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The Flavour Thesaurus: Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook
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Unique, beautifully written and ceaselessly imaginative, "The Flavor Thesaurus" is a completely new kind of food book--inspired, as author Niki Segnit explains, by her over-reliance on recipes. "Following the instructions in a recipe is like parroting pre-formed sentences from a phrasebook. Forming an understanding of how flavors work together, on the other hand, is like l
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Hardcover, First Edition , 400 pages
Published
June 12th 2010
by Bloomsbury UK
(first published 2010)
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Flavour Thesaurus: Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook
May 26, 2011
Melissa
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
food-cooking-recipes,
nonfiction
I love this book. It is part cookbook, part food history, part a glimpse into the head of the author. I had it checked out (from my library) but by page 25 I knew I needed to own it. If you like food read this book!
I say I have finished this book because I have read every page but I think It will be awhile before I am ready to put it on the cookbook shelf. In a spare moment I pick it up and look through it or wonder if this flavor and that will go together and I check this book.
I say I have finished this book because I have read every page but I think It will be awhile before I am ready to put it on the cookbook shelf. In a spare moment I pick it up and look through it or wonder if this flavor and that will go together and I check this book.
Apr 11, 2012
Elizabeth La Lettrice
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
nonfiction,
cooking
There’s no way I’ll ever stop reading this book so I might as well write my review now!
I’m only halfway into the second of sixteen sections and I already have so much to say (and the colorful post-its are taking over!). I only first heard of this book when they were coming out with the revised edition with the new cover. And it was SO PRETTY that it grabbed my attention right away. “The Flavor Thesaurus…” Hmm, sounds like a wonderful reference guide for explorations in the culinary frontier… and ...more
I’m only halfway into the second of sixteen sections and I already have so much to say (and the colorful post-its are taking over!). I only first heard of this book when they were coming out with the revised edition with the new cover. And it was SO PRETTY that it grabbed my attention right away. “The Flavor Thesaurus…” Hmm, sounds like a wonderful reference guide for explorations in the culinary frontier… and ...more
Sorry. I really wanted something that would guide me to understand patterns, create new templates, visualize & predict what's likely to work or not. But the author and I do not organize ideas in complementary ways, and we taste and eat very differently. I could not study the 'color wheel' as I could not process/ understand it, and I am not motivated to read all the fine print stories interspersed with the lists of pairings. It really is most akin to an American Heritage dictionary, in that it's
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Cauliflower & chocolate anyone? This well-written and clearly organized compendium of flavour combinations is treasure trove of inspiration and full of food pairings I had never even dreamed of. It's also surprisingly funny at times. A book I will dip into often.
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Pros:
-It gives you a very rough idea of flavour pairings
- The book is physically appealing
Cons:
- It is completely anecdotal and subjective
- It is not logical
- It is not systematic
- It is not scientific
Conclusion:
I was excited for this book. I am deeply disappointed with it and I feel deceived. Reading from the descriptions on several bookstores, it presents itself to be an "encyclopedia". It is most definitely not. It is written in a very amateur manner that is illogical, vague and imprecise. T ...more
-It gives you a very rough idea of flavour pairings
- The book is physically appealing
Cons:
- It is completely anecdotal and subjective
- It is not logical
- It is not systematic
- It is not scientific
Conclusion:
I was excited for this book. I am deeply disappointed with it and I feel deceived. Reading from the descriptions on several bookstores, it presents itself to be an "encyclopedia". It is most definitely not. It is written in a very amateur manner that is illogical, vague and imprecise. T ...more
What’s good together? Anything and this book!
I ran across this book at the new coffee shop in my town, and I was so taken with it that I asked the coffee shop owner if I could borrow it! Yes, I am now asking to take home books I run across at coffee shops. And then I had to buy my own copy.
I’ve told a dozen people who I know love to cook about this book now, and all of them have given me some version of the same stare, a You-Want-Me-to-Read-a-Book-About-Flavor Combinations? look that reminds me ...more
I ran across this book at the new coffee shop in my town, and I was so taken with it that I asked the coffee shop owner if I could borrow it! Yes, I am now asking to take home books I run across at coffee shops. And then I had to buy my own copy.
I’ve told a dozen people who I know love to cook about this book now, and all of them have given me some version of the same stare, a You-Want-Me-to-Read-a-Book-About-Flavor Combinations? look that reminds me ...more
I'm going to put my notes here. And probably do up a blog post. Needless to say, this is the type of book that I would tend to buy to help me generate ideas.
