9/29 -- We'll be chatting about THE FLAVOR BIBLE at Microsoft headquarters.

And we'll be traveling through the U.S. and Canada in the months to come -- please keep an eye out for us! (Check the News & Events page on our Web site at www.becomingachef.com for updates on our schedule.)

Sandra Cormier said...

I'll keep an eye out for you when you hit the Toronto area, although I live north of the city.

Your book seems to reflect my cooking style -- whatever's in the cupboard that seems to go together. I'm the substitution queen.

It also reflects my writing, too. I haven't yet settled on a genre!

Anonymous said...

Chumplet writes, "I'll keep an eye out for you when you hit the Toronto area, although I live north of the city. Your book seems to reflect my cooking style -- whatever's in the cupboard that seems to go together. I'm the substitution queen."

Toronto, eh? The Toronto Star recently mentioned our previous book CULINARY ARTISTRY as one of the "top 10 cookbook must-haves," as recommended by The Cookbook Store in Toronto. Here's the link:
http://www.thestar.com/living/article/444887

Phoenix Sullivan said...

So, K& A, which of you is REALLY answering the roasters' questions? I'm noticing that royal "we" thing y'all have going...

1. a. Because it was the first and easiest choice.

2. Orders Bleu Cheese dressing instead since cork and Roquefort obviously don't pair well.

3. As far as shrimp dishes, I like a deep-bowled glass one. Makes it easy to see all those cute baby shrimp swimming around.

(I'm not eligible to win, though.)

What a great calendar you guys have! And what great reviews! When do you get your own cooking show????

Sandra Cormier said...

I'm on it like a sled dog on a frozen salmon.

Wow, what an enlightening article. Kudos!

Torstar owns the newspaper I work for! I don't do reviews, though.

Chris Eldin said...

I'm just back from soccer with the boys.
Looks like a fun conversation!!

We're down to the wire, so if you'd like to pop in and chat with the authors, or venture a few guesses to win a fantastic book and superb bottle of wine, get to it!!
:-)

Anonymous said...

Phoenix asks, "So, K & A, which of you is REALLY answering the roasters' questions? I'm noticing that royal 'we' thing y'all have going..."

LOL! While we've written several books together as "Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page," THE FLAVOR BIBLE is the first to feature us as "Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg." There's an explanation in the book's Acknowledgments for anyone who's interested. (Karen will admit that she's almost invariably the one at the actual keyboard...)

Chumplet writes, "I'm on it like a sled dog on a frozen salmon." Many thanks for expanding our repertoire of Canadian expressions just in time for our next visit to Canada on Monday!

And Chriseldin writes, "I'm just back from soccer with the boys." So how'd the little guys do today, Chris?? And you'll surely want to hide their eyes from all the cocktail, beer and wine talk that's been going on here!

Speaking of wine talk, our wine column in The Washington Post was just posted for tomorrow -- so if you'd like to be among the *very* first to read "Picks with Personality" (what insiders you all are!), you can click through here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091600671.html

Sandra Cormier said...

On my way home from work tonight, I stopped to get some Centennial Canadian Whisky (see, I spelled it right!), splurged $9.49 on organic maple syrup and picked up the current aforementioned Food & Drink magazine from the LCBO.

Coinkydink... A pear recipe on the cover, and when I open it up, Kawartha Lakes Raspberry Wheat Beer is prominently displayed in an article! Sorry, Bill, I thought it was Upper Canada, but it's Kawartha Lakes. Lovely stuff.

I forgot walnuts and pear juice, but I did have one overripe pear left over in the fridge. I threw a slice into my rye and ginger ale with a squirt of maple syrup.

Yum.

Yum.

Sandra Cormier said...

"Many thanks for expanding our repertoire of Canadian expressions just in time for our next visit to Canada on Monday!"

I made it up. I think...

Have fun in Vancouver!

Chris Eldin said...

Karen and Andrew, Thank you so much for the wealth of information you've provided! Your book will be an invaluable reference for every book shelf!!

The contest is now closed, so whenever Karen and Andrew are ready, they'll announce the lucky winner of The Flavor Bible!!
:-)

Steve is in Germany. It's 3am. So my last question is, isn't there a wine that gives you energy?
:-)

Many thanks to everyone who came by today!!

Shona Snowden said...

So when does the book tour make it to Sydney, Australia?