Coffee + Black Currant
Coffee + Cardamom
Coffee + Orange
Blue Cheese + Pineapple "TGWRT #10"
Hard Cheese + Banana esp. Comte
Hard Cheese + Parsnip (parboil, then flour + parmesan to bake
Mushrooms + Chestnut
Sichuan Eggplant dishes
Potatos and Peanut (gado gado, peanut butter, S+V chips w/ peanuts shaken into the bag)
Potato pizza w/ fresh curds for ...more
Coffee + Black Currant
Coffee + Cardamom
Coffee + Orange
Blue Cheese + Pineapple "TGWRT #10"
Hard Cheese + Banana esp. Comte
Hard Cheese + Parsnip (parboil, then flour + parmesan to bake
Mushrooms + Chestnut
Sichuan Eggplant dishes
Potatos and Peanut (gado gado, peanut butter, S+V chips w/ peanuts shaken into the bag)
Potato pizza w/ fresh curds for ...more
yes, technically i have finished reading this, but i feel like it’s going to be on the roster forever. The FLAVOURS. the PAIRINGS. The RECIPES. i love that it’s not just description of flavours, it’s examples, it’s recipes, it’s ideas, it’s tips, tricks, books and restaurants to hit up if you travel. She’s funny, smart and honest.
Jun 01, 2019
Sarah Morgan Sandquist
rated it
did not like it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
did-not-finish
I was unable to make it past the chocolate section. The author's rambling is so incoherent it is indiscernible from bad editing.
A couple of examples: the section called CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT features the author going on about her cigarette addiction. There is no connection. She goes through her addiction journey, childhood memories and the tasting notes of tobacco. I am genuinely unsure if this is a misplaced CHOCOLATE AND TOBACCO entry or if the author is making a connection to the 'addictive' ...more
A couple of examples: the section called CHOCOLATE AND COCONUT features the author going on about her cigarette addiction. There is no connection. She goes through her addiction journey, childhood memories and the tasting notes of tobacco. I am genuinely unsure if this is a misplaced CHOCOLATE AND TOBACCO entry or if the author is making a connection to the 'addictive' ...more
This is my first one-star review. Not just on books, but on anything. I am generally of the opinion that if I don’t have nice things to say about other people’s hard work I might as well not. Sometimes, though, it’s good to warn people.
I’m sure there are people who will get some value out of this book. People who, say, aren’t too clear on what a thesaurus is and so isn’t mislead by the title.
When the attempt at writing such a thing as a flavor thesaurus failed, a reworking of the concept might ...more
I’m sure there are people who will get some value out of this book. People who, say, aren’t too clear on what a thesaurus is and so isn’t mislead by the title.
When the attempt at writing such a thing as a flavor thesaurus failed, a reworking of the concept might ...more
I'm sure there must be some good combinations and foody stuff in here. The style just grates on me - flicked through and read a few of the descriptions then just shuddered and put it down.
In fact, I just noticed the "About Niki Segnit" here and that grates on me as well. Read that, if you're OK then maybe the book is for you. ...more
In fact, I just noticed the "About Niki Segnit" here and that grates on me as well. Read that, if you're OK then maybe the book is for you. ...more
I liked the Flavor Bible much better.
Brilliant! I've always wanted a book like this, and here it is. Reaches out beyond European culinary traditions, which I especially appreciate. And it's really well written--so many good turns of phrase.
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I like the theory and, for an experienced cook, it's a lovely way to think about creating and making new dishes. What let's it down is something seemingly mundane and pragmatic - it typeset in font 8 or 9, which makes it very hard read.
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This is a book about food, and has recipes in it, but it’s not a cookbook as one usually thinks of it. The author set out to classify all the possible flavor elements, describe them, and list the foods that contained them. She lists flavors such as roasted, meaty, mustardy, green & grassy, spicy, woodland, fresh fruity, citrusy, floral fruity, marine, and sulfurous- there are a huge number of possible flavors. Some I already knew; a few surprised me- I would have never guessed ginger root went u
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I'm obviously a bit of a gourmand and attempt to push myself with my creations, not only by utilizing different techniques but also by being more adventurous with my flavors. This book is more of what I hoped the Flavor Bible would be: providing the "why" and "how" to creating unique flavor combinations in addition to the "what". While the food list is not as detailed, there is a description of why the pairing works and the different recipes and cultures that use it. Both books have their place
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This is an amazing exploration of flavors and their relationship to each other and ourselves. Despite being called a thesaurus, this isn't some sort of dry textbook or manual, but rather a visceral, poetic, and sometimes emotional profile of flavor pairings, both classic and modern. It's not too heavy on science, but whenever applicable you will find little gems explaining the nature of essential oils or the the chemical similarities between complementary flavors and such.
...more
Nov 25, 2017
rafal federowicz
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
food-wine
outstanding!
the must for those who want to cook instead of blindly copying formulas from cookbooks.
foundation to make your creativity awaken!!!
for those who don’t speak english and come from poland... there has been polish translation available for a few weeks now :-)
now in polish: ;-)
zajebista książka która uczy kreatywności w gotowaniu. od kilku tygodni dostępna również po polsku!
the must for those who want to cook instead of blindly copying formulas from cookbooks.
foundation to make your creativity awaken!!!
for those who don’t speak english and come from poland... there has been polish translation available for a few weeks now :-)
now in polish: ;-)
zajebista książka która uczy kreatywności w gotowaniu. od kilku tygodni dostępna również po polsku!
The inferior version of The Flavor Bible. Organization was odd, complete lack of pictures.
...more
Nov 10, 2018
Adrienne Michetti
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites,
read-just-right
I read this a few years ago but have been prompted to add it now. This book is a staple reference book in my home. It's inspiration as well as practical. It is where I go when I am stuck in a cooking rut or wondering what goes with X. Highly highly recommend.
...more
I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Perhaps I had very high expectations but I found that this book did not help me. I prefer the flavor bible.
awesome book jammed packed full of great useful stuff for anyone who likes to mess around at all in the kitchen. highest recommendation
Excellent. Has helped me put two and two together more times than I can count!
More of an intermediate book, but it is pretty much what I was looking for. I personally didn't like that it didn't contain some common "condiments."
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This was not a book I could read from front to back. That's because I feel like this book is mostly a reference book to give you ideas. I come to this book for inspiration, not for advise.
I check it when I'm tired of just strawberry icecream and want ideas for good flavorings. I looked into it when I tried to make kombucha from fennel tea which turned out pretty disgusting, so I wanted to try some flavorings to see if it could still be savoured.
Read in this way, by just reading what you need i ...more
I check it when I'm tired of just strawberry icecream and want ideas for good flavorings. I looked into it when I tried to make kombucha from fennel tea which turned out pretty disgusting, so I wanted to try some flavorings to see if it could still be savoured.
Read in this way, by just reading what you need i ...more
This is a food book, not a cook book. Segnit looks at many foods and like a painter, or a writer, or a chemist, she analyses the components that make each food unique, from aroma to texture to flavor notes and makes sense of the big "why" they work best with which other foods. Invaluable. Great reading. This writer is hilarious. I have a crush on her. I checked this book and Lateral Cooking out of the library and I have to convince my husband to buy them for my Christmas present this year. Yes.
...more
Ok, all my food industry friends would just hate me for saying this but I didn't like this book at all. It felt like there was no rhyme or reason for the author's flavor pairings, sometimes using recipes, sometimes personal anecdotes to justify why certain things go together.
Maybe my mistake was attempting to read it like a novel (from cover to cover), instead of just using it for inspiration, all I know is that I will try The Flavor Bible in the future, and hope that one has a more scientific a ...more
Maybe my mistake was attempting to read it like a novel (from cover to cover), instead of just using it for inspiration, all I know is that I will try The Flavor Bible in the future, and hope that one has a more scientific a ...more
This book was such an interesting take on the cookbook, and I've already taken one of the many inventive suggestions within to make pork tenderloin rubbed with cumin and garlic. It was so good. This is the sort of instructive manual that encourages one to cook without a cookbook by building a base of knowledge on how flavors interact. Plus, the author is very charming. Definitely recommend to anyone interested in cooking.
...more
Beautifully produced
Superficially "analytical" jizzfest for the university privileged set
In fact utterly conventional with nothing new to say
Value added: zero
But makes a beautiful gift and on your bookshelf makes you look like you may know about food or be creative in a certain way coveted by the university privileged set
About the author: "background in marketing." It shows. ...more
Superficially "analytical" jizzfest for the university privileged set
In fact utterly conventional with nothing new to say
Value added: zero
But makes a beautiful gift and on your bookshelf makes you look like you may know about food or be creative in a certain way coveted by the university privileged set
About the author: "background in marketing." It shows. ...more
Informative and a nice inspiration for cooking. The pop culture, food and literary references and personal stories are a nice touch and liven the text. Disappointed to see a confusion, however, between macaroons and macarons; the author describes macarons but the author and editors missed this misspelling and use macaroons instead!
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodreads Librari...: Please Combine: The Flavour Thesaurus | 3 | 16 | Jun 02, 2012 05:42PM |
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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 confect
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