Bill... WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT...didn't you already say the answer was beer?

Looking forward to hearing who our winner is! This has been an interesting discussion. A little more civilised than some of our recent ones! (Those agents, tsk, tsk.)

Bill Cameron said...

But there are so many things to eat, and so many beers to drink with them.

Ray Wong said...

That looks so delicious.

I made a great shrimp and olive oil. Yum. And a sesame shrimp cake.

Chris Eldin said...

WOOO HOOOO!!
Welcome Ray!!
That red background is a fun pick-me-up!! :-)

So glad you popped in...
What's your grape?

Sandra Cormier said...

The Maestro speaks! Hi, Ray!

Chris Eldin said...

Ray is Maestro?!!!

Now I know who Maestro is!! I thought it was either Bill or Jason--
Sorry I am easily confused!
:-)

Ray Wong said...

Shhh!

Ray Wong said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
laughingwolf said...

disappointed there are so few visitors, especially since we all EAT... but that increases my win chances ;) lol

Sandra Cormier said...

Me, too! (Shoves Wolfie out of the way).

Good morning!

Precie said...

1) we love few things more than a great glass of Riesling

Hell yeah!

2) The maestro made an appearance? Hi!!!! Clearly I've been away from AW too long.

laughingwolf said...

shove all ye wanna, chumplet ;) lol

laughingwolf said...

k&a must be on a flight? :O lol

Sandra Cormier said...

I can wait till they drop by during their tour and they can deliver my prize in person.

I hope they don't jiggle the wine too much.

Stephen Parrish said...

K&A are indeed traveling, having just launched their book tour. They liked everyone's answers so much that they asked me to make the selection. Here goes:

Whirlocher, hitting the sommelier with a frying pan was spot on.

Precie, your recipe makes my mouth water.

Charles, you pretended skillfully to know something about wine.

Bill, your desire to desire wine is a desirable trait.

Chumplet, tasting the cork after it has fallen into the dressing is a novel idea.

Tena, "all of the above" is greedy, but resourceful.

Laughingwolf, your answer to #1 was courageous. Your answer to #2 ("beans the twit with it, right off his bald pate") was not only appropriate, but poetic as well. And your recipe was simple and honest.

Laughingwolf, YOU WIN.

Please send your address to stephenparrish@hotmail.com. I'll arrange for wine.com to ship you a bottle (we'll discuss which one) and K&A to ship you a book. Well done.

Sandra Cormier said...

Hooray for Laughing Wooolf!

Looks like you'll be getting an empty wine bottle, unless you provide a postal box just over the border. Will they deliver to Maine?

Chris Eldin said...

Congratulations Laughing Wolf!!!
WOOOHOOOO!!!
:-)

Precie said...

Yay, laughingwolf!!

laughingwolf said...

oh wow! i'm honorerd!

thank you, k&a... will send my address asap

i also want to thank the academy and all who voted for... uh... maybe i'm jumping the gun a bit? :O

but thank you chumplet, chris and precie :)

dunno about delivery, chumplet... will have to check it out, perhaps send the bottle to the first runner-up of this pageant?

wuff is all about sharing, where possible

laughingwolf said...

chumplet, i got some beer a bit earlier today, picked up the fall copy of 'occasions', the nslc [nova scotia liquor corporation - lcbo equivalent] on the cover of which is a 'greta garbo', looks absolutely sinful in the fancy cocktail glass :O lol

ingredients:
1 oz. st.remy napoleon brandy
1 oz. noilly prat
1 oz. oj
1/4 oz grenadine
dash mcguinness creme de menthe

pour all into shaker half full of ice cubes
shake well
strain t=into chilled glass

Sandra Cormier said...

Cool, Wolfie! My mom had a cocktail with Creme de Menthe and cream, on the rocks. Since she was half Irish and half Mik Maq, she called it the Irish Squaw.

Stephen Parrish said...

Both the book AND the wine (a gold medal California Merlot) are on their way to Laughingwolf in Canada.

Next time we'll give away a bottle of beer, just so Chumplet doesn't feel left out. Until then, thanks everybody, and remember:

Cooking with wine makes food taste good. Adding the wine to the food makes it taste even better.

laughingwolf said...

welcome, chumplet!

lol@irish squaw :O

steve, thank you... if chumplet was closer, i'd invite her and hubby to share the bottle with me